What’s good for surfers can be bad for boaters

Ahoy.

The biggest swells of the year have arrived, pounding our coastline. It is a great Christmas present for the big-wave surfers, but small-craft advisories are in effect and many harbor entrances are very treacherous for boaters, with some harbors closed. The big swells can create breaking surf at the entrance on the sand bars and just the force from the swell can push boats into a seawall or shore by overpowering the rudder or rudders.

At least the big surf did not hit our shoreline last week when we had a full moon causing very high tides. Big surf and high tide is a recipe for flooding and damage to the coastline.

I did observe a couple of boaters leaving Huntington Harbour yesterday as the swells were breaking over the rock jetties and inside the first harbor. I would not recommend boating in the wide open ocean when swells are this big even if it is double digit intervals between the swells.

I have seen the intervals change from double digits to single digits in less than an hour because of the wind. The swell’s faces can get so steep that boats actually will fall off the swells’ crest into the troughs.

I know because I have been caught in them out the Pacific on numerous yacht deliveries. The pounding shutters throughout the boat to such an extent that even when you decrease headway to just maintain steerage the boat still falls. That is the time when I cancel the voyage and change course to the nearest safe harbor, hopefully down swells, however, the harbor might be hours away.

Well, this weekend and Christmas day does not look like a good boating day on the ocean, so I will be heading up to our cabin in Lake Arrowhead to open presents and drink eggnog.

I want to thank everyone who came to the Balboa Peninsula to watch the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade and hear my narration. We had great weather, very well decorated boats and a well organized parade organized by the Commodore’s Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce. I especially want to thank those who volunteered to help me spot the boats each night.

TIP OF THE WEEK

The tip of week is that I had such a positive response last year when I wrote this Christmas poem that I want to share it with you again:

“ ‘Twas the day Before Christmas Upon Newport Bay”

‘Twas the day before Christmas, And all through Newport Harbor

You could see a few boats sailing on the water

And sea lions were resting on top of their buoy

And the entrance bell clanging with each swell passing.

The fish were happy as no hooks were around

And the sea birds were eating, being fed by a shore crowd.

When all of sudden there arose such a splatter

The Mermaids swam up to see what was the matter.

The sea lions dove into the water and the boats sailed home to be away from the splatter.

When shore crowd looked out to see such a sight

but the birds just continued eating their supper.

All of a sudden but what should appear

the King of the Sea bringing his own Christmas cheer.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

As King Neptune held up his scepter for all to see,

And out of the scepter came a lightening bolt so grand

it made a clap when it hit the land

And to everyone’s amazement as you looked around

Disappearing were all the storm drains that drained into his sea from the land.

His gift for Christmas was no more polluted bay

But I heard him exclaim, as he swam out of sight

What starts at the drain, feeds the harbor when it rains!

And Merry Christmas to all and to all a safe voyage.

Tune in to Southern California’s number one boating radio talk show, “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show.” It airs every Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. on KCBQ-AM (1170). You can join me, Chandler Bell and Eric Hovland by calling the listener line at (888) 344-1170 or listen outside the broadcast area at www.boathouseradio.com -- click on listen now.

Safe voyages.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send him your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions by e-mail to [email protected] or visit www.boathousetv.com.

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