Greetings From the Loews Marina Office - Ah, I can taste those BBQ ribs now! Are you ready for the dock party? It's coming up Sunday, July 6th from noon to 5 p.m.

After some input from our marina guest's we have decided to try out the party " topside" this year. It was suggested that we would have more room to visit and socialize like we do when we have the Christmas party.

So, the party is going to be on the bay terrace, which is just straight through the lobby looking out at that great view of the bridge. Please RSVP as soon as you can so we can plan on the attendance numbers. And remember to fly those flags on your boats and show us your patriotism !!!.

More Great Summer Activities
The resort has lots of activities planned for the July 4th weekend as well, so be sure to check out the activity guide. If you plan on going into Coronado to see the parade, we will be providing a shuttle to get you there and back.

Keep in mind that once the fireworks have completed, the traffic on the silver strand is very heavy - so plan on at least an extra hour to get off the Island. Or, if you are like me, you will just stay on the boat !

That's it for now . Happy 4th! If you see a member of our proud military, say thanks to them for their service and protecting our Independence.

God Bless America ! See you on the docks .....

Fred Clark - Marina Manager
fclark@loewshotels.com

San Diego - A Great Place To Be on the 4th of July!
The Annual Big Bay July 4th Fireworks Show is back for its eighth year, promising another spectacular display over San Diego Bay. Fireworks will be discharged simultaneously from four barges placed strategically around the bay off Shelter Island, Harbor Island, the Embarcadero area and Seaport Village.

Music broadcasted from FM radio station KyXy 96.5 will accompany the show.

The show kicks off at 9 p.m. on Friday, July 4 and can be viewed from almost anywhere around the northern portion of San Diego Bay, as well as from Embarcadero Marina Parks north and south and Coronado Tidelands Park in Coronado.

Between the Sheets
- By Richard Benscoter
Last month we talked about the ins and outs of successfully rafting-up your boat with some friends. That article assumed your raft-up location was in the protection of a harbor or bay where the boats are tied up alongside each other.

That's fun enough, but if you want to try a really different kind of Summer boating adventure with your friends, one of my favorite things is to have the party in a more exotic and unusual location.

Years ago, a very good friend of mine retired, and we wanted to have a party for him because he was quite a character, but not just an ordinary party. We wanted to do something different, so we got five boat owners together, and came up with five assignments for his retirement dinner. The celebration would begin on the first boat with appetizers; salad on the next boat; entrée with side dishes on the next; followed by evening coffee and dessert; and finally, a continental breakfast the next morning on boat five.

Sound like a pretty standard progressive meal so far? Not really! For the location, we chose the East side of South Coronado Island. It was a great sail destination, and a short trip for the one power boat in the party. So at about noon on a Saturday, all five boats proceeded to the South Coronado Island, and anchored in the lee of the island.

The party was a fantastic success. We all used our dinghies to move from one course to the next, and it was unbelievable. Just hanging out with our friends on ocean waters was fantastic. The only challenge was finding your boat after dark by looking for your anchor light.

For a bonus, the view of the sunrise across the mountains and city the next morning was spectacular and worth the trip even if you had just come for that.

Of course there are many other great locations to have an adventuresome get together like this, such as Avalon or Two Harbors. Try it - You'll like it!

See you on the water or in Catalina its summer!

Editor's Note: The Coronado Islands are located 11 miles south of San Diego Bay in Mexican waters. The best anchorage is on the east side of South Coronado Island, around the middle in 30-40 feet of sand. Landing is not permitted on these islands. Good protection from normal winds and waves.You can normally anchor at the Islands without going through customs, but a call to customs to confirm before you go is recommended.

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.

Coast Guard Auxiliary Tip of the Month -
- By Bob Simons
Summer is here, and so is the season for inviting your landlubber friends to your boat for a Summer cruise.

As a boater, you're used to protecting yourself from the sun, but your guests may not be aware of the increased risk of getting burned due to the wind, the salt air, and the glare of the sun off the water.

You can protect your guests by having the proper equipment on your boat, and to proactively encourage them to protect themselves from the elements.

Wearing sun protective clothing is by far the best because it provides the protection all day without having to think about it, you should at least have your guests cover all exposed skin with some form of high SPF sun screen. Be sure to read the label to see that many of these products must be re-applied every hour or so, and that swimming and just plain perspiration can dilute or eliminate their effectiveness.

