Ready yourself for speakers and authors

Ahoy.

Attention on deck. This is your captain speaking, and I want to

tell you about a special event happening from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday.

So before I go any further, write this date on your calendar or enter

it into your personal datebook. And that is an order.

All of you are invited as my personal guests to attend and help

welcome Ray Tsuneyoshi, the director of California’s Department of

Boating and Waterways. Ray is flying down from Sacramento just for

this event so that he can be the guest of honor, meet those of you in

attendance, in addition to speaking about what is happening on the

state’s waterways.

This special marine networking forum is open to the public, and

did I mention it’s free and at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601

Bayside Drive. This will be the first opportunity for the public to

officially welcome Ray to Newport Harbor, and meet your Sacramento

representative.

On an interesting note, Ray is the first director to be confirmed

by the state Senate and the previous three directors in probably a

decade.

I have mentioned Ray in a few prior columns. I am surprised he

accepted my personal invitation after last year’s Newport to Ensenada

Race, when he was shanghaied on a voyage by Marty Kasules, Newport

Harbor master, and myself -- otherwise know as the motley crew.

You may have read Marty’s Community Commentary (“Keeping the

harbor clean not an easy task,” Thursday) on the Forum page. I agree

100% with what he wrote -- more on that in another column.

Back to Ray’s visit: Wait until he sees what we have planned for

him on this visit.

Co-hosting the marine event are Mark Silvey, marine committee

chair, and yours truly, your master of ceremonies of the evening. The

chamber is very excited to be the sponsor of such an important

function in Newport Harbor for the marine community.

“Really excited to have Ray Tsuneyoshi speak here at the

country’s, if not the world’s, largest recreational harbor,” said

Doug Stuckey, the Newport chamber of commerce’s public affairs

director. “We are looking forward to building a great working

relationship with the Department of Boating and Waterways.”

Ray has more than 25 years of experience in the boating world. He

got a master’s from Pepperdine University after graduating from the

University of Hawaii. He has held the positions of counsel to the

commissioner of the United States Federal Maritime Commission,

president of Harbor and Coastal Services Unlimited, division manager

at Zapata Gulf Marine Corp. and vice president of Pacific Tow Boat.

Also, he served in the U.S. Army and afterward was in the U.S. Coast

Guard Reserve.

He is an avid fisherman, so we are planning a fishing expedition

to the new Diamond Lake reservoir, which has boating launch ramps and

docks the Boating and Waterways funded.

Boating and Waterways administers statewide programs such as

boating safety, public access to the water and boating education, as

well as enforcement of boating laws. Boaters’ gasoline taxes and

vessel registration fees are how the department receives its annual

funding. Ray’s budget this year is just over $101 million, most of

which goes directly back to programs for those who paid the taxes.

There will be two nautical book authors at the mixer to sign

copies of their books, which are published by the world’s largest

independent nautical publishing houses -- Chief Executive John P.

Kaufman of Bristol Fashion Publications (www.bfpbooks.com) and

retired Capt. John Guest (USCG). Kaufman will conclude the evening

speaking briefly about his book, “Scuttlebutt -- Seafaring History

and Lore,” plus help draw the door prize tickets.

We will host a marine event for a few nautical book authors to

speak and sign books, most likely in February. It is still in the

planning stages. I will keep you informed. This might happen when

Bristol Fashion Publications has my new book ready in print, for

those of you who are on the edge of your seats.

You can contact the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce for more

information on these events at (949) 729-4400 or online at

www.NewportBeach.com. I have a link on my site at

www.BoathouseTV.com.

I hope to see you at these functions, and please introduce

yourself to me.

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 Mike@BoathouseTV.com or BoathouseTV.com.