Pirates Cove, Jetties and The Wedge

Visible immediately below Lookout Point is Pirate’s Cove. The origins of the name are unclear. No evidence exists that the cove was ever used by pirates, although it may have been used as a hiding spot for Prohibition-era bootleggers. The name pirate’s cove most likely came into use because of one or more silent movies using the location. Movie studios frequently shot films along Corona del Mar’s scenic shoreline. Unfortunately, few of these films have survived, so we have no film of Hollywood pirates in the cove.

Beyond Pirate’s Cove is the entrance to Newport Harbor. Today it is a safe entry into the harbor, but before its completion in1936 the strong tides, shifting sandbars and unpredictable waves claimed the lives of many people. In just one of many tragic events, on June 14,1925 a 40-foot charter fishing boat heading out of the bay foundered, sending 17 people into the water. Nearby surfers, including the great Duke Kahanamoku and Gerald “Jerry” Vultee took to their boards in attempt to save the men. In an incredible feat of strength, Kahanamoku is credited with saving 7 men. His fellow surfers and a weather station official, Antar Deraga, saved another four.

The following year the eldest son of businessman George Rogers drowned while attempting to leave the bay. Rogers became determined to make the harbor safe. He worked with the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce to lobby for Federal funds and to convince voters to support a bond measure to make Newport Harbor safe. On May 26, 1936 Newport Harbor officially opened, with Rogers in his yacht The Memory leading the celebration. The building of the west jetty spoiled some of the best surfing on in California. However, sand from dredging the harbor was placed along the west jetty, creating The Wedge, one of the premier surf spots, especially for body surfers.