The Harbor Report: Rounding out year with top 2 boats

This week it’s time to wrap up my list of Newport Harbor’s 20 Most Interesting Yachts. During the last six weeks, 10 of the harbor’s sailboats have been recognized. Now, we are down to the last two of the 10 most interesting powerboats.

No. 2 — COLNETT. She is a 42-foot motor cruiser built in 1924 to a Edson B. Schock design and built by Seacraft Shipyard in Wilmington, Calif. This yacht’s first two owners were presidents of the Tuna Club in Avalon and her original purpose was for catching swordfish. Her present owners purchased her in July 2007. She is seen cruising the harbor and over in White Cove in Catalina. COLNETT is berthed at Swales Anchorage in the southwest corner of the Coast Highway bridge.

No. 1 — GALATEA. She is a 53-foot heavy displacement trawler. She was designed by Art DeFever Sr. and built by Paul Lindwall in Santa Barbara for Bill Hanna. You should notice the Hanna name from the cartoons we still watch. She is powered by “Picnic Baskets.” Just kidding. She carries a single Caterpillar D333 that pushes her 105,000 pounds displacement through the water in expedition fashion. GALATEA was the NHYC Flag Ship this year and has taken recent cruises to Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Tinsley Island, Channel Island and can be found at White Cove during the summer months. She is berthed on the Balboa Peninsula.

Our lucky winners for the two-hour Electric Bay boat cruise donated by Marshal Duffield of Duffy Electric Boats are Samantha and Robbie Vient. I am also very proud to announce the winner of the “Free Haul Out” at Basin Marine, provided by my trusted friends Derek and Dave New, goes to Andrew Zimbaldi. I would like to thank all the Marine Vendors who took part in our Holiday gift bag and I hope you return next year.

The year 2010 has been a very interesting one, and as I look back down the harbor there have been quite a few changes. Some good, some bad and some ugly. That’s right it’s time to insert the theme song for “The Good, Bad & The Ugly” of 2010. The good includes the new guest docks, No. 8 channel marker, Marina Park, the completion of the upper bay dredging, notice from the Port of Long Beach Harbor that the port will take our Rhine Channel toxic mud, BYC Rose Cup, NHYC Island Race, BCYC Around the Islands Race and the NAC rowing events. That is a lot of good, and I have to give a “well done” to Newport Harbor Resources Manager Chris Miller for doing an outstanding job this year.

So, what’s bad within the harbor in 2010? I really cannot think of that much that is bad in the harbor other than the “overhang” issue and the huge charter boat fleet that is continuing to grow. Let’s also not forget about our Harbor zoning changes. That’s all! These topics should make for some good press in 2011.

Now for the ugly, and you guessed it. I still have my panties in a bunch over the increase to our tideland permits and policy change to mooring transfers. I do not plan to go on another rant. Let’s just say I hope my instincts are wrong on these issues and I do not have to write “I told you so” anytime soon.

I have received some fantastic ideas for 2011 stories from you and I want to thank you all for reading my column in 2010!

Sea ya.

LEN BOSE is an experienced boater, yacht broker and boating columnist.