The Harbor Column:

The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade begins Wednesday through Dec. 20, and join me at the Fun Zone where I will be announcing nightly from the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum.

My announcing tent will be set up next to the carousel, and the speakers will be installed so that you can stand along the seawall to view the parade. You can find out more information at ChristmasBoatParade.com.

Attention all boaters entered in the parade: Turn in your information page to the Chamber’s office. I use this information to talk about your boat and entertain the shoreside spectators.

Also, skippers, slow down when you cruise by the announcing area so the crowds can hear you and make some noise when you go by.

Tip of the week is you are invited to next week’s Yachtsman Luncheon with USCG Chief Jeff Ruggieri as the guest speaker. Ruggieri is the officer in charge of aids to navigation team in our local area, and maybe he can address channel marker No. 8.

You know channel marker No. 8? It’s the red channel marker where the mooring fields narrow together between Balboa Little Island and Balboa Peninsula and diagonally out from the Harbor Master’s office. I have mentioned this channel marker many times in my columns, as it is regularly hit by vessels and now it has been sheared off by a large Cat.

This marker was a floating, lighted buoy that was replaced by a fixed pole marker, and then the problems began. The main problem is at low tide the marker is so high in the air that either many boats do not see it at all or the light is lost in the background lights of the homes at night.

I cannot count how many times the fixed marker has been hit, since being fixed on a high pole. Well, on the meeting at noon Wednesday, boaters can give their opinion on what type of marker to position at that location.

The Yachtsman Luncheon is at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club, 720 West Bay Ave., Balboa. The cost for the buffet lunch is $13. You call Carter Ford, (949) 723-0400, for more information.

MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating columnist. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to mike@boathousetv.com or go to www.boathousetv.com .