Charter Boat

I keep thinking of a local band back from the early '80s called "The Daddy O's. " Their hit song, "Tiki Boat Party," was based on good times we all had on The Tiki Boat, a charter boat that runs out of the Balboa Fun Zone. The words to the song went like this: "It's a Tiki boat party, It's a Tiki boat parade, summer and the sun is out, we really got it made!" This week, the Balboa Yacht Club held its Club Championships in the Governors Cup 21's. Two events took place on Saturday: the Masters, for members over the age of 55, and the Family Championships.

Ahoy! The waters in Newport Harbor are bubbling with the Newport Beach City Council's desire to raise the rates for a tideland fee for commercial operations, which you can expect will be expanded to the residential properties. Officials say the increase will bring the fee to fair market value, but how do we determine the true value? The fees are really intended to cover the cost of city-provided services. What will the lessee receive in benefits or value for the raised fees?

Paul James Baldwin Has anyone who lives on or near Newport Harbor heard some of the party boats go by with their over-amplified public announcement and music systems ("Newport Beach may explore how to control charter boats," Sept. 30)? How about the screaming drunks? I tell you, it really is something to listen to young women screaming at the top of their lungs in an alcoholic frenzy. You can be assured they are having a great time, at least until they wake up in the morning.

June Casagrande Charter boats overrunning Lido Village might be reined in through tidelands permits -- a strategy Mayor Tod Ridgeway wants to look into. "It has become an uncontrolled industry in our harbor," Ridgeway said of the commercial pleasure boats, often called "party boats," that carry large numbers of visitors to Newport Harbor. "We've lost any degree of control over the use of these properties because of how the annual renewable permits work."

NEWPORT BEACH — Some evenings, Brian Dougherty can glance out his bayfront window and literally catch the tail end of a wedding. Charter captains thrust their 140-foot yachts into reverse, just yards from his house, churning the bay and pointing the wedding singer right toward him. Dougherty speculates they are seeking the wedding album cover shot — picturesque Newport Beach with the sun setting over the harbor. There may be fewer of such pictures if some of the harbor commissioners have their way. On Tuesday, the commissioners will ask the City Council to hold off on approving a dock for the 148-foot Majestic, one of the largest boats in the harbor.

Charter boats need to get in ship shape The Daily Pilot article on April 16, "City may modify permits," about proposed changes to charter boat permits, highlighted several things to me, a resident of Newport Beach, living on the harbor and impacted daily by charter boats. After growing up along the harbor and being on it for more than 40 years, I have opinions after seeing and experiencing charter boat operations affect harbor navigation, water quality and the quality of life not only for residents like myself but for visitors to the harbor as well.

Stephens Brothers of Stockton, Calif., built this well-sailed yacht for Jack Axelson of Newport Harbor Yacht Club in 1938. Her length overall was 56 feet with a water line length of 42 feet. Jada had a beam of 13 feet with a draft of 8 feet. Axelson kept Jada on a mooring off Balboa Island at 1100 South Bay Front. She was actively raced and sailed from Santa Barbara to Ensenada, Mexico. Jada was sold to Howard Wright of Los Angeles Yacht Club in 1961. In more recent times, Jada has been based at Honolulu and is used as a charter boat for day sailing excursions off Waikiki Beach.

This famous 85 foot schooner was homeported at Balboa from 1937 to 1942. She was designed by John G. Alden of Boston and built by Reed-Cook Construction Company of Boothebay, Maine in 1932. Pilgrim's dimensions were 85 feet length overall, 70 feet on the waterline, 20 feet eight inches on the beam, with a 12 foot draft. She was powered by an 85 horsepower Winton diesel engine. During her life, Pilgrim was used as a shark fishing boat, fishing barge, movie ship, private yacht and a charter boat in the Virgin Islands.

PARKING AGREEMENT The commission approved an off-site parking agreement, confirming that Norm Goodin has satisfied his off-site parking requirements for a charter boat service he intends to open on West Coast Highway. Goodin purchased a property at 2527 W. Coast Highway with the intention of relocating his charter boat company, Charter Yachts of Newport Beach, from Lido Marina Village. He also wants to open a new yacht club, Pacific Coast Yacht Club, on the second floor of one of the two buildings on the property.

Charlotte McAuliffe On Tuesday, Aug. 5th, the fifth annual Harbor Cup Softball Game was held at Bob Henry Park in Newport Beach.   It was a match up between two of the most prestigious charter boat companies on the west coast.  Rivals, Hornblower Cruises and Events and Icon of Charter yachts faced off for the fifth consecutive year.  The game started off with Hornblower getting off to a fast start.  They pounded Icon for 9 runs in the first inning and the score was 9 to 1 after the inning was over.