What to Do in Case of a Tsunami Here

Ahoy!

The tragic effects along the coast of Japan from the recent tsunami caused by a massive earthquake are beyond words and belief.  I had been receiving seismic warnings all week long from the Tsunami Warning Center, reporting earthquakes off of Japan.  However, I, as well as the experts, did not imagine that these seismic events in the 6-6.2 magnitude range were the precursors of a huge earthquake that has been reported in magnitude as high as an 9.0.

Fortunately, the destructive waves did not cause the damage in Newport Harbor that it did in other harbors to our north, simply because the direction of the tsunami waves were angled above Point Conception.  However, we did have some wave surges in our harbor, and keep in mind that the damage from a tsunami is caused by large surges as massive amounts of water flood into an area.

Did you know that the word tsunami is formed from two Japanese words "tsu" and "nami" with "tsu" for "harbor" and "nami" for "wave."  Many people will refer to a "harbor-wave" as a tidal wave, but keep in mind that tides are created by the sun and moon and tsunamis are created by the vertical displacement of water.

When a tsunami advisory or warning is issued, the coastal areas' police, fire, harbor patrol, and lifeguard departments will start to initiate the proper procedures of evacuation depending on expected severity of the effects in the area.  The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Network of the National Weather Service (http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/) uses satellite imagery and special ocean buoys designed to sense wave patterns out of the ordinary.

If a tsunami is very probable or is detected, then the tsunami warnings or advisories are issued, and the warnings include the estimated time of arrival and the estimated swell height.  You can calculate the ETA by dividing the distance away by the speed of the swell.  For instance, Crescent City is approximately 638 nautical miles by water from Newport Beach, CA, and the average speed of a tsunami is 450 miles per hour, so, 638 nautical miles is 734 statue miles divided by 450 mph, which gives an estimated ETA of just over an hour and half if the event is coming from Crescent City.  

Now, that is very useful information for you to determine if you have enough time to get up and watch from the bluffs or only enough time to get to the rooftop of the tallest building in the area.  I do not want to get caught by the wave in my car trying to drive up a hill when I should have been climbing up stairs at the nearest multistory building.

If you are on the water in a boat when a tsunami warning is issued, then you want to immediately change course away from land and toward deep water.  The swells created by an earthquake or landslide will form into a breaking wave when the bottom of the wave hits the sea floor as it approaches land.  At sea, boats are not normally affected by a tsunami swell passing underneath.

Frequently on my radio show, I interview Cary Smith, who is with the Pillar Point Harbor Dept in Half Moon Bay. He is also the president of the California Boating Safety Officers Association.  During an interview Smith told me, "first here at Pillar Point Harbor we have looked at the tsunami plan we have had.  While our county and all the multiple agencies involved have been working on an updated plan, the plan in place is from 1994. Many things have changed, including phone numbers, area codes - and the Internet."  

Smith continued, "Unfortunately, we live in a world where if it is not broken why fix it.  Boating safety officers throughout the state believe being proactive save lives." 

Lastly, Cary stated this is the time for everyone to think; "What would I do if a warning was issued in a specific time frame?"

Tip of the week is the DART® (Deep Ocean Reporting and Assessment of Tsunami) stations (buoys) deployed primarily in the Pacific Ring of Fire and a few other locations.  NOAA has placed buoys in specific areas to record height, speed, and location of waves and issue alerts if there is anything ususual.

You can view the buoys and their data in real time at http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/dart.shtml, and you can register for email alerts from the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center at http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/index.php.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

Blowing My Horn for The Fred Hall Show and Whistle Signals

Ahoy!

Next Wednesday is a sad note for some boaters as lobster season will end on March 16 in Southern California until next October.  I love to eat Panulirus interruptus, but this year I have heard little from recreational divers and fishermen catching the bugs along our coast.  So, I am curious if this was a good season or not for a lobster in everyone’s pot?

I am sure that many people from Newport Harbor will be talking about the lobster season next week at the Fred Hall Fishing and Boat Show.  The Fred Hall Show is the best fishing tackle and destination travel show in the West and organizers are one of the most spectacular shows in the last 65 years.  On display, you will see an expanded selection of hunting, shooting and camping exhibits, and a fantastic selection of fishing boats.  The show - at the Long Beach Convention Center - will be the largest powerboat show in California.

