Missed the rain and the checkpoints at the border

Ahoy.

I men- tioned that I would let you know this week if I was able to

ride the calm before the storm last Friday while skippering a yacht

back to Newport Harbor from Ensenada, Mexico. Well, my predictions

came true, and we departed the Hotel Coral marina in Ensenada at 8:45

that morning with 2-foot seas and no wind all the way to San Diego.

You also might remember that last Friday was when President Bush

was flying to North Island air station from the aircraft carrier

Abraham Lincoln, which docked in San Diego that day.

As we neared San Diego, we could see a very unusually high number

of military and government helicopters flying in the area. However,

once again, no one was checking the border for boats coming up from

Mexico, and we entered San Diego Harbor without any checks.

Once inside the harbor, we did stop for U.S. Customs clearance at

Shelter Island, and the customs officer told us that we had missed

Bush’s arrival on Air Force One.

The clouds were starting to cover the sky as we left San Diego

Harbor with a course plotted to Newport Harbor’s entrance. We docked

on Balboa Island that evening at 7 p.m. While we were docking, after

that smooth run up the coast, it started to rain.

We missed the storm and the building seas by only an hour. We

would have had a very rough trip if we had waited until Saturday as

originally planned.

I regularly use the NOAA’s weather information and the floating

weather buoys off our coast to predict the ocean conditions. I have

found two other Internet sites that I am scrutinizing for their

accuracy for mariners. I am constantly on the search for marine

weather sites on the Internet, so if you use a particular site that

has a good track record, let me know, and I will give it a test.

The first site I have found is called the Coastal Data Information

Program, and this is an experimental site funded by California

Department of Boating and Waterways with UC San Diego. This site is

trying to estimate the swells at the harbor entrances from Santa

Barbara to San Diego.

The warning at the top of the page reads, “These swell height

estimates are highly experimental and are provided for general

oceano- graphic and boating interest. The estimates are for swell

waves arriving from outside the islands. Local winds can generate

seas that will result in larger and steeper waves at harbor entrances

than these estimates may indicate.”

So far, I am finding that the site underestimates the actual swell

heights, but over time, I expect the predictions to improve with real

data. The site is at cdip.ucsd.edu/models/ harbor.est.

The second site, www. wetsand.com/wavecast/ wc-socal-buoy.asp, is

by an Internet company called WetSand Inc. It has partnered with Surf

Dynamics to analyze NOAA’s information. I am finding this site fairly

accurate, and it’s easy to navigate the Swell Tracker section for

current conditions and a five-day forecast.

The site has hyperlinked red dots lining the coast along a map of

California. You just click on any of the red dots and a new window

opens up with that area’s data. I really like the idea of having a

new window open, preserving the original page, as I usually open

three or four locations at a time. This site has more to like,

including surf reports and tides, so I recommend trying this site

before you leave the dock.

Locally, the Newport Beach Harbor Commission meets on Wednesday.

The agenda that was not posted by my deadline, but you can check it

out online at www.city.newport-beach. ca.us/hbr/Agendasand-

minutes.htm.

There is one commissioner seat expiring next month, and the city

is accepting applications from interested residents for this

position. Donald Lawrenz drew the one-year straw when the commission

began last year. His term expires June 30.

I have not spoken with Don about his reapplying for the seat, but

he is an active member and does a good job, I think.

Safe voyages.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send

him your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions by

e-mail to [email protected] or visit BoathouseTV.com.