More than 70 boats thrill Dana Point Harbor visitors at this year’s boat parade
DANA POINT — More than 70 boat owners from across Orange County decked out their boats for the 44th annual Dana Point Boat Parade.
The parade, themed a “Western Wonderland,” was held over two weekends — Dec. 7-8 and Dec. 14-15 — and drew 71 entries. Boaters decorated their boats with a western theme and competed in multiple award categories including: Judges Choice, Best Theme, Best Use of Lights, Best Animation, Most Colorful, Most Original, Best Sailboat, Best Powerboat and the Perpetual Trophy for the Yacht Club with the Most Entries.
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The parade was led by Dana Wharf’s Dana Pride. The boats sailed past Dana Wharf down to Waterman’s Restaurant and turned around, heading back past Dana Wharf and into the harbor’s inner channel and to the harbor bridge. There they turned around again and headed past Wind & Sea Restaurant and the Harbor Patrol dock, turning toward the harbor’s outer channel.
From there the boats traveled to the Ocean Institute and into East Basin.
“The Western theme was super fun,” said Donna Kalez, who manages Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching. “We had a yee-haw holiday. It was a really good time.”
The Dana West Yacht Club had the most boat entries.
Awards for the 2018 “A Western Wonderland”
Best Crew Under 30′ runner-up – #127 Rider Pride
Best Crew Under 30′ – #150 Radical Sea Monkey
Best Crew 30′ Over runner-up – #97 Good Times
Best Crew 30′ Over – #88 Besame Mucho
Best Animation Under 30′ runner-up – #148 Amber Marie
Best Animation Under 30′ – #56 San Clemente
Best Animation 30′ Over runner-up – #131 Cetacean
Best Animation 30′ Over – #188 Prime Time
Best Use of Color Under 30′ runner-up – #59 Deep Color
Best Use of Color Under 30′ – #166 Drummer Boy
Best Use of Color 30′ Over runner-up – #191 Sea Wind O
Best Use of Color 30′ Over – #108 Hair of the Dog
Best Use of Lights Under 30′ runner-up – #75 Sparkle
Best Use of Lights Under 30′ – #2 Doheny Doll
Best Use of Lights 30′ Over runner-up – #155 Teaser
Best Use of Lights 30′ Over – #34 Rapscallion
Most Original Under 30′ runner-up – #56 San Clemente
Most Original Under 30′ – #32 Fish Tales
Most Original 30′ Over runner-up – #194 San Mateo
Most Original 30′ Over – #191 Sea Wind O
Best Theme Under 30′ runner-up – #150 Radical Sea Monkey
Best Theme Under 30′ – #11 Mer Sea
Best Theme 30′ Over runner-up – ##34 Rapscallion
Best Theme 30′ Over – #88 Besame Mucho
Best Sailboat Under 30′ runner-up – #182 Dulce
Best Sailboat Under 30′ – #11 Mer Sea
Best Sailboat 30′ Over runner-up – #42 Relentless
Best Sailboat 30′ Over – #88 Besame Mucho
Best Powerboat Under 30′ runner-up – #32 Fish Tales
Best Powerboat Under 30′ – #2 Doheny Doll
Best Powerboat 30′ Over runner-up – #131 Cetacean
Best Powerboat 30′ Over – #191 Sea Wind O
Judges Choice- Under 30′ – #2 Doheny Doll 395 out of 420
Judges Choice – 30′ Over — #88 Besame Mucho 403 out of 420