NEWPORT BEACH : Harbor Taxi Service Sets Sail Saturday

Penny and Ralph Rodheim want you to know that a taxicab isn’t just a vehicle confined to land. This weekend they will start up a “Harbor Hopper” boat service to ferry passengers throughout Newport Harbor, stopping at Balboa Island, various restaurants along Mariners Mile, and along the Lido Peninsula and Lido Isle.

“I definitely think that it’s something needed,” Penny Rodheim said. “We don’t often take advantage of so many things to do right here in the harbor. It makes everything more accessible.”

Their water taxi is set to begin operating Saturday, departing from Balboa Boat Rentals on the Balboa Peninsula every hour and a half from noon until midnight. The boat will operate from noon until 9 p.m. on Sundays, noon until 6 p.m. on Mondays, and 6 p.m. to midnight on Thursdays and Fridays. The boat carries 24 passengers.

The Rodheims said they hope their $12 all-day trips and $6 one-hour excursions will bring more business to local restaurants. Local restaurateurs welcomed the news, but said people have tried the same taxi idea in the past without notable success.

Currently, cars are ferried from the peninsula to Balboa Island. The Harbor Hopper will take only people, and will cruise the shoreline as well as the island.

The Rodheims said they will try out the Harbor Hopper through the summer, and will continue the service if it is successful.