The Harbor Column -- Mike Whitehead

Ahoy.

Henry Schielein of the Balboa Bay Club is very disturbed by the recent

news that the Bay Club intentionally polluted the harbor by pumping

unfiltered ground water into it during the huge construction phase.

Henry has personally expressed his concern with the health of the

harbor and the recent oversight in the sulfide levels of the pumped

ground water. However, in all fairness, it was not Henry or the Bay Club

that pumped this ground water into the harbor.

Yes, the Bay Club pulls the building permits and hires the contractor

to perform the work, but the contractor is the one who made the error. It

is a delicate balancing act, building a project of this size next to the

harbor because there are particular problems, such as seepage of harbor

water into every hole that is dug.

From this incident and others, I hope in the near future that the

building inspectors and environmental groups can work together to

constructively aid the contractors building in our coastal areas. Instead

of waiting for a water-quality problem to occur and getting an immediate

fine or lawsuit, all the groups should be working as an alliance in the

name of prevention.

Henry, I, as one who knows you and have seen you enjoying our harbor,

believe you are concerned with our most vital resource -- the harbor.

***

The American clipper schooner Lynx, built as an exact replica of a

1812 privateer schooner, will be arriving in Newport Harbor at the jetty

entrance at noon Friday.

Boaters are welcomed to join in the flotilla to escort the Lynx to the

Newport Harbor Nautical Museum’s guest dock for a 3 p.m. welcoming

ceremony. The afternoon’s festivities will include historic reenactments,

music and cannon fire.

The Newport Harbor Nautical Museum is hosting the Lynx for a two-day

event with the theme “First Defense of Freedom.”

The museum has marked this Saturday and Sunday as a time to remember

the tragic events of Sept. 11 and to remind everyone of America’s resolve

to guarantee freedom for all. The whole family can enjoy the free events

with lots of activities, including sword fights, Port Royal Privateers

band, reenactments and vessel dockside tours for a small fee.

Stop on by to see this vessel, and for more information, call the

museum at (949) 673-7863.

***”Boat Smart for the Start. Wear your Life Jacket” is the theme

again this year for National Safe Boating Week, which starts Saturday and

runs through May 24.

This year’s campaign is to increase awareness of wearing your life

jacket (personal flotation device) while boating, fishing and

participating in water sports.

Boating participation is on the increase, yet boating fatalities are

on the decrease annually and this decrease can be directly related to the

increase in boater education and people wearing their life jackets.

In the olden days, it was unmanly to acknowledge that life jackets

existed, and only the pure tourist would ever consider wearing a life

jacket while on a boat. The attitude is changing among boaters. Wearing a

life jacket is common and demonstrating donning a personal flotation

device to your guests is the norm.

Most states have enacted life jacket regulations for children and

certain activities. Along with that trend, almost every sailing class is

requiring students to wear their life jackets, and many races, both sail

and power, require life jackets to be worn by all on board.

As the new style of life jackets become more comfortable and with the

new inflatable models, I expect to see most boaters wearing their

personal flotation devices. I have seen one company that is now

incorporating flotation into their jackets, which are worn as a regular

jacket. Just as skiers are now adapting to wearing crash helmets, boaters

too will adapt to wearing some type of personal flotation device.

Hey, I am off on a voyage up the coast, then the delta to Sacramento,

so see you next week.

Safe voyages.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send him

your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions via e-mail

to o7 Mike@BoathouseTV.comf7 or o7 BoathouseTV.comf7 .