THE HARBOR COLUMN:

Ahoy,

The seas are flat, the barometer is rising, and the air temperature is hot, so time to get out on the water this summer weekend in Southern California. Boating is a good activity to escape the 75%-plus humidity levels, and you will see the high clouds from the monsoon conditions due to the tropical storms in gulf and southern Mexico. This type of weather pattern does create the chance of thunderstorms for the mountains and deserts, and we could have thunderstorms hit the coast today and Saturday.

There is a Category 1 hurricane with 80-knot winds off Florida in the Atlantic Ocean that might bring more humidity to our area unless Bertha turns northerly up the eastern seaboard. Just remember, if a lightning storm does hit our coast this weekend, boaters should return to port and secure their vessels.

The aftermath of a lightning strike can be devastating to a boat, and if you are caught on the water during lightning, then turn off your electronics when the bolts are a few miles away. The stray electrical charges carried by ions, not to mention a direct hit, can fry your electronics aboard your boat.

On another note, one senator from Alaska stopped the passage of S. 2766 (Clean Boating Act of 2008) that had been moved to be passed by Senate’s unanimous consent with an immediate vote.

This procedure requires all to be in favor with no objections; however, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) at the last minute wanted to amend the bill to include some commercial vessels.

All recreational boaters face the looming deadline Sept. 30 for the Environmental Protection Agency’s costly water discharge permit that will be required for all — and I mean all — watercraft. The EPA’s discharge regulation is intended to control the ballast water discharge from ships, not for recreational vessels that do not have ballast tanks.

Tip of the week is now is the time for all watercraft users and owners to contact your senator to move forward with S. 2766. I have been advising you for months that this law will directly affect any water coming from your watercraft, whether rain running off your deck to engine-cooling water to bilge pumps.

Remember to tune in every Saturday at 11 a.m. to “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show,” broadcasting from our studios inside Angel Stadium on KLAA-AM (830), blasting with 50,000 watts to Southern California.

Safe Voyages.

MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating columnist. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to mike@boathousetv.com or go to www.boathousetv.com.