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Newport Harbor users are likely to see them out on the water, decked out in blue jackets and caps, driving a low-wake catamaran coach patrol boat inscribed with the word “Harbormaster” in all caps, possibly scooping trash out of the water, inspecting the mooring fields, or maybe...

A lot of opinions, ideas, and concerns were shared by boaters, marine-related business owners, and mooring permitees during the first public forum for the Newport Beach Title 17 Harbor Code review this week. As part of their ongoing effort to update the city’s Harbor Code, Harbor...

Summarized from Harbormaster Kurt Borsting’s report to the Harbor Commission on Wednesday. Response Efforts to Recent Storms The rain and storms the last two months had the potential for a number of impounded vessels taking on water. On Feb. 6 city Utilities Department provided...

Continuing her tradition, Newport Beach Mayor Diane Dixon will hold her first town hall meeting of 2019 next week on the Balboa Peninsula. The event will be in the big meeting room in Marina Park on Monday at 6:30 p.m. All community members are welcome to attend. Dixon will give...

A special new trailer rolled into the Marina Park parking lot this week, Newport Beach city officials announced. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response provided a $35,000 grant for the city to purchase an oil spill response trailer...

Newport Beach Harbormaster Kurt Borsting has been “blown away” by his first week. The welcome he’s received, the passion for the harbor, the engaged residents, it’s been a great start, he said on Wednesday. “This is the crown jewel of the city,” Borsting said. “Getting the chance...

The Newport Beach Harbor Commission held a study session Wednesday in the Little Balboa Island meeting room at Marina Park that focused on the future of the harbor. Commissioners Paul Blank and Scott Cunningham led the session, which was an interactive exercise that asked the...

Newport Beach’s new Harbormaster Kurt Borsting is hitting the ground running. His first day on the job was Monday. Wednesday was a Harbor Commission meeting, which included a 90-minute study session consisting of an interactive exercise on the developing Harbor Plan. Next week is...

After taking over management of the moorings from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol last summer, Harbormaster Dennis Durgan provided a “Year in Review” summary for the Newport Beach Harbor Commission on Wednesday. Commissioners asked a few questions and...

Newport Harbor got some attention this week, as Newport Beach City Council unanimously approved some changes to staffing and speed limits. Council voted 4-0 on Tuesday in favor of two position re-classifications in the newly created Harbor Department and, in another agenda item,...

*Editor’s Note: The story originally incorrectly listed the location for the harbor tour as the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol headquarters.* The Newport Beach Harbor Commission heard an update on the search for a Harbormaster during their meeting Wednesday...

About a year after taking over management of the moorings from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol, creating the Harbormaster position and team, the city is considering reorganizing the division and creating a new department. All members of Council expressed...

Newport Beach City Council hit the pause button this week on the official effort to pursue legislation that proposes to establish Newport Harbor as a “port” and authorize the city to apply for a Port Master Plan. Council voted 4-1 on Tuesday, with Councilman Scott Peotter...

The harbormaster team is getting high-tech. Newport Beach Harbormaster Dennis Durgan unveiled a new program his team is testing out during a Harbor Commission meeting Wednesday. They are beta testing three iPads mounted on the Harbormaster boats equipped with custom software that...

  Newport Beach Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield illustrated why 2018 will be the “Year of the Harbor” during an event last week. Duffield gave a “State of the City” speech at Speak Up Newport’s 37th Annual Mayor’s Dinner on Feb. 2. About 450 people attended the event at...

NOTE: Indy reporter Sara Hall compiled this look back at what made headlines in the NB Independent during 2017. This week, we cover July through December. (For part 1, click here) (click the first line of text in each brief to read the full, original story)   July ► Longtime...

O’Neill Chosen as Mayor Pro Tem Newport Beach has a new mayor, and he already has a plan for 2018. Marshall “Duffy” Duffield was elected Tuesday by his fellow City Council members as the next mayor of Newport Beach. “I’m going to do my best to make it work,” he said later...

Newport Beach City Council praised the new harbormaster team and Harbor Operations program last week during a review of the four months the department has been up and running. There were some questions during the Nov. 14 study session about it costing more than what the city...

Teamwork between Newport Harbor mooring permitees, Newport Beach Harbormaster department, and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for vessel safety inspections is off to a positive start City harbormaster staff is helping the USCG Auxiliary team conduct their free vessel safety...

Wile. E. Coyote has a new adversary: Salty the Seal (or sea lion, in this case), and the city hopes the clever canine finally prevails. In a creative effort to deter sea lions from camping out on docks and boats, Newport Beach Harbor Operations Division is placing plastic coyote...