Boat

A Huntington Beach man accused of stealing one boat in San Diego and nabbing another in Oceanside was arrested by Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol this week after his 34-foot powerboat had some trouble in Newport Harbor. Jeffrey C. Edens, 37, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possession of stolen property and taken to Orange County Jail, authorities said. Harbor Patrol deputies were initially just trying to help out with a disabled boat, Sgt. Bill Snaith said.

Motorcyclist killed by boat Mark Burris, 34, of Huntington Beach was killed Monday by a run-away boat while riding his motorcycle during rush hour traffic on the Costa Mesa Freeway. The boat, which was being towed on a trailer behind a 16-foot U-Haul truck, came loose and swerved left across several lanes of northbound traffic at 8:30 a.m. Monday, California Highway Patrol Lt. John Marinez said. First it collided with a 1999 Toyota driven by Hien Nghien, 31, of Irvine, causing minor damage and no injuries.

A 57-foot powerboat ran aground on the rocks at Crystal Cove State Park early Monday after the owner fell asleep while the craft was on autopilot, officials said. By 4 p.m. Monday, a salvage company had removed the boat from the rocks and towed it into Newport Harbor, said Sgt. David Ginther of the Orange County Sheriff's Harbor Patrol. The owner, Mark Anton of Laguna Beach, and a woman were aboard the boat, which left Catalina Island around midnight, bound for Newport Beach, Ginther said.

Police on Friday responded to a man caught between a boat and a dock in Huntington Harbour. Officers on the scene and in a police helicopter found the man in the water, pinned by the boat against the dock after he fell off the dock, officials said. Witnesses in the area heard the man yelling for help across the channel, but couldn’t see him. Several people in the area called 911 about 6:45 p.m. The police helicopter arrived on the scene first and found the man partially under a dock, blocked by a boat, officials said.

Eron Ben-Yehuda SLEEPING SKIPPER RUNS BOAT AGROUND A sleeping skipper ran his 40-foot commercial boat onto the shore off Huntington Beach Tuesday. At about 8:30 a.m., the Nancy D ran aground near Goldenwest Street and Pacific Coast Highway, Marine Safety Lt. Stephen Davidson said. Lifeguards initially suspected either a mechanical breakdown or a medical emergency when they spotted the fishing vessel heading straight for the shore, he said. "It turned out to just be skipper fatigue," he said.

Eric Norris' martial arts clothes were draped over a table laden with his belts and medals Friday afternoon at Mile Square Regional Park. The rest of the table featured other mementos of his 30 years: a motorcycle jacket and helmet, an acoustic guitar, photos of him with his young son. Nearby, friends, family members and colleagues wrote about treasured moments in a memory book. A white posterboard invited attendees to post favorite photos. Under a white tent in the hot sun, a deejay spun a selection of the Westminster resident's favorite songs — heavy on Johnny Cash.

The sea lions are back in Newport Harbor, and they're not the only ones barking. Harbor residents say the sea lions are destroying property and peace and quiet. But the sea lions are protected mammals, which limits actions by the Harbor Patrol. The sea lions' barking is keeping residents awake at night. And over Labor Day weekend, a group of sea lions climbed aboard a boat and sunk it under their weight. Sharon Allen, who lives on Balboa Peninsula, said she can hardly stand the noise.

Ahoy. Last week in the Daily Pilot, there was a picture of a 57-foot yacht sitting on the rocks off Crystal Cove State Park. The story reported that the owner fell asleep while the boat was on autopilot from Avalon to Newport Harbor. The vessel caught my eye because, approximately a year earlier, I had delivered that boat from Ensenada, Mexico, to Newport Beach. I remember the boat because it was a new Carver that could get up on top of the water and cruise at a decent speed for that size of yacht.

Fountain Valley's Mike Follmer was looking forward to competing in his seventh consecutive Long Beach-2-Catalina & Back GranPrix last weekend, but weather wreaked havoc on the event, which in turn, was rescheduled for an October date. Fog was the culprit, and, instead of motoring to Catalina and back, a two-hour GranPrix race around the drilling islands in the Long Beach Harbor, and out around the breakwater, was to be held. But the fog completely shrouded the drilling islands, making them invisible (a three mile visibility is required by the Coast Guard)

The family of a Huntington Beach man who died in a boating crash has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming negligence by officials. Shawn Wilson, 35, died June 27 after crashing into the Gilbert Drive Bridge over Shelter Channel in Huntington Harbour. Wilson was riding on his 12-foot, inflatable Zodiac boat with Caleb Steele, 30, and James Geekie during high tide at 1 a.m. Steele also died. Wilson’s wife, Deanna Wilson, filed the lawsuit Nov. 5. She filed a claim with the city in September, and his toddler and newborn filed claims with the city citing negligence because the bridge’s I beam was not properly illuminated, said the family’s attorney, Sarah Serpa.