The 13,000-square-foot store offers a wide selection of boating gear and accessories, including an expanded selection of electronics, fishing and watersports equipment.

Store manager Lynn Gambrell brings a broad range of boating experience and has lived aboard a cruising sailboat in places as varied as Texas, Florida and the Caribbean for 17 years. Gambrell is currently based in San Francisco, and she and her husband plan to enjoy boating throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

“Our team of West Marine associates has more than 345 years of combined boating experience, and is active and knowledgeable — and committed to providing an unmatched level of service to Peninsula-area boaters,” she said.

Grand opening festivities begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, and refreshments — including free hot dogs and sodas — will be served from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., while supplies last. The celebration will continue throughout the weekend, with special discounts and prize giveaways, including $100 West Marine gift cards, GPS units and more.

The family owned company is revamping the location, at 2200 W. Coast Highway, before the grand opening. “It will certainly have a new look,” said Dan Klaas, Newport Beach store manager.

Klaas brings 38 years of experience to Hipp Marine, after having worked at Olympic Boat Center and having served as vice president of Marine Center, which was also a Bayliner and Maxum dealer.

Hipp Marine has served the San Diego area for the past 22 years, offering top-level customer service, and plans to continue its commitment to service at the new location, Klaas said. The company has won numerous awards, including Maxum President’s Customer Satisfaction Awards for 2008 and 2005 model years, and Kayot’s Top Ten Dealer Award for six years.

“A reputation for customer service has served Hipp well over the years, and I think it will serve us well in Newport Beach,” Klaas said.

The business started as a service-only boat center in 1986, adding boat and accessory sales in 1993 to become a full service boat dealership. Maxum and Kayot have been the two major boat brands of the business. “We welcome this opportunity we have been given to open a second location in Newport Beach — and to add Bayliner and Trophy to the mix of boats we will sell and service,” Klaas said.

Hipp Marine reported that its surveys show 98 percent of customers say they would recommend Hipp Marine to their friends.

New boats, used boats and parts and accessories are all offered on Hipp Marine’s Web site, www.hippmarine.com. For more information, call the Newport Beach location at (949) 645-3880.

— Ambrosia Sarabia

Ribbon Cutting — Gathered at the grand opening of J World Sailing School San Diego’s new facility are (from left) Peter Haenebalcke, manager Lee Thomas, Rob Harring, Konnor Brown, owner Jeff Brown and club member Lorand Irinyi.

J World Sailing School offers hands-on experience on the water, in addition to classroom lectures. It has been named “Best Sailing School in America” by Practical Sailor magazine.

“We were very pleased with the number of attendees,” Thomas said. A crowd turned out to check out the new location at 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 202.

“It was wonderful to see our friends from the marinas and local shops, along with former and prospective students,” Thomas said.

Many attendees signed up for sailing classes and club memberships that day. Short sailing seminars were condensed into 10-minute sessions, and prospective students were taken out on J 80s for a hands-on experience on the water.

Door prizes included West Marine binoculars, North Sails hats and shirts, Camet bags and other sailing gear. Robbie Lindley won the grand prize annual club membership and 20 percent off sailing courses — and current member Lorand Irinyi was awarded a crystal trophy for logging the most miles on a J 80.

For more information on J World Sailing School San Diego, call (619) 224-4774 or visit www.jworld-sailing.com.

“This innovative specialty service gives boat owners the comfort of knowing our top marine craftsmen will report directly to their slips,” explained Kate Pearson, vice president of business development for Knight & Carver. “Instead of our customers coming to see us, we go directly to them.”

Knight & Carver has purchased two fully equipped vans for the new business unit, which will utilize experienced marine tradesmen — including carpenters, electricians and mechanics. All work performed will meet the company’s high standards of excellence, be fully insured and comply with strict environmental standards, Pearson said.

The company also offers a planned maintenance package, which will provide on-site monitoring of all vessel operations.

For more information, contact Knight & Carver YachtCenter; (619) 336-4141, ext. 133.

Store manager Bruce Nelson is a lifelong boater and is a race chairman at King Harbor Yacht Club. Nelson said many more items — including a larger selection of electronics — will be available to boaters at the expanded West Marine store, which has doubled in size.

“Our team of West Marine associates has more than 150 years of combined boating experience, and is active and knowledgeable — and also committed to providing an unmatched level of service to San Pedro area boaters,” Nelson said.

Grand opening festivities begin at 8 a.m. Oct. 4. Refreshments, including free hot dogs and sodas, will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., while supplies last.

The celebration will continues all weekend, with special discounts and prize giveaways — including $100 West Marine gift cards, GPS units and more.

For more information on West Marine products and store locations, visit westmarine.com or call (800) BOATING (262-8464).

“Our organizations share important common goals: enhancing security and safety on the water and making boating more enjoyable,” said Richard Ellis, Club Jeppesen Marine’s director. “By joining forces, we’ve made it easier and more affordable for boaters to belong to both organizations and enjoy even greater benefits.”

As part of the new agreement, Club Jeppesen members will get a 15 percent discount on any Sea Tow membership option, as well as discounts on insurance through Sea Insure. Boaters who belong to Sea Tow will be provided with a special introductory rate for joining Club Jeppesen Marine ($69 vs. $89), as well as reduced annual dues as long as they remain members of both programs.

Club Jeppesen Marine gives owners of C-Map electronic charts a wide range of benefits, including a no-cost annual update to the C-Map chart title of their choice. Club Jeppesen Marine also entitles boaters to discounts on a range of products and accessories, access to chart exchange programs and chart rentals for one-time cruises.

