Harbor should not just be for small boats

MIKE WHITEHEAD

Ahoy.

Well, the e-mails continue to arrive about Marinapark, as the

question of what to do with the property is becoming the harbor’s hot

topic. I find it interesting that the only negative e-mails (and it’s

a very small number) are from Marinapark mobile-home residents or

from neighboring residents do not want a public boating facility at

Marinapark.

Well, I think another serious concern for owners of boats of all

makes, types, and sizes is a statement by a Newport Beach harbor

commissioner in Alicia Robinson’s article Thursday, “Neighbors ask

yacht dwellers to disembark.”

“To me the issue is, this is the wrong harbor,” Commissioner Ralph

Rodheim said in the article. “This is a small-boat harbor. We don’t

have room for the mega-yachts.”

Excuse me? I hope that statement was taken out of context. Wow,

what would the public say if a coastal commissioner said that no

homes of more than 1,000 square feet could be on the waterfront

because Newport should remain a tent city?

City commissioners are supposed to be fair and balanced on all

issues coming before them in the interest of the public and the city.

I know John Wayne is flipping over in his grave that his 136-foot

“Wild Goose” wasn’t allowed in the harbor decades ago.

Oh wait, what about the Sea Base’s “Argus,” or “Bella,” or the

yachts docked at the Balboa Bay Club and on Lido Peninsula? Davey’s

Locker had better relocate any of its fishing boats that are more

than 40 feet to another harbor, especially the “Freelance.” The yacht

brokers should be concerned because this would limit the size of

boats they can berth in the harbor.

How does anyone define Newport Harbor as a small-boat harbor,

considering all the large yachts since the harbor was dredged for

commercial vessels?

The Federal Government’s United States Coast Pilot No. 7 states

very clearly on page 121, “The bay is an important yachting and sport

fishing center, and offers excellent anchorage for large yachts and

small craft under all weather conditions.”

Hmm, did I read “large yachts?”

The item the commission was deciding was whether a yacht berthed

at a residential dock can have a live-aboard crew. Any seasoned

boater knows that larger yachts have crew aboard full time to

maintain the vessel and for security.

The commission voted “no.” Granted, that is in line with the city

code, but I think the owner of the 100-foot yacht, Besame, should

appeal to the City Council. It is time that the City Council started

to look more closely at harbor issues. I think you could rename the

crew a 24-hour security patrol.

With all that being said, I have a serious concern over the bias

of a harbor commissioner who has input over boating infrastructure in

the harbor. I understand his quote to mean there will be no public

facilities planned or built for large yachts in the harbor.

The term large is very subjective in nature, especially when

people are moving up in boat sizes. So who determines the size of a

boat that can enter into a publicly owned body of water, especially

with Newport being designated as a federal safe harbor?

The harbor’s depth is a natural factor that controls the size of

vessels now. Just think back a couple of weeks ago, when a temporary

dock was constructed in the harbor to berth the large racing

sailboats in Newport for an offshore race.

Sadly, the largest recreational harbor in the world, Newport

Harbor, could not accommodate the sailboats normally.

However, times are changing. Or are they? As the prices of bay

homes appreciate at a rate that only the mega-rich and famous can

afford, guess what size boats they will be buying and bringing into

the harbor? We would have more larger yachts in California except for

the all the taxes.

Tune in to the No. 1 boating talk radio show in the nation, “Capt.

Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show.” It airs every Saturday from

noon to 1 p.m. on KCBQ-AM (1170). You can join me, Chandler Bell and

Eric Hovland by calling the listener line at (888) 344-1170.

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@boathousetv.com or visit https://www.boathousetv.com.