A boater’s thoughts on Avalon shoreboat

A boater’s thoughts on Avalon shoreboat

Re: Avalon to solicit new vendors for shoreboat service (March 11 issue). I wouldn’t mind using my dingy to go ashore in off season times. However, there has always been a shortage of dock space. This results in having to raft-up behind others and climb over other dinghies to get ashore. Not only is this very difficult for us older people, but it is extremely dangerous. How about providing more tie-up space and this should solve the problem and enable the shoreboat operator to remain with his own schedule; just let us know what that is so we can be prepared and bring our dinghies with us. 

Wayne Ford
Submitted on TheLog.com

Bravo Mary!

Re: Sailing like a Girl (March 11 issue). Mary, what a treat to see the article. To have grown up with you and Bob as older mentors and to race together and against each other, too. And your photos, amazing! Here’s a sojourner far from home who relished seeing your work and reminisces of all the days spent out on the water. So very well done – kudos!

Brett Mason
Submitted on TheLog.com

Sailing like a Girl

Re: Sailing like a girl (March 11 issue). Outstanding article about Mary Longpre and so true! I was honored to be one of a handful or females who races with her out of Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. At that time, a boat crewed by all females who competed against all male crews was such an unusual sight that even the TV program “Eye On L.A.” pick up on the story and filmed one of our races which was one of the three segments of an evening show. We gals still have copies and photos from that event. Mary, you are one heck of a woman and I am proud to be one of your closest ‘Big 6+2” friends but that’s another story. 

Kim Spruance
Submitted on TheLog.com

Congrats, Duncan!

Re: Duncan McIntosh Co. acquires Los Angeles and San Diego boat shows (March 11 issue). Congrats Duncan, very interesting. I hope you do well, as the Boat Show King of California! Come see what you can do in Houston.

Arlan Brown
Submitted on TheLog.com

Comments on Huntington Harbour Fuel Dock 

I am writing both as the commodore of Huntington Harbour as well as an inhabitant of the harbor.  I have been asked to mention some of the things that I observed during this recent issue with the loss of our fuel dock within the harbor. 

Beyond the obvious inconveniences that those of us experienced with the lack of available fuel within the harbor a host of other issues came up that many of you may be unaware of. 

One of the first concerns I noticed had to do with the environmental impact, as I have seen firsthand a great deal of our local boaters attempting to fill the tanks on their boats, both small and large with smaller fuel cans that are not legally allowed to be used on our water ways.  The reasons our obvious, hazardous material spills. The problem on their side, many of them had smaller vessels and didn’t feel safe moving to another harbor in order to fill the tank.

Another issue is economic in nature, how many people are willing to pay the high dollar that our homes on the water can bring, when they are unsure of where to fill up their fuel tanks. I have to imagine that this has significantly hurt our property owner’s value during this unknown time.

We also had a lack of income into the harbor due to lower boat launches within the area as many residences went elsewhere where there were full accommodations. This created a ripple effect on local business up and down Sunset Beach, not to mention the lost tax revenue our city will never regain.

One needs only imagine living in a small town quite a distance from the next, and how you would feel if the only gas station were to suddenly close. The fact is both in the boating community as well as on land, we get use to what we have, our mobility, the convenience and comfort level, and to suddenly lose that can be quite unsettling. The fact that there didn’t seem to be much we could do about it was overwhelming to say the least.

On a more positive note, is that for all intent purposes it appears as if the city has negotiated a lease with Maxum Petroleum Co. to reopen our fuel dock. The response has been tremendous with several groups getting together to celebrate the constant calls, meetings and events that were involved in the attempts to reopen our facility. I can’t begin to tell you all those involved working side by side with our city to find a way to get this important project done, but I can honestly say Huntington Harbour as well as the city of Huntington Beach is in their debt. 

Huntington Habour Yacht Club will be sponsoring a special Fuel Dock Celebration Party on May 15. This will give you a chance to meet our local city council, the Sheriff’s Department, and local Fire Representatives and the $10 per person fee is tax deductible and goes to support the Huntington Beach Sailing Foundation. Local clubs are invited for price of $35 per table. This event is open to the public, but you must RSVP to commodore@HHYC.org as space is limited.

John M Schmidt
Submitted to TheLog.com

Comments have been edited for clarity and brevity.