What’s afloat

* WHAT’S AFLOAT is published periodically in the Daily Pilot. If you

are planning a nautical event, submit the information to the Daily Pilot,

330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627, by fax to (949) 646-4170 or by

e-mail to o7 [email protected] .

SAILING CLASSES

Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship offers a

nine-week marine diesel maintenance course from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays

through Nov. 15 at OCC’s Sailing Center, 1801 W. Coast Highway, Newport

Beach. $79. (949) 645-9412.

Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship will present a

non-credit intermediate shields sailing course on five consecutive

Saturdays, beginning at 1:15 p.m. Saturday at OCC’s Sailing Center, 1801

W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. $115. (949) 645-9412.

A six-week, non-credit rigging and sail repair course will be offered

by Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship from 7 to 9

p.m. Oct. 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13 and 20 at OCC’s Sailing Center, 1801 W.

Coast Highway, Newport Beach. $79. (949) 645-9412.

An intensive, live-aboard “Power Yacht Operation and Management”

course for sailors will be offered Oct. 18-22 aboard Orange Coast

College’s 70-foot power yacht, Wide Waters. Participants will meet at

OCC’s Sailing Center, 1801 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. $1,495.

(949) 645-9412.

Learn to sail or windsurf at Resort Water Sports. Participants also

can rent windsurfers and 14-foot sailboats for $15 per hour. (949)

729-1150.

Sailboat rentals and private lessons are available at Marina Sailing

in the Balboa Fun Zone. Advanced classes include navigation, big boat,

powerboat, introduction to heavy weather and first-mate instruction.

(949) 673-7763; the Blue Dolphin Sailing Club, (949) 644-2525; or Lido

Sailing Club, (949) 675-0827.

BOAT RENTALS

Balboa Boat Rentals can put you on the water in many ways, with single

and double kayaks, electric boats, 14-holder sailboats, pedal boats and

runabouts for offshore use or cruising the bay. (949) 673-7200.

Duffy Electric Boats, 2001 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach, offers

electric daily boat rentals by the hour. All boats are equipped with CD

players and window enclosures. Ice and cups are provided. Reservations

are suggested. An hour rental is $60. (949) 645-6812.

Sail airborne outside the harbor, pulled by a motorboat at Balboa

Para-sailing near the Balboa Fun Zone. A 90-minute trip is $45. (949)

673-1693.

A motorized lounge chair may be rented from Resort Water Sports inside

Newport Dunes for $25 per hour. Pedal boats, electric boats, boogie

boards, kayaks, inflatable rafts, beach furniture and wetsuits also are

available. (949) 729-1150.

Party pontoons, chaparral runabouts and family pontoons may be rented

at Anchors Away Boat Rentals in the Balboa Fun Zone. (949) 673-3372.

Gondola tours are offered by the Gondola Co. of Newport, 3400 Via

Oporto, Suite 102-B. $75, and cost includes a basket of bread, cheese,

salami, ice, glasses, a blanket, music and a Polaroid picture. Wine also

is available. (949) 675-1212.

Gondola Adventures/Newport, 3101 W. Coast Highway, offers one- and

two-hour gondola cruises. A one-hour tour with champagne costs $70. A

two-hour tour with dinner and champagne is $180. Pickup is available at

waterfront restaurants. (949) 675-4984.

Irvine Coast Charters in Lido Marina Village offers two-hour electric

boat cruises with a gourmet dinner. $180 for two people. (949) 675-4704.

Zip through the water on a sea motorcycle known as a Sea-Doo at Walk

on Water, next to the ferry on Balboa Island. $65 per hour for a single-

or double-seater, and $75 per hour for a three-seater. (949) 675-6800.

Streamline center-console fishing boats may be rented at Balboa Boat

Rentals on Balboa Peninsula. The boats, equipped with live bait tanks,

fish-finders and VHF radio, are available by the hour and half-day rates

at $170; full-day rates are $240. U-Drive offshore boats equipped with

VHF radios also may be rented by the hour, half-day or full day. Rates

range from $40 per hour to $195 for the day. (949) 673-7200.

