From the Boathouse: NHYC club house demolition set for new year

It’s official: the Newport Harbor Yacht Club will begin demolition of the club house in January 2017.

The news should start the new year off with a boom.

The process has been drawn out. The club first applied for city permits in 2012. The Coastal Commission is requiring the club to fund $350,000 in public-access improvements.

Those funds will go toward a public pier at the Central Avenue bridge, next to the Elks Club in Lido Village. From my sidelines’ chair it all seems good, although I feel for Vice Commodore Dwight Belden, who will be the commodore next year, because construction may take up to 18 months. I hope he can keep his parking space.

In other news, my good friend Jim Warner is getting some new wheels. No, not a new Jeep. Warner is the Travelift operator at the Newport Harbor Shipyard, which is receiving and building a new 85 BFMII Marine Travelift. This is the newest model from the Travelift and comes with a sound-suppression system, all-wheel electronic steering to maximize maneuverability and spreader bars to lift a wider variety of hull designs.

Yard manager Jesse Salemen informed me that they do not plan on naming or christening the Travelift, although I could hear the excitement in his voice about the shipyard’s newest purchase. Should be interesting watching it all put together this week, and you thought that Ikea furnishings came with difficult assembly instructions.

I learned a few new things this week while attending this month’s Harbor Commission meeting. I have reported in the past that it is always good to see our Harbor Master Lt. Mark Alsobrook, along with Deputy Kevin Webster, giving their reports to the commissioners.

In regards to the use of the temporary anchorage in the turning basin, just in front of Lido Village, Alsobrook reported that from June 6 to Aug. 28, 61 vessels used the anchorage. Many were repeat customers, with 13 vessels spending the night. Harbor Patrol made 231 patrols during this time.

Regarding our moorings, there were 139 rentals, nine transfers and three derelict boats removed during the same time period.

The temporary anchorage will stay open until Oct. 15. I feel that this anchorage has been a great success and should be continued. I still have concerns with the jetpack companies being allowed to use this same area. My personal opinion: jetpacks should be moved outside the harbor and into the Big Corona area. Next there will be drones pulling board riders, and I hope that also get placed outside the harbor.

I recommend you place this on your calendars now: 9 a.m. Dec. 10. The Harbor Commission will be touring the harbor aboard one of the Balboa Island ferries.

This was done a couple of years ago and was a big success, with all of the commissioners riding. This time should include members of the Harbor and Harbor resources departments and City Council.

Topics may include jetpacks in the turning basin, derelict boats, adding another launch ramp, acceptable noise levels, the best use of the Castaways property, public piers, harbor standards for the city’s sustainability plan.

For more information, contact Harbor Commissioner Joe Stapleton, who is organizing the event, at joems55@gmail.com.

Harbor 20 championships

For me, it’s all about the Harbor 20 Fleet 1 championships on Saturday and Sunday. Our harbor’s best sailors will be competing to be champs. My wife, Jennifer, and I will be sailing our boat, “Only Child,” hull number 108, this year. Wish us luck.

Boat name of the week: Hum Babe.

Sea ya.

LEN BOSE is an experienced boater, yacht broker and boating columnist for the Daily Pilot.