Catalina Flyer

NEWPORT BEACH — Though confusion surfaced when Catalina Flyer took its main boat out of service for retrofitting, the company is using a backup catamaran to ferry offseason passengers between Newport Beach and Avalon. A tour boat built by Geo Shipyard Inc., in New Iberia, La., has taken the place of the Catalina Flyer, which is being retooled outside of Seattle. Steve Forbath, one of four captains, delivered nearly 100 passengers to Avalon on Friday. The Catalina Flyer is having two new Caterpillar engines installed in its pair of hulls to comply with environmental regulations that are trying to put a cap on smog emissions from all diesel vessels operating around ports and harbors.

Deepa Bharath On Dec. 12, the Catalina Flyer won't leave Newport Harbor. That's because it will unfurl an evening of entertainment for about 300 guests -- dinner, dancing, music and holiday cheer -- all while cruising around the harbor. The event, put up by the Balboa Merchant and Owner Assn., is the annual fund-raiser for the group. The ambience is "fun and festive," said Peggy Fort, marketing consultant for the Balboa Village businesses.

The Catalina Flyer resumes daily service from Newport Beach to Santa Catalina Island on April 1 with machinery that should give passengers a quieter and smoother ride, the catamaran's owner announced Friday. The 600-seat passenger boat made in 1988, which runs between the Balboa Pavilion and Avalon, was removed from service in mid-September to have its engines replaced. To fill in for the catamaran while the new engines were being installed in Whidbey Island, Wash., the company temporarily rented a 149-seat boat to make the daily sea crossings, owner Armen Gugasian said.

Amy R. Spurgeon NEWPORT BEACH -- A local couple will team up with owners of the Catalina Flyer charter yacht tonight to give more than 500 foster and terminally ill children a taste of Newport. The boat parade, that is. The event, in its 10th year, will feature entertainment, food, a free "Kids Night" sweatshirt and a visit from Santa Claus. Everything has been donated for the event, including use of the three-level yacht. Adults and children are normally charged $15 and $12 respectively for a spot on the boat.

Ahoy. I have mentioned many times a survey that revealed Americans rate boating and fishing as their favorite way to spend family time. This weekend I have two great recommendations for you and your family. You can attend a fishing and boat show on Saturday, and then enjoy a day of whale watching on Sunday. The 60th annual Fred Hall Fishing Tackle Boat and Travel Show will be held at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center through Sunday. Representatives from the fishing tackle factories and manufacturers will be there to show you new products and answer your questions.

The Third Annual 5K Run/Walk for the Arts won't be so much about finishing first, it's all about arriving first. The first 500 who register for the run benefiting the Balboa Performing Arts Theater Foundation will receive a complimentary voucher for a round-trip to Catalina Island aboard the Catalina Flyer (restrictions apply). The race will be on Oct. 13 and registration can be made by calling, (949) 673-0895 or online at http://www.active.com. The 5K Run/Walk will start at 8:15 a.m. and same-day registration will be available at 6:30 a.m. A half-mile Kids Run starts at 8 in the morning.

Why do so many people think bigger is better? Is a Ford Excursion really any better than a Chevy Suburban? Is a Duffy 21 better than a Duffy 18? Some of these things might be bigger, but better they're not. It made me wonder why childless couples build five-bedroom homes, why Newport resident Teri Stout has a 244-pound St. Bernard and why people buy boats longer than necessary. I wondered just how large the biggest boat in Newport Harbor might be. Ah yes, the Catalina Flyer must be the biggest.

The call went out over harbor patrol emergency airwaves at 10:12 a.m. Thursday. There was a boat accident in Newport Harbor and everyone was in the water. Nothing else, no details on how many people were injured or dead, and no idea of where to go. It’s the type of call police, lifeguards and the Orange County Sheriff Harbor Patrol know they could get if there was a mass-casualty incident they need to be ready for. Luckily, the call Thursday was only part of a drill between the harbor patrol and Newport Beach firefighters and lifeguards.

June Casagrande It's a good year to fly. The Catalina Flyer, a high-speed catamaran that can whisk up to 500 people a day to and from Catalina Island, looks to be on its way to good year. In fact, for the first four months of this year, the Flyer had its best year ever. And though things slowed down a little in May, Catalina Passenger Service President Bob Black said 2002 is looking promising. "I feel good about it," said the Newport Beach native who's been involved in the business for about 30 years.

Jimmy Stroup Davey's Locker has been sending big fishing boats out into Newport Harbor and beyond from the same office in the Balboa Pavilion since 1969. And for almost that long, Tom Gray, owner and operator of T's Tackle, has been watching them go. T's is the tackle shop where expert and novice anglers alike shop before a trip on a Davey's charter. "They moved from that old place by that Blue Water Grill over here in '69 and have been here ever since," he said.

