Boaters in Newport Bay will be able to enjoy a temporary anchorage northwest of Lido Isle this summer, following the Newport Beach City Council’s decision this week to approve the trial.
This is the second time in the last year that the city has tried out the 4.85-acre anchorage, following a 10-week trial from August to October 2015. The new anchorage, which will be available from Memorial Day to Labor Day, will be in addition to the east anchorage between Lido Isle and Bay Island.
“It’s two and a half months at the busiest time of the year when we need all of the places where people can come into the harbor and anchor their boats for a short period of time,” said Harbor Commissioner Duncan McIntosh.
The Orange County Harbor Patrol will distribute flyers to boaters using temporary anchorage detailing its rules including a prohibition on amplified music, loud parties, and loud generators between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., McIntosh said.
Harbor Resources Manager Chris Miller said raft-ups, the tradition of tying boats together for social gatherings, would not be permitted in the temporary anchorage. When raft-ups are held in the east anchorage it can be difficult for solo boats to find a place to drop anchor.
Mayor Diane Dixon was the only council member who opposed the temporary anchorage, saying her neighbors were concerned about how well the Harbor Patrol could mitigate visiting boaters’ impact to their quality of live
“I will be voting no as a representative of the people of this district who have expressed numerous times their opposition to the trial anchorage area in the turning basin,” Dixon said.
