Then, starting on Friday November 16th, our weekly ladies night will kick off in the Marine Room from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m with a presentation by Kara Lukasik on "Festive Jewelry". Just in time for the holiday season.

Chula Vista Marina and the Fires
We had many tenants who had to evacuate their homes during the terrible fires of October, including myself. Fortunately, our evacuation from our home East of 805 was voluntary, and we had no damage.

Many others were not so fortunate. I want to compliment those of you who opened your hearts and in some cases, your boats to those less fortunate. I know there's probably a lot more stories, but we did hear that Penny on M-Dock for example took in some guests on their boat as did Karen Brown from South Shore Yacht Sales.

To help out some, we want to thank the RV Park next door for opening up their parking lot temporarily to allow people affected who had RVs to have a place to go. Good job everybody!

Speaking Of Karen Brown at South Shore Yacht Sales
We'd like to nominate Karen Brown as our Chula Vista "Vendor of the Month". Karen has been with South Shore Yacht Sales for 2 years, and can always be seen around the marina with her bubbly personality and happy smiling face. Doggie owners know her for always having doggie treats at the ready, and as I mentioned earlier, Karen was one of those who took in people on her boat during the fires.

Karen is married and has one daughter. If you haven't met her, stop by sometime and say hello.

Welcome Aboard
We want to welcome aboard Jhon "Missael" Rodriguez - a new addition to our marina maintenance team. Please say hi to Missael and extend your welcome as well when you see him.

New Security Uniforms
You can't miss the new neon green jackets that our security staff is now wearing. Thanks for working with these guys who keep our marina safe.

That's it for me this time - Have a Happy Thanksgiving and let us know if you have any questions or items you'd like to share in the newsletter.

David Poret - Chula Vista Marina Manager
david@cvmarina.com

Around the Circuit - The Wrong Way To Have a "Hot Time" on Your Boat!
O.K. - Time to fess up. How many of you think your local home improvement store is an acceptable place to buy electrical equipment for your boat? I know you're out there!

I realize that boats are expensive, and electrical systems in particular can resemble the proverbial hole in the water. But, I urge you to put safety right at the top of your priority list and that begins with the most lethal system aboard your boat, the shore power and/or generator which you're all connected to.

Circuit breaker panels manufactured for houses are not acceptable in a marine environment. Their neutral and ground buss bars are normally fastened to the metal case, thus committing the cardinal sin of connecting neutral and ground aboard the vessel. Your boat's ground system is then exposed to a circuit that is energized at 120 volts, minimum. The circuit breakers for the battery charger, fridge, water heater, etc, are designed to trip at 15 amps or so. Since it only takes about 50 milliamps to be lethal, do the math. Bargain shopping is not appropriate here; it's just not worth it.

The equipment is also not manufactured with marine grade materials, so corrosion is assured. The connections will corrode, generate heat, and eventually catch fire. Check with the Marriott Marina and their recent dock fires for corroboration.

Don't forget the Electrolysis (electrolytic corrosion) issue either. I measured a boat last week that was leaking over 12 amps into the water while tied to the dock. Talk about a "Hot Marina", this guy could cook burgers for his neighbors. It wasn't the marina's fault; an alert dock master had measured the residual current on his monthly inspection and called me to investigate the source.

So in summary, here's the advice;
1. Buy marine grade electrical equipment
2. Have it professionally installed, or follow professional guidelines
3. Install GFI receptacles in the cabin/galley
4. Install smoke alarms
5. Call somebody like me if you have shore power issues, it could save your life.

Thanks for reading the newsletter, See you next time.

Editor's Note: Brett Dingerson has over 25 years experience as a marine electrician, with a specialty in marine galvanic corrosion protection. He has worked with a wide range of sailing and power vessels and is the owner of San Diego-based Marine Electric. If you have a sailing question for Brett, send e-mail to brett@BlueSkyNews.com

Between the Sheets - The Clean-up After the Firestorms
Like many of our friends and associates, my wife and I spent some anxious extra days on our boat awaiting the o.k. to return to our home.

While waiting out the fires on our boat, I was amazed at the accumulation of ash from hour to hour. While the accumulation was not as dramatic as the Cedar fires of four years ago, it again presented a cleaning problem that would not be done in a day.

I have come to realize that ash can go anywhere! I have found ash in places where even water can not penetrate; it's just there.

Well, how to clean your boat? First, ash from the recent fires is composed of mostly wood and vegetation. There is a possibility it may contain other substances that can be harmful, so take proper precautions. Most wood ash is high in potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and phosphorus, and can be an irritant, so wear the proper protective clothing.

Start at the top with a mist of water to dampen the ash; a full stream will cause some ash to become airborne and come right back down on your boat or worse, spread some potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and someone else's boat. After the ash is damp, flush it off the boat.

Lazerates should be emptied and the contents cleaned with water and dried. The inside of the lazerate should be wiped down with water, entrapping the ash. Do not use a vacuum as it will just stir up the ash and foil all your hard work and on top of that you will be breathing the ash.

Once you think you are done, you are not. The first rain will bring all the ash in the rigging down on your deck. That is cleaned by a simple wash down.

