From Your Marina Manager
Greetings and welcome to the July 2007 Loews Crown Isle Marina e-mail newsletter. Another month has come and gone, and it looks like the sun might be finally here to stay. Summer's in full swing, and July will be packed with great things for Loews boaters to do. Here's some marina items you'll want to know about.

Did You Know?
Summer is a busy time for large functions on our property and parking is always at a premium, but did you know that if you arrive on property and can not find a spot, that you can valet park free of charge? Sorry - This is a offer for permanent marina guests only !

New summer hours have started for the Sea Spa, which are 6 am to 9 pm .

We are expanding our current recycling program on the docks. Look for new white receptacles that are for bottles and cans only.

Have you tried any of the new food and beverage specials catered for marina guests ? " Mussel madness " at the Azzura Bar is $ 10.00 for ten mussels and a pint of beer , served from 5:30 to 7:30 Tuesday thru Saturday. Or how about the new taco bar at the pool serving beef and pork tacos for $ 3.00!.

The new summer activity guides are out , so pick up a copy for all the new classes available like painting , surfing and baking; amongst others. We have the beach shuttle running daily now from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm offering boogie boards, umbrellas chairs and towels. You can also purchase food and drinks as well from the beach stand, and you can charge it to your marina account.

Everybody loves a parade ! Loews will be entering a float in the Coronado July 4th Independence Day parade this year. If you would like to participate, we will be setting up the float all day on July 3rd . Or come see a wonderful display on Orange avenue ( main street through town ) on the 4th. The parade starts at 10 am !

Also Happening In July
The 27th Annual Sand Castle Days and Sandcastle Ball will be held on Friday, Saturday & Sunday, July 27th-30th at Imperial Beach. This unique event is free (except for the Sandcastle Ball). The Sandcastle weekend begins Friday night with the annual Sandcastle Ball and continues Saturday with a street festival, pancake breakfast, parade and fireworks. The official competition is held Sunday. For the exact schedule, visit US Open Sand Castle.

Dockside Project Do's and Don'ts
Remember there are projects that are rightly performed in a boatyard, and projects that are o.k. to do dockside. If you have any question about whether what you want to do is allowed dockside, please check with the marina office. Don't expose yourself to a fine for unauthorized painting, etc.

Article Submissions Wanted for the Newsletter
Have an interesting sea story or item of interest you think our newsletter readers would enjoy? Send us an e-mail - You might be starred in the next newsletter!

That's It For Now
We hope you enjoy the newsletter, and we look forward to seeing you at the marina.

Yours Truly,
Fred Clark - Marina Manager
fclark@loewshotels.com

Between The Sheets - About Sail Trim
Everyone talks about it; everyone wants it; so how do you get it and make it work for you?

A sail is kind of like an aircraft wing placed vertically on a boat, with the distinction that we sailors can change the shape of those wings while underway to achieve better (or worse) performance. Aircraft wings are studied in many science classes, but unfortunately sails are not, so we have to search a little harder for easy to understand useful tips on how to properly trim a sail.

The shape of a sail is changed with adjustments of the downhaul, outhaul, boom vang, and traveller. The difficult part of sail trim is that all these things must be adjusted in harmony, or the desired boat acceleration and speed will just not be there.

I'm sure like many of you, when I first started to sail long ago I used the trial and error method on the water. This method works up to a point, but I found myself frustrated that I had difficulty verbalizing to my crew the exact shape I desired in the sail, and more importantly how to tell them what to do (and why) to achieve that shape. With a lot of practice, my crew all eventually got pretty much on the same page, but we were still not going to be leading the summer race series.

It was evident I needed a solution to teach some of my crew more about sail trim if we were going to become competitive. There had to be a simple way to impart the volumes of sail trim knowledge in a very condensed and easy to understand format.

I found there is a lot of material out there even in the "Dummies" series of books, but what finally worked for us were sail trim charts by Don Guillette. These are available in numerous places - I got mine on the internet at sailboatowners.com.

Now my whole crew is on the same page, and occasionally even in the lead in a race. See you on the water or in Catalina next month!

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

4th Annual Dale Donnelly Memorial Golf Tournament
The 4th annual Dale Donnelly Memorial Golf Tournament benefiting Rady Children’s Hospital Cancer Care Center is returning to Riverwalk Golf Club in Mission Valley. The fundraising tournament event will be played Thursday, August 23, 2007 at Riverwalk, and will feature a scramble format and shotgun start at 1:00 PM.

The 2006 tournament event raised over $10,000, exceeding the previous two years combined to bring the total raised for Rady Children’s Hospital Cancer Care Center to over $21.000. Funds raised at last year’s event went specifically toward the Patient/Family Fund, which is used to provide assistance to families with very limited means of support.