The Catalina Flyer resumes daily service from Newport Beach to Santa Catalina Island on April 1 with machinery that should give passengers a quieter and smoother ride, the catamaran's owner announced Friday. The 600-seat passenger boat made in 1988, which runs between the Balboa Pavilion and Avalon, was removed from service in mid-September to have its engines replaced. To fill in for the catamaran while the new engines were being installed in Whidbey Island, Wash., the company temporarily rented a 149-seat boat to make the daily sea crossings, owner Armen Gugasian said.

NEWPORT BEACH — Though confusion surfaced when Catalina Flyer took its main boat out of service for retrofitting, the company is using a backup catamaran to ferry offseason passengers between Newport Beach and Avalon. A tour boat built by Geo Shipyard Inc., in New Iberia, La., has taken the place of the Catalina Flyer, which is being retooled outside of Seattle. Steve Forbath, one of four captains, delivered nearly 100 passengers to Avalon on Friday. The Catalina Flyer is having two new Caterpillar engines installed in its pair of hulls to comply with environmental regulations that are trying to put a cap on smog emissions from all diesel vessels operating around ports and harbors.

The Catalina Flyer, which ferries passengers between Newport Beach and Santa Catalina Island, has managed to avoid a long-term service disruption, which grew out of a mandatory state environmental law that required that it replace the engines on its catamarans. The company announced that the 500-seat boat will be replaced by a smaller vessel on Sept. 20, and that the boat will not have to disrupt service for a number of months, as initially anticipated. "The new boat is much smaller, so reservations become very important," an announcement on the company's website says.

NEWPORT BEACH — The Catalina Flyer, a popular 500-passenger catamaran that makes daily trips to Santa Catalina Island from the Balboa Pavilion, may halt operations for a few months to buy and install a new engine that complies with a state environmental law. Bob Black, general manager for the tour boat company, said that unless he's able to find a catamaran to lease, he may suspend service to Avalon as early as Sept. 12. "I'm not thrilled about having to do this, but it's something we've got to do," said Black, referring to the purchase of a pair of engines that will cost him nearly $1 million.

The call went out over harbor patrol emergency airwaves at 10:12 a.m. Thursday. There was a boat accident in Newport Harbor and everyone was in the water. Nothing else, no details on how many people were injured or dead, and no idea of where to go. It’s the type of call police, lifeguards and the Orange County Sheriff Harbor Patrol know they could get if there was a mass-casualty incident they need to be ready for. Luckily, the call Thursday was only part of a drill between the harbor patrol and Newport Beach firefighters and lifeguards.

Here is an e-mail our family received Tuesday from Someone Cares Soup Kitchen. We are sending in our contribution and encourage others to do so as well: “We’re writing this emergency letter because we are in dire need of help in order to keep the soup kitchen and tutoring program open. “Times are extremely hard, both for nonprofits and for the people they help. Right now, we are down to less than two months operating funds in the bank when normally we have at least six. We are cutting costs in every way possible, from rewashing sorely used mop heads instead of replacing them, to having our small staff, from dishwasher to director, agree to a pay cut. Next will come reducing the number of hours we are open.

The Balboa Performing Arts Theater will continue to offer performances in the “Season Without Walls” that began in November, but it will be up to the California Coastal Commission to decide when the theater can operate under its own roof. The historic theater, built in 1928 on the site of the Rendezvous Ballroom after it burned, offered vaudeville and other theater as well as films until it closed in 1992. Supporters have been working since 1996 to raise money for a major renovation and expansion, and in 2006 they announced a slate of shows to be put on at other venues while they try to move the theater project along.

Santa Catalina Island — more often referred to as Catalina Island — is part of the Channel Islands of the California archipelago, 22 miles long and 8 miles at its widest, and about 22 miles south-southwest of San Pedro. Most of the island is owned by the Catalina Island Conservancy, whose mission is "to be a responsible steward of its lands through a balance of conservation, education and recreation." The island is home to thousands of species of native animals, including North American bison and Catalina Island quail.

For Tony Nichols the far side of Catalina Island is the place to be this time of year, and he has the ticket to get there. The vice president of the Orange County Chapter of the American Cetacean Society waits all year to go on the trip that allows him to spend all day watching gray whales migrate along the island's coast. At 9 a.m. Sunday, Nichols and 200 other aquatic wildlife seekers will depart Newport Beach aboard Catalina Flyer on an eight-hour journey around the island. From 40 feet above the waves these whale watchers get the best view of the ocean at the same time as a beautiful view of the undeveloped side of Catalina, Nichols said.

Ahoy. I have mentioned many times a survey that revealed Americans rate boating and fishing as their favorite way to spend family time. This weekend I have two great recommendations for you and your family. You can attend a fishing and boat show on Saturday, and then enjoy a day of whale watching on Sunday. The 60th annual Fred Hall Fishing Tackle Boat and Travel Show will be held at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center through Sunday. Representatives from the fishing tackle factories and manufacturers will be there to show you new products and answer your questions.