“We are dedicated to improving personal safety and peace of mind on the water,” said Capt. Joe Frohnhoefer III, Sea Tow’s vice president of operations. “This arrangement just makes it easier and more cost-effective for boaters to enjoy the benefits of both” membership organizations.

For more information, visit www.c-map.com and www.seatow.com.

In an announcement Sept. 15, company principals explained that the changes in Marina del Rey will ultimately benefit H&S customers. “With a boatyard next door and a strong service presence in Marina del Rey, we will be able to offer our clients an even higher level of service to fulfill their boating needs,” said Doug Ament, president of Nautical Enterprises Inc., parent company of H&S.

Nautical Enterprises Inc. has H&S locations in San Diego, Marina del Rey and Channel Islands Harbor, and (varying by location) represents Beneteau, Californian, Doral, Fairline, Hunter, Jeanneau, Lagoon, MacGregor, Navigator and Silverton boat lines. While it handles both power and sail, the company reported it is North America’s largest sailboat dealer.

Marina employees and managers are dedicated to keeping the “squeaky clean” look even after the marina fills up with vessels and gets heavier usage. Marina manager Ed Santisteban and maintenance administrator Steve Bullock walk the docks daily inspecting docks, rubrails, vessels and more.

“Right now, it’s easy to keep the marina looking good,” Bullock said. “It’s brand new — and Bellingham Marine did a great job with the dock systems, so everything is in good working order.”

Each morning, Bullock checks the docked vessels against his list of active slipholders to make sure every boat is in the right slip and there are no intruders. He also inspects each dock area and makes sure it’s clean, that no loose items have been left on the piers and that power cords aren’t dangling near the water.

“We don’t have a lot of repair work at this point, so most of my time is spent keeping everything clean and neat,” Bullock explained. “We also want to reduce unwanted debris from ending up in the water.”

Bullock noted that if a small item is left out on the dock, he places it on the owner’s boat. If it is something large like a chair, the marina office will contact the owner to take care of it.

“If we see anything that needs the owner’s attention, we work with them on getting it taken care of,” Bullock said. “Some people live out of the area and we know they won’t be available right away. We help them any way we can: It’s a team effort.”

Among Bullock’s daily duties is a check for water leaks from faucets or hose bibs, lighting and electrical receptacles; and keeping the cement surfaces and rubrails clean, collecting and disposing of trash and maintaining the restroom facilities. “I use saltwater and a brush to keep things spot cleaned; then, once a week, spray everything off with freshwater,” he said.

Stakes connected with monofilament surround each empty slip to keep birds at bay. When a boat is expected to move in, Bullock removes the barrier, stating, “It’s helped keep the marina looking good.”

Currently, there are about 60 boats in the newly opened south basin area of the marina. “We will have many more boats berthed here in the next 60 days,” stated Santisteban noting that as people give notice at their current marinas, it’s about a 30-day lag before they move in.

With boats arriving daily, Santisteban is busy visiting potential slipholders’ vessels for a visual inspection. He explained that one way to keep a marina clean is to only accept well-maintained boats.

“We check for current registration and check for general good appearance,” he explained. “If a boater keeps his or her boat in good working order, they’ll be more apt to maintain the area around their dock as well and they’ll be a good neighbor in the marina.”

The new dockside marina office (located in the south retail center) is projected for completion in late September and will include a boaters’ lounge, restrooms, showers and a laundry facility for slipholder use.

McCullough Joins Crew — Capt. John McCullough is the new manager of Vessel Assist Newport.

The towing port is one of the busiest on the West Coast, covering Newport Harbor and the central Orange County coast from Huntington Beach south to Laguna Beach and 100 miles offshore, including Catalina Island.

“McCullough is a local guy who already knows the waters, the boats and many boaters. This, combined with his helpful can-do attitude, made him a natural for the position,” said BoatU.S. Towing Services assistant vice president Heather Warmington Sheward.

Capt. McCullough brings seven years of daily boating experience to the operation after a year-long apprenticeship as a part-time Vessel Assist captain. He holds a 50-Ton U.S. Coast Guard Masters License with a commercial towing endorsement, a PADI Scuba certificate and a first-aid certificate, and also has mechanical experience.

“I really enjoy being on the water, so a Vessel Assist career is a great choice,” McCullough said.

“When I did my first towing job — pulling a disabled boat full of family members away from the dangerous surf line at the Wedge — I realized it was the thrill of helping people and using my combination of knowledge, training and expertise that I really feel good about, ” McCullough said.

Vessel Assist Newport has grown from a one-boat operation to a three-boat operation in the last few years. It is McCullough’s job to manage these boats, which includes maintenance and scheduling of operators.

Vessel Assist Newport is one of the many towing providers that make up the fleet of the BoatU.S. Towing Program, which handled more than 60,000 calls for assistance nationwide last year.

For additional information on the network or assistance towing membership privileges, call Vessel Assist Newport at (949) 278-3207 or visit www.BoatUS.com/towing.

Kaitlynn Palmer

Palmer will replace Valerie Maughmer, who is now working as the chief steward on a 42-meter motoryacht that is currently cruising off Alaska and other West Coast destinations.

With a background in desktop publishing and event planning, Kaitlynn graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University with a bachelor’s degree in communications. She currently lives in Point Loma.

“Because of the recent influx of yachts, we found it very important to fill this position with the most qualified person to accommodate the increased number of vessels cruising the California coastline,” Driscoll explained. “I am confident Kaitlynn’s experience and education will be a great asset to our company”

Palmer will provide captains and crews with area guides and concierge assistance.

Driscoll Boat Works is a third-generation family owned and operated full-service yacht repair company on Shelter Island. Driscoll has deep-water facilities for vessels up to 65 meters in length and haulout capacity for vessels up to 150 tons. For more information, visit www.driscollinc.com.