Come to the show on Saturday, and join us when my radio show will broadcast live from the Maritime Institute’s booth at noon, Pacific time.  Additionally, great events for the whole family are scheduled, such as the Great American Duck Race, Dock Dogs, fly-fishing seminars, and a hunting stage.  The show starts on the last day of lobster season, Wednesday, and concludes Sunday evening, so plan on taking a short drive up the coast to visit one of our neighboring harbors.

On another topic while I was cruising Newport Harbor, I heard a few whistle signals that all boaters should understand, but I know many recreational boaters have never taken the time to learn the basic signals.  So, I thought I would start providing boater safety information as we begin to draw near to the summer season.

First, let’s start with the nomenclature involved in honking a horn on a boat.  This is technically called a whistle signal, and each whistle is a blast either short or prolonged.  The blasts have specific meanings, such as the signal of three short blasts.  This is a common signal in Newport Harbor, and an important one for avoiding a collision. 

Most of the whistle signals in the harbor are given by the commercial Captains such as the dinner boat operators.  Commercial skippers have a set of strict rules that they must follow while navigating the harbor, and as such, whistle signals are normal operating procedures.

Let’s focus on the three short blasts in today’s column and I will explain other whistle signals in upcoming columns.  Three short blasts signify that my vessel's propellers are in reverse, but my boat may still have forward momentum.  Basically, when I signal with three short blasts then I am telling you that I am either backing down or I have put my transmission in reverse.  So, in a crossing situation, I am slowing or stopping to let you cross in front.  Additionally, a skipper can signal three short blasts when backing a boat out of its slip.

Regularly in Newport Harbor, I mistakenly hear skippers adding one prolonged blast immediately in front of the three shorts.  There should be a one-minute separation between the prolonged blast and the three shorts when backing out of a slip, but more on prolonged blasts in another column.

There are times when I signal three short blasts to another boater in Newport Harbor and that skipper usually signals back with a one-finger salute, completely ignorant that I am being courteous and letting him know my intentions.

Next time someone signals three shorts to let you cross, give them a thank-you wave.

Tip of the week is do you know you can read the actual ocean conditions on the Internet from numerous weather buoys floating out in the ocean?  There are a few different sites with different formats that post the buoys’ information that hourly. The information includes wave height, wave direction, wave periods, wind speed and direction, wind gusts, and water and air temperatures. There are graphs of the past few days that help you predict if the conditions are increasing or decreasing.

The buoy information is being used for wave modeling forecasts, and I use the buoys daily to track the conditions.  My favorite is www.lajollasurf.org/buoylist.html where you can select the West Coast, East Coast or the Gulf Coast to see current conditions, and it is always interesting to see what the conditions are around the nation’s coastlines.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

OCC Flagship Rounds a Southern Milestone

Ahoy!

There is one part of the seven seas that is especially not for the faint hearted, and few sailors have attempted to sail these waters that are known as the most dangerous and roughest in the world.  It is a huge challenge for sailors, but presently a sailboat from Newport Harbor just completed this passage and is now floating in the South Atlantic about 600 miles off Uruguay.

I am talking about the infamous Cabo de Hornos, commonly referred to as Cape Horn, Chile, which is the most northern section of the Drake Passage but not the most southern territory in South America.  That would be the Diego Ramirez Islands, on the southern side of the Passage.

Cape Horn is known for very strong winds, steep waves, icebergs, and penguins.  Every sailor crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean or vice versa had to round the Cape until the Canal de Panamá (Panama Canal) was built creating a safer and faster shortcut.

Last Saturday during my nationally syndicated radio show, Brad Avery, who is the director of Orange Coast College’s Sailing and Rowing Base, called into my radio show from the South Atlantic via a satellite phone.  Brad is aboard OCC’s flagship sailing vessel the Alaska Eagle that is a 65-foot custom Sparkman & Stephens completed in 1977, and proudly hails Newport Harbor as her home port at the OCC Sail Base.

Brad told the listening audience that the Alaska Eagle has seven students and four staff aboard, and they are now in the South Atlantic after rounding Cape Horn. The sail was no small feat with 30 to 35 knots of wind and lots of water spraying across the deck.  The students are experienced sailors who had to prequalify for this leg of the voyage and realize an experience of a lifetime.

The boat departed Newport Harbor in October, bound for Easter Island on Leg 1 of an eight-leg voyage.  Now the crew is sailing the boat from South Georgia Island to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the weather is an important factor in the actual time this leg will be completed on their float plan.

