From the Boathouse: Many options during boat-parade season

Ahoy!

Thanksgiving is over, and the holiday boat parades are right around the corner. ‘Tis the season to decorate your boat or plan to watch one of the many boat parades across the country. Let’s take a look at the parades for next weekend, and I will list the parades each week.

The first boat parade in Orange County harbors is Dana Point’s FantaSEA Holiday 40th Annual Boat Parade of Lights on Dec. 5, 6, 12 and 13. It’s a nice parade with easy viewing throughout the harbor from the shoreline.

The theme of the 52nd annual Holiday Parade of Boats in Los Angeles Harbor is “Holiday Treasures.” The parade is on Dec. 6, beginning at 6 p.m. in the East Basin, and I recommend viewing from Ports O’Call.

Let’s travel out of SoCal and cruise north to the Marina West Yacht Club’s Delta Reflections Lighted Boat Christmas Parade on Dec. 6. The boats will go from Windmill Cove to downtown Stockton and then turn around at McLeod Lake.

You might decide instead to visit Christmas on the waterfront Dec. 6 at the Suisun City Waterfront District and Marina. The is a large event that includes entertainment, artisans and vendors, rides, lighting of the Christmas trees, and the lighted boat parade.

Or travel farther north to the 60th Christmas Ships Parade beginning Dec. 5 in North Portland Harbor. The parade will continue almost nightly for two weeks until Dec. 21. This boats cruise on the Columbia and Willamette rivers while thousands of spectators watch nightly, some from the warmth of a riverfront restaurant.

If you are looking for a warmer-weather parade, set your course for Las Vegas. The Lakes Festival of Light on Dec. 6 welcomes everyone, with a Santa’s Village for the kids.

Just a short drive east of Las Vegas is the Lake Mead Boat Owners Assn.’s 38th annual Christmas Parade of Lights, also on Dec. 6. The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. from Las Vegas Boat Harbor. It is the only parade that I am aware of that limits the number of participating decorated boats to 50.

I will finish this week’s list of Christmas boat parades with one from across the country. Yorktown, Va., will be celebrating Christmas with the annual Yorktown Lighted Boat Parade beginning at 6 p.m. Dec. 6. Christmas tree lighting will be held the Friday before. The parade will include a roaring beach bonfire (don’t tell the Air Quality Management District), musical performances and caroling.

Tip of the week is that Newport Beach will hold an abandoned-vessel auction Dec. 5 at the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol office in Newport Harbor. This is perfect timing to find a stocking stuffer for your loved one, but I hope you have a huge stocking.

Items to be auctioned include kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, dinghies, Lido 14s, Sabots, canoes and a Hobie, a Whaler and a 21-foot Duffy. So change out of your bunny slippers and head down to harbor operations headquarters, at 1901 Bayside Drive, Corona del Mar, and view the vessels from 8 to 9 a.m. Dec. 5.

The vessels are being sold as is, and only cash will be accepted, but you can probably get a steal. Keep in mind that all state-registered vessels are subject after auction to a 10-day holding period before the successful bidders can take them home.

For more information, go to https://www.newportbeachca.gov/index.aspx?page=99&recordid=3770.

As always, just keep an eye to the weather for any changes. Please be boat smart and boat safe. Lastly, please boat responsibly and look behind you before you turn the wheel at the helm.

The original boating program, “Boathouse TV & Radio Shows,” has stretched from coast to coast for more than two decades. See the details at https://www.boathousetv.com, https://www.facebook.com/boathouseradio and https://www.twitter.com/boathouseradio.

Safe voyages!

MIKE WHITEHEAD is a boating columnist for the Daily Pilot. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to [email protected] or go to https://www.boathousetv.com.