Letters/Online Comments

Re: Boaters near industrial ports need a breath a fresh air (Sept. 8-21 issue)

Join the fight for fresh air

Join with others in the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor areas to make public comments at upcoming CAAP meetings. The current CAAP does not remove all the diesel trucks until 2035 – 17 years from now! Speak up to move the ports off diesel trucks within five years. Please sign up on the website (actnowla.org) to get involved and start cleaning our air now.

Jim Kennedy

 

Re: New Jersey senator wants yacht free zone around Statue of Liberty (Sept. 8-21 issue)

 Anchorages are good for business

Free anchorages are for everyone! On every nautical chart of every harbor you will find designated anchorages. As long as the vessel occupying the space is exhibiting the required day shapes and or lights at night, providing anchorages are good business for ports. A vessel at anchor may utilize many shore-based services while at anchor. That may include water taxis, chandlers and ship services of every kind. The United States economy is still based upon shipping, though not everyone wants to acknowledge that. Chris Christie is exhibiting his usual boorish behavior by wanting to ignore one of the proudest traditions of seafaring – hospitality. Governor Christie is a mite shy of the social graces, but we should not allow his prejudices to inconvenience anyone who stops off for repairs, stores or even shore leave. Besides, Chris, it will provide tax money for Jersey. Lighten up, Chris!

Mary K Riewer

 Fight for the right to anchor

While I agree that the right of passage and safe haven should be preserved for all, I sincerely hope that these billionaires take this to court should any restriction pass. Let them spend their money defending their right to anchor. I hope it makes its way all the way up to the SCOTUS. Then maybe states and municipalities, such as in Florida, will get the message – not enough anchorages, not enough moorings, too many restrictions. The common man and women who love to sail generally don’t have the resources to maintain the constant battle. They do.

Jerry Clanton

 

Re: Don’t Let the Tax Man Slip by You: Possessory Interest Taxes and You (Aug. 25-Sept. 7 issue)

 Tax slave state

I left California back in 2013, because California is a tax slave state.

Dan Jarodsky

 

Re: Coastal Access: Appeals Court Ruling Benefits All Water Users (Aug. 25-Sept. 7 issue)

Government blackmail

Though I approve of keeping the access to the waterways public, please do not dilute the argument with blatant uses of political blackmail and coercion as a laudable.

“A yacht club in Newport Beach recently committed funding to public infrastructure guaranteeing boaters and others access to the water. The California Coastal Commission required such funding before approving the club’s plans to renovate its aging waterfront clubhouse.”

This is nothing more than pure blackmail, and does a disservice to your story, requiring a private club on what has been private land for years to open an access so that they can fix aging infrastructure, would be akin to requiring you to repair the street in front of your house because you need to repair termite damage to your property. Think before you type. I am not affiliated with nor do I do any business with a yacht club in Newport Beach or for that matter any yacht club. But I do own property, and what you placed in print ought to scare any property owner of government overreach or blackmail.

Kevin Pack

 

Re: Preparing for a long-range Baja cruise (Aug. 25-Sept. 7 issue)

 Other offshore voyaging gear

Other essential pieces of gear for offshore voyaging are the EPRIB and personal locator beacon. Also consider a SPOT or Delorme/Garmin Inreach tracking device. AIS transceiver is another very important safety gear. Offshore rated life jackets, jacklines plus solid attachment points for harness attachment, MOB gear, and life sling are also essential pieces for offshore voyaging.

Bob Austin

 

Re: Dana Point Navy Sighting Report: A Brief Recap (Aug. 11-24 issue)

 How did Harbor Patrol not know?

Strange that the Harbor Patrol didn’t know about the boats, but the photo shows a red Sheriffs boat in the background.

Jack

Jack and Phil

Strange how “Jack” wants to point out shortfalls of the Dana Point Harbor Patrol, when he can’t even tell the difference between a Tow US boater assistance vessel and a Harbor Patrol vessel. Before you start casting stones and pointing fingers, Jack, why don’t you learn how to identify vessels first. Misinformation, like what you’re writing and suggesting, puts doubts in some people’s minds about the Harbor Patrol. Funny how certain people enjoy doing just that.

Phil Mendoza

 

Re: Obtaining and Maintaining a Mooring: A Quick Primer (Aug. 25-Sept. 7 issue)

 Confused in Newport Harbor

Interesting article, Parimal, but why do you refer to Dennis Durgan, a civilian, as “Harbormaster” when Lt. Alsobrook with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department is the actual Harbormaster in Newport Harbor? This confuses me? As a resident, I see these little “Harbormaster” boats driving around the harbor, picking up trash and stopping boats with no authority to do so. In fact, it is illegal for them to stop boaters. Their existence also confuses me.

Mark

 

Re: Harbormaster guiding transition of mooring management, harbor operations (Aug. 11-24 issue)

 Two harbormasters in Newport?

Wait, now that Dennis is the “harbormaster,” who do we call when my boat catches fire or when there are two people beating each other up on a boat or a boat speeds by or when someone steals my boat or crashes into my boat or my passengers are drowning or my boat loses its motor and is heading towards the jetty? Never mind, I am going to call the actual Harbormaster, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol, people that are actually equipped to handle real emergencies. I will call Dennis when I find some trash floating around and leave the actual work to the professionals.

Mark

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