Brad explained that the water temperature is so cold that the crew refers to the seawater as molten lava if anyone falls overboard.  It would be very difficult to turn the boat around and recover anyone in the water before hypothermia became fatal, so the crew wears safety harnesses up and down the deck, for example to make sail changes.

The boat, with more than 500,000 miles of travel under her keel, is specially equipped for such a voyage, and all the crew is given a very detailed checklist of gear that they are required to bring aboard.  Cold-weather gear and boots are a necessity for survival while sailing in these waters, but dressing in layers of clothing is the key to staying warm.

Very few sailors from Newport Harbor will have the experience of rounding Cape Horn.  Therefore, I tip my Captain’s hat to Brad and the OCC’s crew for offering a variety of voyages for sailors aboard the Alaska Eagle whether rounding the Horn or sailing in the Transpac.

Closer to home is our infamous Point Conception to the north, which can be a nasty area to cruise for any recreational boater.  I have been cited in boating articles as one of the most experienced delivery Captains to tackle Conception on a regular basis.  However, I can think of a few other local boaters - like fuel dock owner Gary Hill and yacht management expert Mark Silvey - who are very experienced with Conception’s ill temper as well.

Many local boaters only cruise in the waters off Southern California as they do not want to round Point Conception or they are held back from the rounding because of time restraints.  Other boaters have heard the stories, and they simply do not want to tempt the Sea Gods who can turn the Point into a nightmare in only minutes.  I have seen Point Conception at its worst, and I have been thrilled a few times when the seas were perfectly calm.  I mention Point Conception in my weekly boaters’ weather report because you can look to the north to see what is heading south to Newport.

Tip of the week is if you plan on boating south to Mexico, north of Point Conception, or westerly of San Nicolas Island then you need to contact your boat’s insurance agent to expand your coverage for the trip.  Your agent can issue an expanded coverage policy for areas that you normally do not sail.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

Troubled Waters Are Hazardous

Ahoy!

The nautical news that is making national headlines this week is the murder of former Newport Beach sailors Jean and Scott Adam along with another couple by Somali pirates.  The Adams were in the sixth year of a worldwide mission to hand out Bibles around the globe, aboard their 2002 Davidson 58 pilot house sloop sailing vessel that was built in New Zealand.

The pirates boarded the vessel in the Indian Ocean about 270 miles off the mainland, in waters known to be in pirates’ territories.  These days, pirates operate with mother ships that are capable of traveling hundreds of miles offshore.   The mother ships are the support for the smaller attack boats that prey on any vessel transiting the water whether a small sailboat or a 1,000-foot oil tanker.

In the past, one would sail 100 or 200 miles off the coast to be safe from any local pirates, but the use of mother ships has made even those distances dangerous.  The U.S. State Department continually warns about the risks in Somalia, and issued a recommendation that U.S. citizens avoid all travel to that country.

Posted on the State Department’s website: “U.S. citizens are urged to use extreme caution when sailing near the coast of Somalia.  Merchant vessels, fishing boats, and recreational craft all risk seizure by pirates and having their crews held for ransom in the waters off the Horn of Africa, especially in the international waters near Somalia.”

Furthermore, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) has issued numerous advisories, including: “pirates are attacking vessels transiting in the Gulf of Aden, off the Somali Coast, and the Western Indian Ocean, including attacks exceeding 1,000 nautical miles off the Somali Coast…” and “…pirate activity has continued and commercial and civilian ships continue to be attacked and seized.”

When both the State Dept. and MARAD are warning not to travel that part of the world’s oceans, then I think that no recreational sailor should sail that area.  I do not care if you are in a flotilla or not, as there are some parts of the world you just need to be steered clear of.

I have been asked many times if I have seen pirates on my voyages along the Pacific Coast.  I can honesty state that only when I have been in Mexican waters have I kept a lookout for the suspicious boat near my vessel.

On one of my deliveries northbound, just below the US/Mexico International boundary, I was approaching an unseamanly looking 40-foot sailboat that was underway and not making way, with three people on deck waving franticly as we approached closer.  After seeing the unfurled dirty sails hanging down the deck, lines strewn on deck, and the wary looking crew, I immediately went into defensive mode and told my vessel’s owner that we would render very guarded assistance.

I circled the sailboat from a distance while I made radio contact with Coast Guard Activities San Diego, and advised the CG of our location and situation.  After which, I made plans to approach the vessel with an abort plan should things get ugly.  So, I had the vessel’s owner stand in the cockpit while I backed down the boat to within earshot at an angle off the sailboat’s port bow.  This would allow for immediate escape and at an angle to the sailboat to lessen exposure of my vessel.

