Some tips while cruising into San Diego

Ahoy.

A few days ago, I had a smooth ride on a Carver yacht down the

coast from Newport Harbor to San Diego Harbor. The new owners wanted

to spend a couple of days aboard their recent purchase at Loews

Coronado Bay Resort’s marina and they asked for my assistance to get

there for the first time.

The run down was quiet, and the only military ship we encountered

was just north of Mission Bay. The vessel was operating submersibles,

and the ship’s captain radioed us to request a two-mile CPA -- that’s

the term used for the closest point of approach, which is the

distance to maintain in the water.

An easy way to maintain the separation is for you to use the range

rings on your radar. Radars will display the range and rings

distances usually in the upper left of the screen display.

For example, 6/1 or 3/.5 are common settings when cruising. The

6/1 means the radar is in the six-mile range and every range ring is

one mile apart. Therefore, keep the ship more than two rings away

from the center using 6/1, and four rings away using 3/.5.

Cruising at 21 knots, we rounded Pt. Loma to enter San Diego

Harbor soon after passing the ship.

Here’s a hint if you are heading to San Diego: This time of year,

you can turn in close to the point, as there isn’t any of the

notorious propeller-tangling kelp.

I have never seen San Diego Harbor so deserted of Navy ships. We

saw only one submarine, one aircraft carrier, the hospital ship and a

few ships in the repair docks. The aircraft carriers dock on the

Coronado side just before you go under the Coronado Bridge, and now

the carrier basin is blocked by a huge floating boom designed to stop

vessels.

The Loews is on the south side of the bridge in Coronado just

south of the Hotel del Coronado, and it can be tricky arriving to the

marina by boat. You have to cruise in the main channel under the

bridge heading for Chula Vista and then cut across the harbor at the

start of the mooring field to the entrance markers leading to the

Cays. This section of the harbor is very shallow, so you have to stay

on course.

I like cruising this time of the year in the off-season because

the marinas and the seas are not crowded.

WHISTLE SIGNALS

While cruising in San Diego, I heard a few whistle signals that

all boaters should recognize.

First, a nomenclature lesson: Honking a boat’s horn is technically

called a whistle signal, and the blasts have specific meanings.

Today, let’s discuss only the three short blasts signal, but keep

in mind you should review all the signals.

Most of the time, when I signal three short blasts to other

boaters in Newport Harbor, especially sailboats, the skipper usually

signals back with the one finger salute, completely ignorant that I

am being courteous and letting them know my intentions.

Three short blasts signify that my vessel’s propellers are in

reverse, so in a crossing situation, I am slowing or stopping to let

them cross in front. Additionally, you can signal three short blasts

when backing your boat out of its slip.

However, in Newport, 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.

Next time someone signals three shorts, give them a thank you

wave.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Attend the Newport Beach Marine Networking and Speaker Forum on

Wednesday at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum, 151 E. Coast

Highway, Newport Beach. The welcoming reception begins at 5 p.m., and

then three nautical book authors will introduce their books.

Afterward, Ray Tsuneyoshi, California’s Department of Boating and

Waterways director, will give a talk on a very important topic. For

more information, contact the Newport Beach Chamber at (949) 729-4400

(www.NewportBeach.com) or surf to Bristol Fashion Publication’s Web

site at www.bfpbooks.com/ authors.htm.

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.