1880 Harbor Dr.
San Diego, CA 92101
Telephone:
619-291-5985
Office Hours:
Monday - Saturday
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sunday
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
After Hours Security
Phone:
619-291-4940
After Hours
Maintenance Phone:
619-602-8971
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From the Dockmaster
Greetings Marina Cortez boaters, and welcome to the November 2008 newsletter.
What's Up Dock?
Well, I'm happy to report we've made progress on our dock renovation material selection, and you should start seeing some trucks and materials arriving shortly.
If all goes well, we should be walking smoothly by January!
Port Inspections Ongoing
Be advised that the Port District conducts regular inspections of the marina, so be sure you have those dock boxes clear of toxic materials, and leave nothing on the docks that could fall into the water and contaminate the bay.
That's it for now - Have a happy Thanksgiving and I'll see you at the marina.
Carol Pagliuso - Marina Manager
Tel: 619-291-5985
The Dink - Part II
- By Frank Mowry
Dinks, also referred to as tenders, dinghies, barges, and other monikers that are less flattering. Last month, we talked about the different types of dinks and their pros and cons.
This month we're going to discuss the toughest dinghy decision a skipper has: how to transport the little bugger from port to port, anchorage to anchorage and across vast expanses of blue water?
To do this, four options are available: 1) davit mounts; 2) fixed to fore or side deck using halyard hoist; 3) deflate and carry aboard; 4) tow.
Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but clearly one size (option) doesn't fit all. Davits are handy and most of the time serve well, but they tend to impair use of the boat's stern, obstruct vision to the stern, and pose risk to the mother ship in a large following sea should the dinghy fill with water.
Deflating the dinghy for on-board stowage has the obvious downside of having to inflate and deflate the thing on deck at each destination. This method is even more difficult with a rigid inflatable dinghy, since it is much heavier and will have to be stored on valuable deck space.
Lashing the dinghy to the fore or side deck can work quite well but this method often compromises hatches and light ports (very important in the low latitudes) not to mention access to the foredeck.
If you chose to tow your dinghy, you run the very real risk of losing the little gal should the tow line part. This risk can be decreased by attaching an auxiliary line or harness and not towing the dink with the motor on the transom. Polypropylene tow ropes have the advantage of floating and are less likely to foul the prop when backing down.
For long blue water transits, it's best to get the dinghy aboard despite some disadvantages. In any situation where you anticipate hazardous wind and sea the dinghy is best removed from the water.
The dink can be a lot of fun as well as your essential contact with the beach and fellow cruisers. Choosing a dinghy and its various appendages, as well as its care and feeding should not be undertaken without thought. See you at the dinghy dock, with your long painter please!
Frank Mowry Editor's Note: Frank and Martha Mowry have enjoyed cruising southern California waters for 10 years aboard their 42' Island Packet sloop. Next month, they will talk about some of their favorite stopovers on the way to the Channel Islands. Click Here to send Frank and Martha an e-mail with your sea stories or questions.
What's Happening With Mission Bay Sportfishing?
As you may have heard, the owners of Mission Bay Sportfishing have decided to get out of the business due to the current economic downturn.
The five fishing vessels are going to relocate to other facilities in the next few weeks, and most likely, the current sportfishing slips will be folded into the general marina.
The fuel dock is not affected by this change and will remain open as usual.
From the ECO-Detective
- By Russ Grandinetti
Since I started writing this monthly column as ECO-Detective for Knight and Carver, a few great green products have been brought to my attention. Such is the case with meeting Troy Trombly of family owned business Advanced restoration.
This creative company strips the bottom paint from boats using a non-toxic environmentally safe food grade product - ordinary baking soda. The baking soda they use is USDA/FDA/OSHA Approved.
They can remove paint in 1/10 of the time that it takes for traditional chemical or sanding solutions without damaging the thin gelcoat, which in return saves the consumer time and money in dry dock.
The company's system is licensed by the California State Air Resource Board. Other claims for the product include reduced fuel costs, reduced drag, and increased top speed.
We at Knight & Carver have seen great results in the quality of work and the efficiency that is huge time saver. It reduces a hard labor intensive dirty job to a quick and clean one. The work site is completely contained which captures all the debris; something that helps us with the strict EPA standards.
I'm really impressed with this system - check it out. Click Here to visit their web site.
Russ Grandinetti is a noted megayacht captain with a background in marine sciences and oceanography. He is now the Green Products and Services Manager for Knight & Carver YachtCenter in National City, Ca. For more information about the product highlighted in this article or other eco-friendly products, e-mail Russ with your questions and suggestions.
