Ahoy!
Many of you have been contacting me about the strange white cylinder that looks like an object built by NASA and fallen from orbit, which is moored by Basin Marine. Not only do we have this object in the harbor, but there also have been sightings of a strange looking light pole at Basin Marine’s shipyard.
Let me clear up the mystery: Dave New, who is the owner of Basin Marine, is now the chief operating officer of Green Wave. Dave co-founded Green Wave with Mark Holmes, its CFO, to make their vision of bringing energy and jobs to remote and under-served areas of the Third World a reality. The company is based in Newport Beach as an energy engineering think tank and manufacturer of self-sufficient energy producing products.
“This is an ocean wave generator that is a patented unit. This is our test platform and we use this to go out in the swell and basically the water goes up and down in the tube, spins a prop which turns the generator then produces electricity.”
So says Dave in an email he sent me, continuing, “This unit is a real asset and if municipalities would set them at jetties, attach them for instance to the Newport pier, it could then be tied or not tied to the grid.”
Wow. Advanced innovation in our harbor with Dave’s new company – and we have advanced exploration with Sir Richard Branson and Newport Beach’s Chris Welsh getting ready to take a submersible to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Newport Beach is truly becoming a marine tech hotspot.
In fact, throughout the years, many innovations or product development began with someone looking out over the bay and saying, “Hey, what about …?” This includes Duffy Boats, various designs for surfboards and sailboats, and numerous other marine products.
I will have more to report from Dave New’s pioneering adventure, and I will set up an interview for my radio show, so stay tuned.
Well, you know it is that time again when the temporary boat docks are extending the marina out into the turning basis at Lido Marina Village. I am excited as it is time again for the Newport Boat Show known as the premier in-water big-yacht show of the west. I am always amazed by Duncan McIntosh, the show’s organizer, who coordinates the logistical challenge to juggle and squeeze in all the show’s boats to the more than 400,000 square feet of floating docks. Also, this show is a huge boost to the local economy and to the marine industry in Newport Harbor.
The 38th annual show will not only feature multimillion-dollar yachts, but a wide selection of sail and power boats in the 35- to 65-foot range, including sportfishers, trawler yachts, sport yachts, and family cruisers. The Newport Boat Show is situated on beautiful Newport Harbor, so bring your family to view these yachts that are better appointed than my house, with a dazzling array of advanced technology and onboard creature comforts. These luxurious yachts often come equipped with multiple video flat screens and entertainment systems that one would not expect on a boat. The gourmet galleys are equipped with fixtures and appliances to please any executive chef.
The show continues through the weekend, wit the gates open at 10 a.m. daily, and the docks will close at 7 p.m. today and Saturday, and at 6 p.m. on Sunday. I highly recommend that you use the free parking and free shuttle bus with trips leaving every 15 minutes. Friday you can catch the shuttle from the Newport Harbor Lutheran Church at 798 Dover Dr., and this weekend’s offsite parking location will be at Hoag Health Center on Superior Ave.
For show information you can call (949) 757-5959 or visit www.NewportInWaterBoatShow.com.
Tip of the week is that this morning, even as you read this, is the city Harbor Resources Division’s abandoned vessel auction, and the preview of the nautical auction’s items begins at 8 a.m. The auction will start at 9 a.m. at the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Department located at 1901 Bayside Drive.
You might be able to find a deal on a kayak, dinghy, or other vessels, but keep in mind that the winning bids must be paid in cash. Hopefully, you will have time to swing by your bank for an unexpected withdraw. Be sure to ask when you must remove any winning bids as there are requirements, and I think knowing the history of why that boat was in the auction would be an interesting story you can tell while cruising the harbor.
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.
Until next week, Safe Voyages!
