Newport should find ways to manage charter boats

Paul James Baldwin

Has anyone who lives on or near Newport Harbor heard some of the

party boats go by with their over-amplified public announcement and

music systems (“Newport Beach may explore how to control charter

boats,” Sept. 30)? How about the screaming drunks?

I tell you, it really is something to listen to young women

screaming at the top of their lungs in an alcoholic frenzy. You can

be assured they are having a great time, at least until they wake up

in the morning.

During the Christmas Boat Parade, there are so many party boats

that they have to remain stationary in the center of the channel

because of all the other boats on their port and starboard sides and

crossing their bows and sterns. Oh, for the Duffy owners, that’s

other boats passing on the left and right sides, and front and back

of the party boats.

Finally, someone is taking the initiative on the issue. Kudos to

Mayor Tod Ridgeway for suggesting that the city try to manage this

issue, which is out of control not only on the harbor but on our

streets and docks as well.

Ridgeway is correct in wanting to assess the issue and gather as

much information as possible before going forward with future plans

or regulations. Ridgeway has not received many complaints about these

party boats, nor supposedly has the city. I just hope harbor services

director Tony Melum and Ridgeway have talked to the city’s licensing

department. This is the city department that takes complaints on the

party boats, but most people don’t know this, and some people in City

Hall probably don’t know this either.

If you are lucky enough to find where to lodge a complaint about a

party boat, then most often you have to wait for a return call to

provide details of your complaint. Then there is a process the city

does to address the complaint. I believe the city is very diligent in

following up on the complaints once one is finally received -- that

is if someone lodging a complaint doesn’t give up getting through the

system.

However, the city is completely ineffectual in resolving the

complaint or preventing, in the future, the reason the complaint was

placed. Now I may be wrong about this last part, but living on the

harbor myself, I think not.

I applaud Ridgeway in now addressing the issue of the party boats.

And I hope the city finds a way to effectively manage this issue as

soon as possible.

* PAUL JAMES BALDWIN is a Newport Beach resident.