We asked specific questions and then pulled away from the sailboat to radio back the CG of our findings.  Well, it turned out one of the sailors was trying to fake a back injury to get a free CG tow to San Diego.  After numerous communications with CG, we were released from the scene and Sea Tow was dispatched to the sailboat.

Tip of the week is for boaters to be very careful of providing a Good Samaritan tows to other boaters.  Towing a boat can be very dangerous as cleats become flying hazards when ripped from the deck. The Good Sam may also risk running out of fuel as the additional drag of the tow cuts into fuel efficiency.

The best approach is to provide communications to call Newport Harbor Department.  Let the professionals of the Harbor Patrol or one the commercial towing companies assist the stranded boater.  Now, don’t get me wrong, if it is a little boat out of gas and you are 100 yards from the fuel dock then you can decide based upon your skills and your boat’s capability.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

A Prescription for the Dock

Ahoy!

I answered a few of your questions in a recent column, and that prompted many of you emailed me with more questions.  So, I will try to include a question or two, with answers, more regularly in my column. 

This week, two emails stood out, and I’ll answer them in this week’s column.

The first question was spurred by my explanation, “no vessel is barred from entering Newport Harbor as long as the vessel meets the federal and state requirements for a vessel of that size and type, and that the vessel is not constrained by a draft that would ground it on the seafloor.”

The reader was curious whether boats with unmuffled or extremely noisy exhausts are allowed inside Newport Harbor.  The answer is yes and no, but mostly no.

California does have a motorboat noise laws plus there are local ordinances that ban excessively loud, unmuffled vessels from disturbing the peace.  The state law also extends the noise limits to include coastal waters within one mile of shore, and motorboats are required to be manufactured with a muffler unless they are solely racing boats.

Now the yes side of the questions is that the noise laws maybe suspended if the vessels are solely racing boats, and these boats are transiting the harbor after launching to the ocean.  However, I am sure there are hours of operation imposed by the city so residents are not awakened at 3 a.m.

The second question is from a reader who loves boating but agonizes about docking the boat at the end of the day.  Reminds me why the professional skippers are paid the big bucks to operate a multi-million dollar vessel. 

Just think how many times you have watched recreational boaters approach at a high rate of speed, and when close to the dock, a few guests jump out to try to stop the boat.  All the while, you heard hear a lot of screaming with words I cannot print in this column.  I wonder how some marriages have lasted, after watching husband and wife crews try to dock.

First, let's start with a nautical nomenclature lesson: I hope the hair on the bac of your neck rose as I mentioned “ropes.”  Delete “ropes” from your vocabulary and insert “lines.” Further, know that the lines have specific names like bow lines, stern lines, and spring lines to name a few.

Secondly, it is “fender,” not “bumper,” for the cushion (flat cushion, ball, or blowup tube) that hangs off the side a boat for protection between the boat and dock.  A bumper is a piece of rubber, plastic or similar material that is fixed or mounted on the dock or the boat’s hull.

OK, got that settled.

Now, docking depends on the vessel's maneuverability and type of vessel, and taking into account all the factors such as wind, current, tide, and physical room.  Many times, you will see a professional skipper test the conditions by coming near the slip then putting the engines in neutral to float-by testing the drift, or pacing towards and away from the slip to test momentum.  After which, you might notice the dock lines and fenders being reconfigured or the placement of additional fenders and lines.

Take the time to look at how the elements will affect your docking, such as how the wind might blow you into or away from the dock.  Then before you begin your approach, organize your vessel by hanging the fenders, readying the dock lines, and explaining what to do to any guests who might be helping.  You also need to decide in advance how you are going to abort the docking, if needed.

Moral of the story is that constant planning for the unexpected and continual practice will keep you looking like a pro.

Tip of the week is always dock your boat as slowly as you can while maintaining steerage,” as a slow bump will not cause the damage as a big “oops.”  This is where the pros shine, as they might bump with the fenders or use a dock wheel to twist in, but it looks natural and under control at the slow speed. 

Also, it is important and very easy to have your inexperienced helpers use a couple of lines at first to simply make fast the boat, and then, you can reconfigure the lines with the correct cleat hitch knots after you shut down the engines.  There is an old saying, “any docking that you can walk away from is a good docking,” but that is in the eyes of the beholder.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, Itouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!