Remember that sun protection for the sensitive skin on your head and the tops of your ears is extremely important because that is where most of the skin cancers occur. Also, encourage your guests to bring sunglasses to protect their eyes.

Last but not least - All this applies to you too! Happy cruising!

Editor's Note: 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. You can send an e-mail to Bob at bobsimons@BlueSkyNews.com.

Question: What Do Point Loma and GITMO Have In Common?
If you lived on Point Loma in the early 1960's, it's possible that your fresh water came from the Department of Interior's experimental one million gallon per day ocean water

desalting plant on top of the hill.

In February 1964, when the Cuban government cut off the water supply to the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, the water use of 10,000 Naval and civilian personnel was limited to only fresh water shipped from the US mainland.

To increase the Base water supplies as quickly as possible, the Navy entered an agreement with the Department of the Interior, Office of Saline Water (OSW) to relocate the desalination unit from Point Loma to Guantanamo Bay where it still operates today. read more ...

Nautical trivia - Three Sheets to the Wind
In days of old, a sheet was a rope line that controlled the tension on the downwind side of a square sail. If, on a three masted fully rigged ship, the sheets of the three lower course sails were loose, the sails would flap and flutter and were said to be "in the wind".

A ship in this condition would stagger and wander aimlessly downwind much like a sailor who had too much to drink.

Secrets About Sails
- By Brad Poulos
Ah, summer sailing in San Diego. While summer is an ideal time for watching sunsets and rafting up with friends, it generally means light air (variable less than 10 knots) and slow downwind sailing.

When the wind lightens, a cruising asymmetrical spinnaker is the ideal sail to keep you sailing and not motoring to your next port. It delivers almost a much pulling power as full size spinnaker, yet it's so simple to use that it can be set, trimmed and lowered by one person.

The generic name for these sails is the asymmetrical pole-less cruising spinnaker. Needless to say every sailmaker has come up with a much shorter name. At UK-Halsey, we call this sail the Flasher because it makes downwind sailing fast and fun. The Flasher gives you the pulling power of a spinnaker, while its asymmetrical shape makes the sail easy sail to control. In fact you can even set it and sail with an auto pilot.

Sail handling is simplified by using a Stasher (a dousing sock) that encases the sail during sets and douses. When sailing, the sock sits on top of the sail bunched up like an accordion. The sock does the work of several long armed crew members. Skippers also appreciate that the Flasher does not require extra gear such as spinnaker poles, mast tracks, pole topping lift, foreguys or after guys. Jibing is as easy as letting one sheet go, turning the boat and trimming the new sheet. All from the safety of the cockpit!

In light air, the sail can even be carried on a close reach. Tightening the tack line to pull the tack practically to the deck makes the front of the sail very round and the rest of the sail flat, and the sail will practically take the shape of a genoa. The combined Flasher-Stasher package lets you get more enjoyment and carefree sailing from your boat when you might otherwise have been motoring.

Pass the suntan lotion and see if there's any ice left, 'cause we're going to be sailing for a while!

Editor's Note: Brad Poulos is the General Manager at UK-Halsey Sailmakers and holds a US Coast Guard 50-ton masters license. Brad is also an ASA certified sailing instructor. If you have a question regarding the use or care of sails, send an e-mail to brad@BlueSkyNews.com.

Monica is co-owner of BlueSkyNews.com, a professional meeting planner, and an avid cook with years of experience entertaining on board using the limited space of the galley. If you have a favorite boating recipe to share or ideas for future articles, send an e-mail to monica@blueskynews.com.

Down to the Wire
- By Brett Dingerson
Well, it's sad that the Kansas City BBQ went up in smoke in our town - another galley fire that got out of hand. It's not surprising the place went up like a match - with 25 years of grease and grime built up from the countless tons of smoked BBQ over the years.

Fortunately there were no injuries, but it's a reminder that people ashore can run outside when fire starts, but boat people unfortunately don't have that luxury.

That's the topic this month. Did you know that 95% of all boat fires that originate outside the galley have an electrical origin.

When electricity runs through a wire it generates heat. Marine electricians calculate the load an electrical device will consume, and then size the connecting wire accordingly to minimize the heat build-up and keep the voltage drop to a minimum.

