Classic California

Balboa Island Ferry heading from the Balboa Peninsula back to Balboa Island.

	Description & Size		Price		Purchase
	299O1824 Original Oil Painting on Canvas, 18 x 24 inches 24.00" x 18.00" Id: 1139		$1495.00		Not available
	299G1824 Limited Edition Giclée Print on Canvas, 18 x 24 inches, Total Edition: 95 Prints 24.00" x 18.00" Id: 1140		$265.00
	299G1216 Limited Edition Giclée Print on Canvas, 12 x 16 inches, Total Edition: 95 Prints 16.00" x 12.00" Id: 1141		$115.00
	299G0810 Open Edition Giclée Print on Canvas, 8 x 10 inches 10.00" x 8.00" Id: 1142		$49.00

Newport Harbor in Newport Beach, California is the largest small craft harbor in the United Sates. Over 9,000 boats are berthed in this four-mile harbor. Newport Harbor is the historical and cultural center of Newport Beach. It is also a place of great scenic beauty. Quiet bay beaches are found in the interior harbor while surf pounds the oceanfront beaches along the Balboa Peninsula.

Boat slips line much of the shoreline within Newport Harbor. A midchannel anchorage is also available. Luxury homes along with old beach cottages are found throughout the harbor area and islands.

Newport Harbor was created naturally when heavy flooding in 1825 changed the course of the Santa Ana River. The river began emptying into the sea in the area now known as West Newport. Sand carried down coast by the ocean currents and by the river during the rainy season, began to build up along what is now the Balboa Peninsula. This peninsula forms the outer protective perimeter of Newport Harbor. Two jetties, one at the end of the peninsula the other at the north end of Corona del Mar State Beach, protect the harbor against the ocean surf.

Newport was so named for the need of a “new port” between San Diego and the Port of Los Angeles. During the 1920's and 1930's many harbor improvements were made. The harbor was officially opened on May 26, 1936. President Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated the ceremony by pressing a telegraph key on his White House desk and transmitting a radio signal to the Coast Guard Cutter "Hermes" in Newport Bay.

There are seven islands scattered throughout the harbor. Many of these islands were originally sand spits in the harbor that were eventually built up when the navigable parts of the harbor were dredged. Balboa Island is the only island with both residential homes and commercial properties.

The Balboa Island Ferry transports car and pedestrian traffic across the harbor between Balboa Island and the Balboa Peninsula. Since 1919, some form of the ferry has been in place. The crossing is a pleasant quarter mile cross current trip with views of the harbor, Balboa Pavilion, Balboa Fun Zone, and the surrounding beaches.

For many people the Balboa Island Ferry represents their most enduring memories of Newport Beach. Its uniqueness is perhaps a byproduct of geographic happenstance. Crossing the harbor via ferry reduces a motorist’s drive by five miles. Perhaps it is exactly this uniqueness and special ambience of traveling in the open air of the generally agreeable climate and Coastal California vibe that cements such fond memories for so many people.

The Balboa Island Ferry is shown here with a classic Chevrolet Corvette convertible, a Woody, and a Volkswagen Van. Nothing quite says "California" like the coast and classic cars. Nothing quite says "Newport Beach" like the ferry and the Balboa Pavilion.

The vantage point of this painting is just off the Balboa Island shore with the venerable Balboa Pavilion in the background.

If you are looking for a Balboa Island Ferry painting, print, gift or souvenir, there are a variety of options to choose from above.