Channel Islands

The motor yacht Idle Hour was homeported at Balboa from 1935 to 1960. She was moored off Abalone Avenue, South Bay Front, Little Island, in the Balboa Yacht Club anchorage. Owned by Harold W. Mason of Balboa Yacht Club, she was frequently used as a Race Committee Boat. Idle Hour was sold to Jesse Curtis of Balboa Yacht Club and Newport Harbor Yacht Club in 1951. Curtis would later recall, "During my ownership she was a frequent visitor to Catalina and all of the Channel Islands.

Deepa Bharath White sails fluttered in the gentle afternoon breeze Friday over an ocean that was almost the color of Sinatra's eyes. Through binoculars, several people on Ocean Boulevard watched hundreds of sailboats take their positions for the Newport to Ensenada race. Massoud Balbas, who works in Newport Beach, said he was in awe. "This is my first time watching the boats leave Newport," he said. "Look at this, it's beautiful. The ocean, the boats -- they're all beautiful."

Mathis Winkler NEWPORT BEACH -- When Marcus DeChevrieux, the curator at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum, starts talking about his job, his work sounds a lot like that of a detective. The Corona del Mar resident, whose passion for sailing and maritime history has continued to grow ever since childhood, said that by looking at 18th and 19th century ship paintings, he's able to find out more than is obvious to the untrained eye. Reading the ship's flags, DeChevrieux figures out the vessel's name.

Interfaith meeting location changed The location has been moved for a talk by Los Angeles Times religion reporter William Lobdell to the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council. Lobdell, a former editor of the Daily Pilot and an award-winning reporter for the Times, will discuss "Challenges facing the Faith Community." The Wednesday meeting will be held at the New Millennium Church, 4500 Campus Drive No. 118, Newport Beach. The event will begin at 11:45 a.m. and is expected to end by 1:30 p.m. Lunch is $7.50 per person with reservation or $10 at the door without reservation.

Send AROUND TOWN items to the Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; by fax to (949) 646-4170; or by calling (949) 574-4298. Include the time, date and location of the event, as well as a contact phone number. A complete listing is available at www.dailypilot.com. TODAY The Orange Coast College Friends of the Library will host their spring book sale from 9 to 10 a.m. for OCC Friends members and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the public.

MIKE WHITEHEAD Ahoy. I like sailing this time of year even though it might be a little chilly on the water -- at least you can pick your spot at the empty anchorages. I bundle up with lots of layers to keep warm, and I always bring extra jackets for my landlubber friends who forget how the wind chills when blowing across the water. In the new power yachts, I simply change the temperature on the heating control unit in the pilothouse. Recently, we have had weather systems pound the coastal areas, and this can create hazards for boating.

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.

Ahoy. Many of skippers and crew members are likely nursing hangovers from the annual party held last night at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. I do believe that the club's bash is one of the largest pre-race parties in the sailing circle. In case you're wondering what I'm talking about, today is the start of the 59th Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race. This is considered the largest international yacht race in the world, with 460 sailboats registered, as of April 26, that will cross over one of the two starting lines.

Editor's note: OCC's 65-foot sail training sloop Alaska Eagle recently completed an expedition voyage from Tasmania to New Zealand via two remote subantarctic islands in the Southern Ocean. During the 2,300-mile voyage, Alaska Eagle's 11-man crew braved storms, predatory sea lions and the everyday challenges of sailing near the bottom of the world. Now berthed in Wellington, New Zealand, Alaska Eagle is in the middle of a 14-month sail training voyage from Newport to Australia and return.

Ahoy. Our coastline is being invaded. First, it was the naked Chinese immigrants swimming ashore at Crystal Cove. And now the FBI has sent warnings, which it is downplaying, that Al Qaeda operatives aboard a boat are heading for Catalina Island. When I heard the sonic booms from the Space Shuttle, I thought to myself: "There goes my destination for lunches, as Al Qaeda has arrived on the island." What a mixed message from the FBI that only serves to scare tourists away and put residents of the island on edge.

"26 Miles (Santa Catalina)," sung by the Four Preps in 1958, helped make Santa Catalina Island a national household name. Many recreational boaters and passengers on the Catalina Flyer will travel the 26 nautical miles from Newport Harbor to Avalon. But most people are only familiar with city of Avalon, or members of the local yacht clubs only make the crossing to the clubs' boat moorings and beach areas on the island. A smaller percentage and usually only a boater crowd know about the hamlet of Two Harbors referred by boaters as the "Isthmus."

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.

Ahoy. Do you know how many Channel Islands are within U.S. waters between San Diego and Point Conception? Further, do you know how many islands are in Newport Harbor's lower bay? Well, the answers are eight and eight, even though I have a theory that Palos Verdes Peninsula should have been a Channel Island but the peninsula never separated from the mainland. I constantly answer questions about Newport Harbor, mostly on how many islands are in the harbor. I could write a book about Newport Harbor and the islands, so, I thought I would briefly name the islands.

Ahoy. Many of skippers and crew members are likely nursing hangovers from the annual party held last night at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. I do believe that the club's bash is one of the largest pre-race parties in the sailing circle. In case you're wondering what I'm talking about, today is the start of the 59th Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race. This is considered the largest international yacht race in the world, with 460 sailboats registered, as of April 26, that will cross over one of the two starting lines.

Ahoy. First, the squabble around Newport Harbor was about the noise the sea lions were making, and now the harbor squabble is about where the sea lions may have gone. I have not seen any great white sharks or killer whales swimming in the bay, so that can not be the answer; however, it might be that the sea lions took my advice to flee to the Channel Islands. Did you know that the California sea lion is the only pinniped that barks? I don't know what would be noisier: a roaring Stellar sea lion or a barking California sea lion.

MIKE WHITEHEAD Ahoy. I like sailing this time of year even though it might be a little chilly on the water -- at least you can pick your spot at the empty anchorages. I bundle up with lots of layers to keep warm, and I always bring extra jackets for my landlubber friends who forget how the wind chills when blowing across the water. In the new power yachts, I simply change the temperature on the heating control unit in the pilothouse. Recently, we have had weather systems pound the coastal areas, and this can create hazards for boating.

Interfaith meeting location changed The location has been moved for a talk by Los Angeles Times religion reporter William Lobdell to the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council. Lobdell, a former editor of the Daily Pilot and an award-winning reporter for the Times, will discuss "Challenges facing the Faith Community." The Wednesday meeting will be held at the New Millennium Church, 4500 Campus Drive No. 118, Newport Beach. The event will begin at 11:45 a.m. and is expected to end by 1:30 p.m. Lunch is $7.50 per person with reservation or $10 at the door without reservation.

Deepa Bharath White sails fluttered in the gentle afternoon breeze Friday over an ocean that was almost the color of Sinatra's eyes. Through binoculars, several people on Ocean Boulevard watched hundreds of sailboats take their positions for the Newport to Ensenada race. Massoud Balbas, who works in Newport Beach, said he was in awe. "This is my first time watching the boats leave Newport," he said. "Look at this, it's beautiful. The ocean, the boats -- they're all beautiful."

Send AROUND TOWN items to the Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; by fax to (949) 646-4170; or by calling (949) 574-4298. Include the time, date and location of the event, as well as a contact phone number. A complete listing is available at www.dailypilot.com. WEDNESDAY A five-day, 300-mile cruise exploring the northern Channel Islands will be offered by Orange Coast College's School of Sailing and Seamanship. The trip, designed for sailors with at least intermediate sailing skills, costs $625.