Newport Beach man must remove 72-foot ship from his yard

[ellisonz]

Photo: Dennis Holland with the ship he's restoring at his Newport Beach home. Credit: Leah Thompson / Daily Pilot

-- Mike Reicher, Times Community News
March 4, 2012 | 5:03 pm

A Newport Beach man who has been restoring a 72-foot wooden ship in his yard for six years has been ordered to remove the boat or risk going to jail.

The court order is the latest development in a long-running conflict between Dennis Holland, some of his neighbors and city officials, who sued the 65-year-old resident in an effort to have the vintage ship removed.

Holland now has until April 30 to remove the ship from his Holiday Road home, or face fines of up to $1,000 a day, or possibly jail time, according to Deputy City Atty. Kyle Rowen.

Superior Court Judge Gregory Munoz issued a preliminary injunction Thursday and set an April 30 trial date.

http://tinyurl.com/7posvlq

So I was thinking about building an ark for when the flood comes, can I use your yard? I don't think it will take more than 10 years.

[backscatter712]

1. Be a shame to destroy the ship.

Any way to move it to a more suitable lot?

[ellisonz]

2. I would guess money is an issue. n/t

[Chan790]

3. Yeah, it'd cost a few thousand $.

You need a long enough truck-bed designed for moving boats and you'd need a crane to get it onto and off the truck. No problem if you've got the loot.

It might be harder to find a place to restore a 72' boat, anywhere he goes except an industrial district the neighbors are going to kvetch and it's going to take a while.

[Maine-ah]

4. seeing a boat/ship in a residential yard being repaired

is not an unusual sight, up here. Come north, fellow sailer, to the home of schooners...he'd be welcome.

[Chan790]

5. I can't think it would be rare in Newport Beach, VA either.

My guess is that he's got those noveau-riche neighbors that want to ruin the town. It's a boat town and always has been. If they don't want neighbors that repair boats and work with their hands and sometimes are loud or dirty...move to the shitty-assed planned gated communities 15 miles away.

[ellisonz]

6. This is actually Newport Beach, CA. Orange County. n/t

[Chan790]

7. Oh that makes more sense.

Is there anything in OC worth saving from the conservative zombie horde?

[UnrepentantLiberal]

8. No.

[ellisonz]

11. No.

Disneyland least of all...

[Wait Wut]

9. This is depressing.

It's a beautiful ship. If I lived next door, I'd offer to help restore it.

Each day, I lose a little more faith in humanity. Sadly, tomorrow I'll probably read another story that will restore a little piece. It's a vicious circle that contributes to my inevitable insanity.

[OriginalGeek]

10. I agree! well..

I probably wouldn't help but I would love to live in a neighborhood that had a boat like that in one of it;s yard. Be a nice change from the pick-up trucks.

[haele]

12. Most of the comments section had the same feeling I have -

"If you're so upset about a guy spending six years restoring a beautiful ship like that, pick up a hammer and paint brush and help him finish it".
It's not like he's living in an upscale million-dollar Newport Beach area, according to reports, it's a typical 50's/60's California suburbian neighborhood, and he had already built a reproduction 1778 ship that's in the harbor. He's doing this for therapy.

It's a historic 1918 sloop. I'd help him, and take the kids with me, if I lived there. Think of the skills, the craftmanship and history, you can learn.

Haele

[HopeHoops]

13. Well THEY'RE no fun!

[MicaelS]

14. 6 years????

Hell some places would not allow something like this for 6 months. Some 6 weeks.

[ellisonz]

16. So I'll take that as a no...

...on using your yard?

[MicaelS]

17. Don't have a yard...

I live in an apartment. I was just thinking of some cities and HOAs. So restrictive it's pathetic. All under the guise of "maintaining property values", of course.

[HappyMe]

15. People really suck sometimes.

Good grief, let the guy work on the dang ship.