But these calculations assume a perfect connection scenario, however, meaning that no corrosion or loose connections are factored in. If a connection is loose or corroded, it can generate enough heat to start a fire even if the circuit is protected by a circuit breaker.

Boats always have corrosion and loose connections, and I continue to stress the importance of inspecting your electrical systems on a regular basis. Take a good look around your engine compartment and observe how the big battery cable connections appear. Try to get familiar with your shore power system by looking at your shore cord connections from time to time.

Here's a short punch list of the likely suspects;

• Turn off your shore power once a month at the dock circuit breaker; disconnect the cord, and look at each end. If any of the pins are black or charred replace the cord.
  
  
• Look at the receptacle where your cord is plugged. If any part of the receptacle looks dark or black, contact your harbor master immediately for a replacement.
  
  
• Look at the receptacle on your boat, and if it's dark or black on any of the pins, replace it immediately.
  
  
• Look at your battery cables between your engine and batteries and give then a poke with your finger to make sure they're tight. Same goes for the alternator.

I know that electrical systems are pretty foreign to most folks, but it's a lot like learning to ride a bike. Trust me; a casual observer can spot an electrical problem - just look for colors that don't fit in at the connections. Green and black are not good electrical colors and are indicative of a compromised system.
Have fun out there!

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 an electrical question for Brett, send e-mail to brett@BlueSkyNews.com

Riverboat Soon to Move On
It has one of the finest downtown harbor views in San Diego, but since 2004, the Reuben E. Lee sternwheeler restaurant on Harbor Island has been closed.

Most people thought it was a real boat, but in fact it is a building built on a barge to look like a boat. It has no engines, and the paddle wheel is just for effect.

Owner Sunroad tried to donate it to the Maritime Museum at one point, but the museum said no thanks. Probably just as well because there was some concern about the ability to safely tow the flat bottomed barge across the bay.

Rumor also had it that environmental groups blocked attempts to remove the restaurant because it been casting a shadow underneath it since it was built in 1969, and they insisted that something else would have to be built to cast an equivalent shadow on the same spot.

The good news is that the San Diego Board of Port Commissioners has now approved a plan by Sunroad Harbor Island, Inc. for a $9 million renovation of the Reuben E. Lee site. The new design includes an outdoor area for events, plus bar and banquet facilities to be located on land next to the barge.

The new restaurant will be operated by partners David and Lesley Cohn and chef/partner Deborah Scott who have done such a terrific job with the adjacent C-Level and Island Prime restaurant on the same end of Harbor Island.

Construction is anticipated to begin late next year and should take about two years.

From the Fishing Deck
- By Jason Coz
Fishing off the San Diego coast in June was very good. Toward the end of the month we saw water temperatures in the low 70s.

The bass are biting, and the barracuda are attacking the sportfishing boats at times. I'm glad to report that the Yellowtail are showing up right on schedule, and the water is a beautiful ocean blue and clear over the kelp beds.

On our latest twilight trip we caught some Yellowtail up to 30 lbs. and we also landed a 30 lb. Halibut.

Should be some terrific fishing in July! Break a leg!

See you on the water!

Jason Coz is the owner/operator of the 85' M/V Dolphin half-day sportfishing boat operating out of Hyatt Mission Bay Sportfishing. Jason has his 100 ton captain's license and runs ½ day fishing trips twice a day, 7 days a week. If you have a question for Jason, you can e-mail him at jasoncoz1@msn.com

From the Poop Deck
- By Madeline
Editor's Note: Madeline received the following letter referencing her column last month about Pup-Head

Dear Madeline - We saw your "From The Poop Deck" article in last month's newsletter, and we bought a Pup-Head for Sophie, our female German Shepherd and the real boss of our Defever, but like all German Shepherds, she thinks grass is best used for rolling around and lying on. Even fake grass.

So for our second try, we bought a tough plastic pan sold at Home Depot for mixing cement; filled it with compressed sawdust pellets that are sold for horse stables, and she figured out what it was for on the second day of a Catalina trip. We were so happy.

We use a 10 gallon lidded bucket with some cat litter in it for scooping it clean. The remaining pellets retain no odor, and you can just add a scoop or two to keep the level of the pellets up.

Just thought we'd pass this along in case it might prove useful to others you know who cruise with dogs.