Crowds add up to success

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT HARBOR -- On the first night, a couple of boats got in the

way. On Wednesday, a ship had to pull out after a man collapsed -- and

later recovered -- on board. On Saturday, patrol boats rushed to the

scene of a reported boat fire, only to find the boat owners had taken

care of the problem themselves.

All in all, the 92nd annual Christmas Boat Parade went “very well,”

said those who organized and patrolled the event.

“It was nice to have two different weekends, the way it fell this

year,” said Jeff Parker, the director of operations at the Newport Harbor

Area Chamber of Commerce, which organized the parade.

Parker added that more than 100 boats were registered in the parade,

with many more tagging along.

While he said it was difficult to estimate how many people watched the

parade, which took place over seven nights, Parker added that the “crowds

were up again from last year.”

In the past, about 1 million people have come to watch the lighted

boats parading around the harbor.

“From the boat, it sure looked crowded,” Parker said, adding that he’d

done visual spot checks as a passenger on one of the vessels.

Sgt. Ron Peoples, who works for the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor

Patrol department, which ensures a smooth route for the parade, said

skippers of bigger and private power boats had gotten in the way

initially.

Because the space for turns is limited, these boat owners with less

driving experience can hold up the parade, Peoples said.

“It becomes very hectic for other boats,” he said, adding that while

the number of loose boats had been up from last year, his officers

managed to get things under control by the second night of the parade.

Harbor patrol officers have also learned from past experience about

giving fog some time to clear out before calling off the parade.

A couple of years ago, the parade was canceled one night because of

low visibility, only to see the sky clear up half an hour later, Peoples

said. Now the crew works with parade organizers to be more patient.

On Friday, visibility was down to less than a quarter-mile just a

half-hour before starting time. By 6:30 p.m., when boats began circling

around the harbor, conditions had improved.

“We were able to finish with no problems,” Peoples said.

FYI

The winners of this year’s boat parade will be honored at the

Christmas Boat Parade Awards Dinner and Auction on Jan. 12. For

information or tickets, call (949) 729-4400.