Editor's Note: Richard Benscoter is a long time avid sailor. He's a member of the Silver Gate Yacht Club and owner of the Mariners Woodshop. If you have a sailing question for Richard, send e-mail to richard@BlueSkyNews.com.

Over 300,000 spectators turned out to watch the race as Mangold, the 2005 champion, beat Spain's Alejandro Maclean (Team M.R.T.) in a thrilling finale showdown giving Mangold 47 points for the season, the same as Britain's Paul Bonhomme (Team Matador) who finished a disappointing fifth. It was Mangold that took the title though thanks to better results in elimination rounds (both had the same number of firsts, seconds, thirds and fifth places this season).

Nicolas Ivanoff (France/M.R.T.) won the final race in Perth, beating American Michael Goulian (USA/Team Dragon) for his first victory of the season. For more info check out www.redbullairrace.com.

San Diego Marinas and the Fires
With nearly a half million people evacuated during the San Diego fires, virtually every San Diegan was somehow directly or indirectly affected.

Our marinas and boat owners were no exception. Chula Vista's David Poret and Fred Clark at Loew's were among local marina managers that personally had to evacuate their homes. Fortunately, their homes were spared except for some smoke and ash damage.

Marina Village's Gerry Charest was not so lucky. Although his home east of Escondido was one of a few still left standing on his block, his suffered major damage. I was amazed at Gerry's account of the things you never think of that have to be done before you can re-occupy a fire damaged home.

All of the marina managers I talked to had stories to tell. One recurring theme was that if you lost your home but were fortunate enough to own a boat, it was somewhere you could go. Kona Kai's Pete Taliercio said they were inundated with people who needed to come stay on their boats during the evacuation. Those who unfortunately lost their homes will appreciate their boats for a much longer time.

Marinas "bent the rules" wherever they could a bit to help out their fellow man. Chula Vista and Marina Cortez opened up parking lots temporarily to allow people with RV's to have a place to stay. Some boaters like Karen Brown at South Shore Yacht Sales even opened up their personal boats to friends and family to use during the evacuation.

Without exception, every marina manager I spoke to stopped somewhere in the discussion to tell me about one or more stories about tenants that were particularly sad. A elderly couple who lost their home; a couple who lost their home in the Cedar fire in 2003 who rebuilt, and now lost it again; a tenant who died from a heart attack during the stress of evacuation.

The dirty docks and boats will be easy to clean up, but It will be a long time before everything is back to normal in San Diego's boating community.

Gus Giobbi - BlueSkyNews.com

Coast Guard Auxiliary Tip of the Month
Signs and Stickers That Are Required on Your Boat
Over the years, the Federal and State governments as well as the Coast Guard have come up with various little stickers that are actually required to be on your vessel. They range from the Certificate of Compliance and the Capacity Plates required for vessels less than 26 feet, to the written Garbage Plan that is required on vessels 12 meters (39 feet) and over.

Some of these stickers and forms are absolutely mandatory and are a fineable offence if they are not aboard, like the Garbage Plan.

One of the fairly new California requirements for ALL fossil fuel operated vessels is the CO2 Sticker which is to be placed on the transom AND near the helm, warning of the dangers of CO2. I have been told that if this sticker is not affixed to the transom it is "grounds for boarding" by California law enforcement. There is not a provision stating anything about size, so this needs to be on power boats, your dingy, and sailboat if you carry an engine.

We are all aware that vessels over 26 feet must have the Oil Pollution Sticker in the engine compartment, but the MARPOL Placard talking about dumping plastics must be visible to people on the vessel, i.e. not in a cabinet or drawer.

There is another sticker that is not vigorously enforced anymore regarding the "Running of the Blower" for five minutes prior to starting. This one should be at the helm of the vessel.

Click Here for a link to a printable PDF form for the Garbage Plan that you should fill out and keep with your ship's papers. The other stickers mentioned in this article are available free from your CG Auxiliary Vessel Examiner and at most boat chandleries.

See you next time; and happy Thanksgiving cruising!

Bob Simons has been in the Coast Guard Auxiliary for thirty years and owns a small sailboat as well as a small powerboat. He teaches classes in Boating Safety & Seamanship as well as Basic and Advanced Coastal Navigation. Bob is also the co-owner of Seabreeze Books and Charts in Point Loma.

Is it Real or is it a Scam?
You got an e-mail. It says it's from the IRS or your bank, but is it really from them? Making it hard to decide, the e-mail has the right logo, and even more disturbing, it references some information you know to be true, such as a refund amount or even a password you use.

Right after those words that you were asked to click on, you will see an http://www... reference which will show you where that link actually would have taken you. In one recent scam, the link looked like it was linking to the IRS' web site, but the real link behind it was actually going to a scam artist in Rumania.

The bottom line - No reputable company or organization will ever send you a legitimate e-mail asking you to verify personal information. If it looks suspicious; it is. If you're still not sure, call the company or organization on the phone, but don't respond to the e-mail.

Nautical Trivia - Taken Down a Peg
We've all been "taken down a peg" occasionally in life, but did you wonder where the expression comes from?

Ranking admirals and officers often carry their own flags aboard ship. In olden days, these flags would be attached to the mast with a peg. The higher the rank, the higher the flag. So if an officer who out-ranked you came aboard your ship, your flag (and occasionally your ego) would be "taken down a peg"