Forecasts show lively hurricane season ahead

Ahoy.

Hurricane season is officially here this week, and boaters traveling south of the border will notice an increase in their vessels’ insurance rates this time of year. Many boaters are smart to avoid hurricane-prone areas, and even the snowbird boaters are cruising north as far as Canada.

We are lucky because the ocean’s temperature is not warm enough to support hurricanes at our latitude. However, we do see big swells and muggy, humid weather generated by hurricanes and storms from the Gulf of Mexico. The southern hurricane-generated surf break inside the harbor’s east entrance jetty tempts many surfers, and I have seen waves that you could body surf at the Harbor Department’s south facing bay beach.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center is predicting another active hurricane season, with eight to 10 hurricanes, of which half are expected to be category 3 or higher. There are many boats from Newport Harbor that cruise to Mexican ports further south than Ensenada regularly, and those boat owners should take notice of the predictions.

We will not see a hurricane directly hit our harbor, but I do have a few tips for boaters during the season.

First, as I always mention, keep an eye to the weather, but now also look south and east. The hurricane-generated swells will be coming from the south and directly into Newport Harbor’s entrance. The swells and resulting surge can go from the entrance channel past Balboa Yacht Club toward the Balboa Island bridge and around Peninsula Point up Corona del Mar bend by channel marker No. 8.

Skippers need to be careful cruising in the harbor if there are storm swells there when rounding Peninsula Point by channel marker No. 5 cruising seaward. The sudden rocking of your boat can throw your guests off balance, and we don’t want anyone getting hurt.

Boaters should double-check their mooring or dock lines during and after southern swells or heavy winds. I was the skipper of a private 55-foot yacht that was docked at the Balboa Yacht Club, and I had to regularly replace the stretched or chaffed stern line. I tried chaffing gear, rotating the lines and adding extra dock lines, but a 48,500-pound yacht will wear out dock lines. However, remember that the dock lines are meant to act as shock absorbers to protect the boat’s and dock’s cleats. Otherwise over time the surges could rip out the cleats and cause stress cracks around the cleats on the vessel.

When I walk the docks I am always amazed by the creative methods people use to secure their boats. Sometimes I wonder how many more times the people could have wrapped the dock line around the cleat before they thought enough is enough. There is a science to properly securing a boat, and I recommend that if boaters are in doubt about how to secure their vessel, pick up a how-to boating book.

The boating season and hurricane seasons are officially here, so please be smart knowing that tropical depressions are already forming in the Atlantic. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website for our area is at www.wrh.noaa.gov/lox, and the site is filled with helpful information.

The tip of the week is to plan your cruising destinations with the summer crowds in mind. I often hear of boaters venturing off to Avalon for a mooring can on a Saturday, and they are surprised that no cans are available. Or they cruise to a distant harbor looking for a guest slip on the weekend closest to the Fourth of July. If they do, I hope they have practiced their anchoring techniques recently.

So, plan your trips, and make reservations if possible. However, many areas are first-come, first-served. Also, be prepared to side tie to another vessel by carrying extra fenders and line. If in doubt, call the harbormaster or marina office to inquire about space, as they have the local knowledge.

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.

Safe voyages.