Like Trimming Christmas Trees, but on Water and a Lot Pricier

Karen Thibodeau and her family are trying to keep things simple.

They’re dropping only four or five grand to adorn their 55-foot yacht for Newport Beach’s annual Christmas Boat Parade. They’re using only about 15,000 lights, not the 25,000 they strung a couple of years ago. They started decorating only Dec. 1, even though the design process began back in October.

“There’s a lot of people out there who spend a whole lot of money,” said Thibodeau, whose boat sports a surfing Santa. “We try to keep things in perspective.”

This is the madness of the nation’s oldest and longest-running boat parade, which begins tonight and runs through Sunday. It’s a decadent display of creativity and shimmering lights that has become a 95-year tradition.

Hundreds of vessels -- from multimillion-dollar yachts to kayaks and canoes -- will take part in the 14-mile parade, many blasting seasonal tunes appropriate for this year’s theme, “A Holiday Beach Celebration.”

Some people, such as Don Moseley, go simple. He slaps a few red-and-green strings of chili pepper lights onto his sailboat, then runs a few more lines up his masts. Of course, he also lives in New Mexico. He just makes a point of being in Newport Beach every Christmas so he can participate in the aquatic display.

“I’ve been sailing a long time, but this is the most spectacular water event I’ve ever seen,” Moseley said.

Organizers expect that by the time the last boat turns the last corner of the route in Newport Harbor on Sunday night, more than 1 million people from all over the United States will have witnessed, or participated in, the five-night parade.

Those willing to confront gridlock can view the parade free from along the shoreline. Many people opt to hang out at waterfront restaurants or charter boats through local companies.

Sure, there are other boat parades -- in Marina del Rey, in Dana Point, even in landlocked Villa Park, where they tow boats on trailers through city streets.

But the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is the granddaddy of them all. The New York Times once heralded it as “one of the top 10 holiday events in the nation.” It will be featured Thursday night in an A&E; special, “Ultimate Holiday Town USA.” And Home & Garden Television has been highlighting the festivities in its show “Extreme Christmas.”

Laguna Hills resident Rick Crane, the chief executive of West Coast Technology, lavishly decorates his 50-foot powerboat, hires a local restaurant to cater his on-the-water party and flies in clients to see the parade.

“I bring on different people every night, and everybody talks about it for years,” Crane said.

Even such waterfront residents as Gay Wassall-Kelly do their part to add to the shoreline ambience. Her Balboa Peninsula beach home is featured on “Extreme Christmas” -- and for good reason.

“We’re out of control,” she admitted. “And it’s gotten worse. We’re crazy. We have no idea what inspires us.”

She doesn’t know how many lights are hung on her two-story house, other than to say “thousands and thousands.” But her electric bill goes from about $50 a month to $300 in December. “Maybe [Southern California Edison] can figure it out,” she joked.

The lights consume so much electricity that the coffeemaker has to be plugged into a bathroom outlet. One errant switch and the house is pitched into darkness.

“Every year it drives my husband nuts,” she said. “But he always gives in.”

Joe Neill, skipper of the Sea Scouts’ Scandia II, isn’t at that level yet. But he’s getting there. This is the first year the single-mast sailboat has been taken out with the Sea Scouts.

Crew members, ages 14 to 21, helped hang red, yellow and green lights.

“We can’t put any more on or the generator will go out,” Neill said. “We have a 400-watt generator. We might have to get a bigger one next year.”