Desktop Photo of the Month
Wait 'till you see this one on your desktop! Our thanks to Richard Benscoter who caught this great photo of zero visibility October fog spilling over the top of Point Loma.
Click here for easy to follow instructions to download this or one of our other fantastic high resolution free desktop photos.
Congratulations to the Graduating Class
- By Bob Simons
Our congratulations to the class of 18 students who took the Coast Guard Auxiliary's "Basic Skills and Seamanship" course.
The two day course was held two weeks ago at the new Seaforth Education Center in Mission Bay and was promoted by BlueSkyNews.com.
A broad range of students attended the class - including two licensed captains looking for a refresher; four people who were looking to buy a boat; a 70' commercial fishing boat skipper; a few people who had just taken delivery of a new boat (including one lucky dog with a 43' Mikelson); and a lot of folks just looking to be better educated boaters.
On completion of the course, each student received an official Cost Guard Auxiliary Certificate of Completion and a pocket card which can be used for small discounts at many marine stores. The Certificate of Completion also qualifies many boaters for insurance discounts in many cases.
We're having another "Basic Skills and Seamanship" course on Saturday and Sunday, November 15th and 16th. The course is free, but students are required to purchase and read the Auxiliary's "Basic Skills and Seamanship" book prior to the commencement of the class.
I hope you'll attend! You'll be glad you did! Click Here for more information or to register to attend the course.
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.
A Boating Reality Check
- By Richard Benscoter
The last six weeks have seen the grim reaper turn many 401K's into 201K's, and the bottom of the market is still being sought.
I've seen a ton of articles about how to trim costs, but none of them have been for boaters, so here are my two cents worth for some things we can do to hold our boating costs down.
2. If you don't wash your boat after you use it, at least do a fresh water rinse. During this personal bonding experience with your boat you might find small items that need attention such as a bracket that needs tightening, a bit of rust or tarnish to remove, or a small item that needs replacing. This personal preventative elbow grease takes little time and attention, but saves money in the long run. (Remember boat repair cost is on a sliding scale directly proportional to the amount of time you ignore the repair).
3. If you have your boat waxed annually, consider waxing a section yourself every time you are on your boat. This takes little time and before you know it, the whole boat is waxed and the savings go in your pocket.
4. It's rare that an engine, a water maker, a generator or other system just fails - but there are indicators that can forewarn their demise. First make sure that the area surrounding these systems are clean. Many big problems start as a small leak. If the area is clean, it is easy to see where the leak is and have it fixed. More money saved.
5. Check your marine systems before you start them. This is foreign to most of us because we don't do that with cars, but take a few minutes to check the fluids, batteries, fuel filters, etc. before you go - it could save you not only money but a failure out there on the blue.
See you on the water!
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.
About Sail Measurement
- By Brad Poulos
Last month I presented questions you'll want to be prepared to answer when considering a new sail. This month I'll review some of the measurements that will need to be made before a sailmaker can actually start building a sail.
First off, you should know that measuring your old sails is of little use. Think of that approach as similar to asking a tailor to make you a new suit just from looking at an old suit. Even if your boat is a "standard production boat", builders and/or owners can modify the rig, making database information doubtful.
It's only by on-site measurement can you obtain reliable measurements. The following rig dimensions designated by "I", "J" "P", and "E" are needed to produce an accurate price quote and sail construction. They are convenient names to use because they are short and are understood throughout the sailmaking industry
"P" is the luff length of the main-sail, measured along the aft face of the mast from the top of the boom to the highest point that the mainsail can be hoisted.
"E" is the foot length of the main-sail, measured along the boom from the after face of the mast to the outermost point on the boom to which the main can be pulled.
"I" is measured along the front of mast from the highest halyard to the main deck. The main deck is where the deck would be if there were no deckhouse.
"J" is the base of the foretriangle measured along the deck from the headstay to the mast.
"JC" is the greater of the following three dimensions: "J", the length of the spinnaker pole, or the maxi-mum width of the spinnaker divided by 1.8. Under most measurement rules, "JC" is used, along with "I", to determine the size of a spinnaker.
"PY" and "EY" are, respectively the luff length and foot length of the mizzen of a yawl or ketch measured in the same manner as for the mainsail.
"IY" is the "I" measurement for the staysail halyard.
"JY" is the base of the staysail foretriangle measured along the deck from the staysail stay to the mast.
If your boat is near your sailmaker, they will want to do the measurements themselves. If you're in a remote area, most sailmakers can send you a measurement form and work with you to fill it out. When you see this form, you will quickly appreciate how "customized" every sail actually is.
Happy Sailing - See you next month!
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.
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