Newport Looks at Change in System of Mooring Leases

Newport Beach Mayor Phil Maurer says that reform of city mooring regulations in Newport Harbor is one of his goals for 1986. He says he hopes to end more than a decade of black-market leasing of the bay’s 1,228 offshore and inshore moorings.

The city has a waiting list for moorings that can range from 10 to 20 years. But because the mooring leases can be transferred to the buyer when boats are sold, people have skirted that list by selling their boats at grossly inflated figures.

Essentially, boaters are selling leases for $10,000 or more.

The practice makes a mockery of the city’s waiting list for mooring leases. For example, if a lucky boat owner happens to be at the top of the list for a bay mooring, he may pay a small transfer fee and lease the mooring from the city for $13 annually per foot of boat. (A private slip for a 30-foot boat in the harbor could cost $300 or more per month.)

Maintenance of mooring tackle--buoy, chain, rope and anchor--is relatively inexpensive. The reasonable annual mooring fees paid to the city make moorings economically attractive, regardless, some claim, of the black-market leasing price, especially over the long run.

The black market in moorings generally works like this:

Sometimes unseaworthy boats are sold at high prices to a boater, who then puts his boat on the mooring and gets rid of the other boat. At other times, boats of good value are sold at extraordinarily high prices. The practice grew from an unwritten policy about 20 years ago that helped people when they sold their boats. It permitted the seller to transfer the leasehold to the buyer, and was an inexpensive transaction.

A person on the waiting list maintained at the Newport Beach Harbor Dept. can wait for 20 years before being called for a mooring. But he can obtain a mooring almost instantly if he’s willing to shell out $10,000 or more to a private party.

Meetings have been held among officials of the city marine and county harbor departments. And the city attorney is working on a new ordinance concerning mooring regulations. No deadline has been announced for completion of the ordinance.

Halting the sale of lease rights, however, has been opposed by some boaters who have paid high prices for their moorings. They fear they will be unable to recoup the cost of their moorings.

Sailing Notes:

A new fleet has been formed at the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club--the Etchell 22 Fleet. Soon the fleet will be made up of three of these fast Australian sailing boats. Etchell fleets already are established in San Diego, Newport Beach and San Francisco. Regattas are in the planning stage.

The Southern California Yachting Assn. announced its 57th annual mid-winter regatta for Feb. 15-17. The regatta is divided into six geographic areas--the Santa Barbara Channel, Santa Monica Bay, Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor, Dana Point, Newport Harbor and San Diego. It is open to all yachts enrolled in SCYA member yacht clubs, other yacht clubs or class associations recognized by the United States Yacht Racing Union.

The Southern California Marine Assn., headquartered in Orange, has joined the National Marine Manufacturers Assn. in opposing a $25 entry fee for private yachts returning to the United States from foreign waters. The U.S. House of Representatives’ version calls for an annual fee of $25; the Senate version seeks a $25 per-time fee, with an annual maximum of $500.