The Last Ahoy

Ahoy!

It is with bittersweet sorrow that today’s column is my last one in the Newport Indy after being one of the original columnists in the Indy’s first publication on June 4, 2010. My first column’s opening sentence read, “I want to welcome you aboard my weekly Harbor column in the new Newport Beach Independent, a newspaper for locals written by locals.” A stark contrast with today’s opening sentence.

Since April 16, 2001, I had been happily writing my nautical column for the Daily Pilot, when Tom Johnson and Roger Bloom wooed me to a new newspaper to be delivered throughout Newport Beach. I had a wonderful two years submitting around 206 columns to Bloom, and I want to personally thank him for editing my two weekly columns.

Two columns you ask? Yes, we added the Boaters’ Weather report, which is my weekly predication of the weekend weather. The weather report was a challenge, because I wrote the column every Tuesday night – just far enough in advance of the weekend for major changes to occur to the seas or any approaching weather system.

The reason for my ship leaving the slip is that I have been wooed back to the Daily Pilot. So, I am just sliding my ship a slip over into a new home berth that will allow me to reach into Costa Mesa again, and expand into the Huntington Beach Independent and the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot newspapers.

As I bid bon voyage to the Newport Indy, I look forward to continuing as a columnist in this community. Thank you, Roger, and see you on the water, or on horseback.

However if you miss me, then you can join me on a seven-day cruise.  CRN Digital Talk Radio, which is the home station for my radio show, is offering a seven-day Murder Mystery Alaskan cruise departing Seattle on Sept. 9.  The cruise is aboard the Princess Cruises’ Star Princess, and what a perfect time of year to visit the Pacific Northwest and northerly to Alaska.  Other CRN radio hosts will be aboard like radio personalities Mike Horn, Robert Conrad, and Larry Manetti.  I am looking forward to relaxing on the Lido deck and you can see the details at CRNTalk.com

Tip of the week is that boater owners have less then a month to prepare for the American Legion Yacht Club’s annual Old Glory Boat Parade. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. and travel a course very similar to the Christmas Boat Parade’s.

This colorful and fun parade is held every Fourth of July, and this year I am hoping to see more than 100 decorated boats being led by the Orange County’s Sheriff Department’s fireboat through the harbor. This year’s theme is “It Stands for Freedom,” and this theme opens up the imagination and creatively to decorate not only the boats but the people aboard as well.

Along with the boat parade, the American Legion Post 291 will be hosting a pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. for only $10 per person.  In the early afternoon, the Dave Alcantar Band will play until 5 p.m. during lunch serving the Legion’s infamous tri-tip or chicken lunch.

This is a fundraising event by our local American Legion and by buying breakfast, lunch or both, you will be helping the American Legion’s Boys State program, visiting veterans at the VA Hospital, “OC Stand Down” for homeless veterans, and Legion baseball. This is one the Legion’s most important events of the year, and if you cannot attend then you are encouraged to make a donation.

Boat owners wanting to sign-up for the parade or anyone seeking more information can go to the Legion’s website at AL291.com or by calling 949-673-5070.  Post 291 is l on the bay at 215 15th St. on the Balboa Peninsula.

Also, do not forget the annual Fourth of July celebrations at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort.  The Dunes is gearing up for a full day of family events, and then the fireworks show that attracts landlubbers as well as boaters floating in the bay.

As I sign off, I also want to thank you the readers and for all the feedback good, bad inquisitive or indifference.

End Captain’s Log – Sea Date June 8, 2012.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Safe Voyages!