From the Boathouse: Rain should let up for the parades

Ahoy!

The holiday boat parades are underway across the nation, and our weather is perfect in Southern California for the events this weekend. Fortunately, the unseasonably warm storm system passed through the Southland during the middle of the week.

So let’s take a look at the parades for next weekend. By the way, I have a parade cancellation since my last column.

I received a notice that the 35th annual Delta Reflections lighted boat parade, which is sponsored by Marina West Yacht Club, has been cancelled because of safety concerns. The parade in Stockton was scheduled for Dec. 6, but the waterways of the entire parade route and some of the marinas are blocked with water hyacinth. Not only does the water hyacinth prevent vessel traffic, but it creates a very dangerous situation. If someone falls into the water, he or she could become entangled and trapped under water by the hyacinth.

Boaters are starting to feel the effect of the former Department of Boating and Waterways (DBW) being downgraded to a division under the state’s parks department. DBW was once a proactive department in the state government for boating and boaters, and the last active DBW director, Ray Tsuneyoshi, was effective in killing this invasive aquatic plant. Since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger fired Tsuneyoshi, which for all intents and purposes was to raid DBW’s dedicated fund sources, the interim directors have not held the course to combat the water hyacinth.

Tsuneyoshi recently told me, “Unfortunately, the nine years and four attempts to bring DBW under the parks department inflicted the boaters of California with what can be described as battle fatigue. In addition, the constant sucking away of boaters’ funds from DBW coffers resulted in all programs reductions.”

It is a shame that DBW has not continued to kill the hyacinth in the delta, and now the boaters, spectators, restaurants, local businesses and yacht clubs are losing a tradition that has carried on for more than three decades.

But back to the boat parades for next week.

Dana Point’s 40th annual Boat Parade of Lights continues for its last weekend on Dec. 12 and 13, and the 60th Christmas Ships Parade in North Portland Harbor, Ore., continues until Dec. 21.

The theme of the 52nd annual Huntington Harbour Boat Parade and Cruise of Lights, presented by the Huntington Harbour Philharmonic, is “Music in Paradise.” The parade is scheduled for Dec. 13 and 14. Check out hhboatparade.org.

A short trip north will get you to the Long Beach Parade of 1000 Lights at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13. You can view the parade from restaurants, the boardwalk at Shoreline Village and the marina breakwall behind Shoreline Village.

Further north, quaint little King Harbor in Redondo Beach will host the King Harbor Boat Parade at 5:30 p.m. Saturday as well.

I will finish this week’s list of Christmas boat parades with the granddaddy of them in the nation. Can you guess which parade has earned this designation?

It’s the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce’s. This year is the parade’s 106th annual, and it will be held from Dec. 17 to 21. The parade is recognized as one of the top 10 holiday events in the nation. Entries are as small as kayaks and as large as million-dollar megayachts whose decorations can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.

The parade route is through almost all of Newport Harbor, and you can watch from numerous bay-front viewing locations or book a cruise on one of the sightseeing charters. The theme for this year is “Deck the Hulls with Bows of Jolly,” and it will be interesting to see the imagination in decorating the watercraft to match the theme.

The parade’s website, christmasboatparade.com, has information about the boat parade, the homes decorated for the Ring of Lights and the annual awards and dinner auction.

Tip of the week is that for years I was the voice of the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, announcing from the Fun Zone at the nautical museum. Remember that I will be co-announcing the Palos Verdes Peninsula Holiday Parade in the city of Rolling Hills Estates. My co-hosts and I will be broadcasting with Cox Communications from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

As always, just keep an eye to the weather for any changes. Please be boat smart and boat safe. Lastly, please boat responsibly and look behind you before you turn the wheel at the helm.

The original boating program, “Boathouse TV & Radio Shows,” has stretched from coast to coast for more than two decades. See the details at https://www.boathousetv.com, https://www.facebook.com/boathouseradio and https://www.twitter.com/boathouseradio.

Safe voyages!

MIKE WHITEHEAD is a boating columnist for the Daily Pilot. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to mike@boathousetv.com or go to https://www.boathousetv.com.