Earlier in the week I took a harbor cruise aboard the Queen, which the Fun Zone Boat Co. built and has operated for many, many years.
In the mid-nineties I designed and built their new office at their new location beside the former Ferris wheel at the Fun Zone in Balboa. I also built and installed a new dock for the Catalina Glass Bottom Boat, which their former owners had recently purchased.
A few years later the quaint side-wheeler was sold and sunk on its voyage to a new location, I think to San Francisco.
The sky was blue and the temperature was comfortable along the trip last Tuesday. I brought my Dad along and we met the present business owner, Hank Wiessner. Hank was quite personable and escorted us down the gangway to the Queen and introduced us to Captain Tony and his first mate.
I highly recommend this trip. The information about the homes and owners is very interesting and presented in tongue-in-cheek and entertaining manner.
Years ago I was told about the ribald and tall tales during the voyage, but I only heard factual and interesting tales of our harbor residents.
I learned a few new facts concerning some of the homes and knew many others already which were accurate and entertaining. If you have any guests coming to town or want a short getaway in our harbor, the Fun Zone Boat Co. is the way to go! The following are a few nuances with a little more spin from yours truly.
The Wrigley family beach house at A Street on the peninsula was also owned for a time by Bill Craig when his son was attending Harbor High. Bill followed his beachside bar success at the Balboa Bay Club and formed (also for his son) the ever popular and successful “Billy’s at the Beach.” A reliable source told me Bill won a gold medal in the 1964 Olympics swimming. I’ve never confirmed this.
The home above China Cove they refer to as owned by an heir of the Marie Calendar family, I watched being built and was designed by our own famous architect J. Herbert Brownell in the mid-sixties. Herb’s son Scott still works at his Dad’s office on the cliff across from the Sea Scout Base. Herb’s clients included the Irvine family and the children’s wing of Hoag Hospital. These structures are now used as the chemical dependency rehab facility. Son Scott has done a fine job continuing Herbs legacy.
The famed Gillette home which, after the brother’s feud was divided in half, are the last two homes on the bay front before the west jetty. The cruise mentioned famed surf guitar legend Dick Dale losing the home to the I.R.S., but didn’t mention the tiger cubs I saw inside when I built his dock. Not only that but his wife ran off with the rest of his money and empire with their hired help. I reinstalled the dock piles following the El Nino storm in 1983 and he still owes me $2,800.00.
Sea Ya,
Skipper Steve