Unique to this event, tournament celebrities are local active duty military personnel, representing the Armed Forces in San Diego. Playing positions and Sponsorships are now available. Registration and Sponsorship forms can be obtained online at www.ddmg.org, San Diego Marine Exchange and The Yacht Docktor on Shelter Island, or by calling (619) 223-9190 for more information. Dale Donnelly, a long time Point Loma resident and business owner, was a mainstay in the San Diego marine community, and owner of the San Diego Marine Exchange and Sailing Supply stores. Golf was one of his favorite pastimes, and a befitting way to honor his memory while helping to raise funds for Rady Children’s Hospital Cancer Care Center. Businesses and individuals interested in becoming tournament sponsors and/or players should contract Randy Spicer at (619) 223-9190 for more information.

Desktop Photo of the Month -
The Sydney Opera House
Our BlueSkyNews.com camera captured this view of the Sydney Opera House on an early morning harbor cruise. For step-by-step instructions to download this photo or one of our many other fantastic free photos to your PC desktop, Click Here.

From the Poop Deck

Hey! Which one of you morons threw the beer can in the water? How would you like it if I made a deposit on your teak deck? Get in there and put that in the recycle bin!

Editor's Note: Once again - We apologize for Madeline. We're trying to get her to be more polished, but we're not making much progress. If you have a pet question or photo to send to her, please e-mail it to Madeline@BigBayNews.com.



New Squadron Forming In South Bay
The United States Power Squadron is forming a new squadron here in the South Bay. The USPS is a national boating organization dedicated to the enjoyment of sail and power boating through knowledge and safety. If you would like to know more about this great organization, please call Marie Bennett for more information at 619-316-2057.

Wooden Boat Festival Was Good Fun
Koehler Kraft's 17th annual Shelter Island San Diego Wooden Boat Festival on Father's Day weekend was very well attended and a lot of fun for all who were there. I gave a demonstration of the pros and cons of bonding that was well attended and sparked a lively discussion. (Isn't that always the case when bonding pops up in a conversation about boats?)

I used a tub full of sea water and some old thru-hulls along with other pieces of discarded metal to simulate the underwater hardware environment on a boat. I demonstrated techniques used in corrosion surveys to illustrate what's really going on when you put a boat in the water. When you see it in front of your eyes, it's easier to understand how voltage is created and how the current flows.

The most surprising thing to most people is how little zinc it takes to protect a boat from galvanic corrosion. I'm sure this common mistake is the reason bonding has such a bad reputation in some boatyards.

Most people haul their boats out on a regular basis and put then fresh zincs directly on top of their fresh, expensive paint job. In many cases that's probably not necessary because their underwater hardware is already pretty well protected by the paint itself. (If there's no water-to-metal contact; there's no corrosion. The zincs are usually large enough to last a year or more so they commence to raise the bonding system voltage high enough to start forming "paint halos". Circular patterns around the thru-hulls.
Sound familiar?

The festival had everything from mahogany inboard ski-boats from the early 1900's era, to modern day wooden craft, and many boats in various stages of restoration. In addition to my class on marine electricity 101 there was a session on how to make hand made rope fenders, but the main attraction were the 18 in-water and 6 out of water boats on display. It's a small intimate event, but I highly recommend it as a must do next Father's Day weekend for anyone who would like to see how the boating world was before fiberglass.

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 the owner of San Diego-based Marine Electric

My Favorite Boating Activities in
San Diego
I think the May Gray and June Gloom took it's toll on me, so I have a little belated Spring Fever. Anyway, it caused me to share my list of fun boating things to do in San Diego.

- Take a sunset cruise in your dinghy or kayak.

- Have a pot-luck with fellow boaters on the dock.

- Go for an evening cruise or sunset sail. Dock Joe's Crab Shack for dinner. Dock at your favorite waterfront restaurant.

- Go for a cruise or a day sail. Anchor at Glorietta Bay for lunch, or anchor at La Playa for dinner. Jump in for a refreshing swim!

- Reserve a guest slip at another favorite marina for the weekend.

- Plan a weekend raft-up with your marina friends. (Don't forget to reserve permits in advance at the Harbor Police office.) Bring kayaks, small sailboats, or other water toys.

- Take an overnight trip to Mission Bay. Anchor at Bonita Cove or get a slip. Go bodysurfing at Mission Beach. Dinghy over to Sea World, for a close-up view of the fireworks at 9:50pm.

- Go to Catalina! If you've never picked up a mooring, have a qualified person explain it to you, perhaps drawing you a picture. It's a little tricky, but really not that difficult. Pick up a cruising guide.

- Ifs ailing, and time permits, try harbor hopping up the coast on the way to Catalina. You can actually enjoy sailing instead of motoring.

- Take a trip to the Coronado Islands. Anchor in the lee of South Island. You'll feel like you are way down in remote Mexico. (Be aware of the current when swimming.) FYI, the law requires that you clear US customs when returning, however, even if you don't set foot on land.

- Take a trip to Ensenada. Stay at the beautiful Hotel Coral and Marina. The marina staff will handle your customs clearance for a $40 to $50 fee. (Reservations recommended.)

- Or...just hang out at the slip with your favorite beverage!

Bob Sherman has over 19 years of Yacht-sales experience and is the owner of YachtSource. He is also qualified to instruct on all vessel types, and has held 100-ton Captain's license since 1982. He is an avid sailor, scuba diver, and enjoys many outdoor activities.