CRUISES

Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship has scheduled

a cruise Wednesday through Sunday to the Northern Channel Islands aboard

the college’s 65-foot sail training vessel, Alaska Eagle. The vessel will

depart at 5 p.m. Wednesday from 1801 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach.

(949) 645-9412.

The Newport Landing Belle is available for weddings and receptions,

cocktail and sightseeing cruises, and meetings at $250 an hour (minimum

two hours) and $150 for each additional hour. (949) 361-3640.

Fun Zone Boat Co. runs 45-minute cruise (adults $6, children $1) and a

90-minute cruise (adults $8; children $1), departing from the Balboa Fun

Zone every half-hour, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. A 60-minute showboat sunset

cruise leaves the Fun Zone at 7 p.m. at a cost of $6 per adult and $1 per

child. Private charters are available. (949) 673-0240.

Catalina Passenger Service runs 45-minute harbor cruises (adults $6,

children $1) and 90-minute cruises (adults $8, children $1), departing

from the Balboa Fun Zone every half-hour, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on

the hour until 7 p.m. (949) 673-5245.

Cruise the harbor aboard the Electra, a 100-foot Classic Fantail

vessel. Charters with catering are available for up to 145 guests. (949)

723-1069.

Enjoy a three-course dinner and dancing while cruising the harbor.

Friday and Saturday night voyages depart at 7 p.m., Hornblower Dining

Yachts, 2431 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. $56.95 per person. Brunch

cruises are also available. (949) 631-2469.

The Catalina Flyer departs from the Balboa Pavilion at 9 a.m. and

leaves Catalina Island at 4:30 p.m. $36 for an adult round trip, and $20

for a child’s round trip. Call for reservations. (949) 673-5245.

FISHING

Fishing classes leave Balboa Pavilion at 6 a.m. and return at 4 p.m.

Monday and Tuesday each week. $125 per person. (949) 673-2810.

Get to the Newport Pier/McFadden Square early to watch the Dory

Fishing Fleet return with the fresh catch of the day. Fish are prepared

for sale at the open-air market.

Fishing supplies and boat charters (open party and private) are

available at these locations: Newport Landing Sportfishing, 309 Palms,

Suite F, Newport Beach (949) 675-0550; Falco Fishing Charters, (714)

832-7708; and Davey’s Locker, 400 Main St., Balboa, (949) 673-1434.

Day and night fishing charters are available for groups or singles.

Call Bongos Sportfishing Headquarters on Balboa Peninsula. (949)

673-2810.

KAYAKING/CANOEING/SCUBA

Beginning sea kayaking, rolling clinics and private lessons are

offered. Kayak and sea ski rentals are also available. Call Paddle Power,

1500 W. Balboa Blvd., Balboa. (949) 675-1215.

Two-hour kayak tours begin at 10 a.m. Sundays from Newport Dunes. $20

per adult, $15 per child. Kayak rentals and classes are also available.

(949) 729-1150.

Single ($10 per hour) and double ($15 per hour) kayak rentals are

available in the Balboa Fun Zone. Call Balboa Boat Rentals, (949)

673-7200. Paddle Power also provides kayak, surf ski and canoe rentals.

(949) 675-1215.

Back Bay canoe tours are offered in Upper Newport Bay every Saturday.

Meet at 8:30 a.m. on Shellmaker Island. (949) 640-6746.

The Newport Aquatic Center offers sweep rowing (one oar), sculling

classes (two oars) and canoe rentals. Classes run for four weeks and cost

$75. Introductory clinics are also available Saturdays and Sundays for

$10. (949) 646-7725.

The Aquatic Center, 4537 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach, offers scuba

training consisting of six evening and two weekend day classes.

$200-$310. The center also offers scuba rentals, special trips, repairs

and air fills. (949) 650-5440.

At Dive-in Scuba, 2482 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa, certification

classes for beginning to instructor-level scuba divers are available.

Other services offered include local boat charters, equipment sales,

rentals and repairs. (949) 631-9288.