Looking out for a calm ride home

MIKE WHITEHEAD

Ahoy.

I am on the water this weekend after my radio show to deliver a

new Marquis 59 from the Hotel Coral Marina in Ensenada to her new

home port in Alamitos Bay. I am expecting the seas to be a mixed set

from both the south and the west that might make a washing machine of

a ride up the coast. At the same time, a good friend of mine, Capt.

Mitch Keeler, is sitting in Cabo San Lucas contemplating the sea

conditions for his yacht delivery up the coast to San Diego.

The seas are reported to be 5 to 8 feet with a strong 25-knot wind

that is decreasing the intervals between the swells plus a wind wave

on top. Many captains in Cabo are looking to Sunday for a break in

the weather for them to leave port for the long, bumpy

800-nautical-mile ride back to the United States. This is the time of

the year boaters leave the hurricane-prone regions of Mexico and

Central America. Many of the boaters’ insurance policies exclude the

boats being in those latitudes without a substantial expense rider

policy until November.

In our local area, many boaters’ insurance policies are written

with a specific geographical cruising area for coverage. Boaters will

typically need to contact their marine insurance agent when planning

to take their boat south of the border or north of Point Conception.

I regularly have to send marine insurance companies a copy of my U.S.

Coast Guard license and a delivery resume showing the ports of call I

visit along the Pacific.

Looking back to Newport Harbor, the Flight of the Lasers is on the

chart table planned for this summer. The 2001 race was won by Lido

Isle resident Carter Ford, who holds the title as the oldest winner.

You would think Ford is in his teens with the energy and enthusiasm

that he shows toward boating and attending the marine events.

Recently, the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club recognized Ford’s

contributions to yachting during this year’s opening ceremonies.

Commodore Barry Levy presented Ford with the Edward F. Kennedy

Memorial Trophy. First awarded in 1984, this annual trophy is given

by yacht club to someone who has contributed to yachting in Newport

Harbor as Outstanding Yachtsman of the Year.

Ford is recognized for his past racing performances, coaching

involvements and leadership over the years from the Harvard Yacht

Club and sailing team to the Stanford Sailing Assn., to him being

inducted into the Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Hall of Fame and, of

course, locally in Newport Harbor.

He is a resident of Newport Beach for more than 30 years, and I

see Ford often at many nautical functions around town. He did help to

pioneer the popular CFJ class of racing sailboats, plus let’s not

forget his involvement with the Shields and laser fleets. A member of

Lido Isle Yacht Club, he has served there in many capacities, with

notable achievements in developing innovative boat storage, launching

and docking facilities.

I congratulate both Ford for winning this award, and the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club for recognizing someone who is this involved in

Newport’s sailing programs. I cannot wait to see how Ford finishes in

this year’s Flight of the Lasers, especially if Art Gronsky decides

to enter the race.

TIP OF THE WEEK

I will be speaking about the value of boating to the Newport

Harbor area at the Lido Isle Yacht Club’s Nautical Lecture Series

next Friday. I will begin with discussing how the boating and

nautical activities affect our lives in the Newport Harbor area, and

I will share once again some of my memorable cruising adventures

along the coast. For more information, contact Dick Brown at (949)

675-5404.

Remember to send in your letter to the governor about saving the

Department of Boating and Waterways. A sample letter is at

https://www.rboc.org; click on “Call to Arms.”

My “Boathouse Radio Show” is now every Saturday from noon to 1

p.m. on KCBQ-AM (1170). You can join in during the nation’s No. 1

boating talk radio show by calling the listener line at (888)

344-1170, and you can listen worldwide over the Internet at

https://www.boat houseradio.com.

Safe Voyages.

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

him your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions by

e-mail to mike@boathouse tv.com or visit https://www.boat housetv.com.