Hard decision ahead for Argus friends

Ahoy.

King Neptune must be grumbling as he’s finishing his taxes, because he’s been kicking up the seas.

This week the swells were big with a stiff breeze that made the swells choppy with steep faces. Point Conception had swells over 15 feet, making it a no-go for recreational boats. Closer to home, the Huntington Beach buoy reported swells just under 7.5 feet, and the San Pedro buoy was showing swells over 10 feet, keeping small craft tied fast to their docks.

Tomorrow and Sunday the seas will be better, and it appears the rain will hold off until the first of next week. The seas will be 4 to 6 feet, but they’ll be somewhat lower than that directly off our coast, where there is some protection from the island. A harbor cruise is what I recommend, even though I don’t recognize many of homes along the harbor anymore, thanks to the flurry of construction.

Speaking of rough seas, the boating community should be saddened at the news that Argus will not be sailing on the high seas any time soon. A fixture in Newport Harbor, this topsail ketch has shown the life of the sea to tens of thousands of kids.

Argus is owned and operated by the Boy Scouts of America, and it has called the Newport Sea Base home for 30 years or more. Now the 100-year-old wooden ship is feeling the pain of old age, with dry rot on the major supporting frames in its hull. The Newport Sea Base’s managers should be commended for their decision to keep her tied to the dock rather than throw the dice and send her to sea with a boatload of kids.

Unfortunately, many kids will miss an experience of a lifetime this summer. Affordable boating access is a huge problem, not just in this harbor but across the nation. The loss of Argus is a huge blow to our future sailors.

Among the issues the local boating community needs to rally around, Argus is right up there with building a marina at Marinapark. Argus is an issue not just for boaters but also for the community. This is a program that has very positive effects on kids from all walks of life. Teamwork, confidence and how to puke properly over the side of a ship are skills that will follow them throughout their lives.

The sea base’s Argus committee has the difficult task of deciding whether to scuttle the boat or rebuild it, and either way, the committee needs your help. The cost to restore Argus to seaworthy condition could be as much as $1 million, and buying another tall ship would be even more expensive. We will miss Argus in the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade.

Question of the week: If you sailed on Argus, did that experience influence your life?

Remember to tune in to the No. 1 boating talk radio show in the nation every Saturday at noon. “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show” is on KCBQ-AM (1170) and can be heard online at www.boathouseradio.com.