From Your Marina Manager and Staff - Marriott Marina Summer "Island Fever" Set for August 21
Here we go again, the annual Summer Party will be held up on the Coronado Terrace on Friday, August 21, 2009, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Get out the Aloha Shirts and answer up to the Coconut Telegraph by dancing to the tropical sounds of "Island Fever". For those who joined us at the BBQ and told us how you enjoyed Ron Nathan on the steel drums, "Island Fever" is a 6 piece version.

Lots of fun and a great time to get together and meet up with your fellow boat owners. Food, beer, wine, soft drinks all hosted by the Marriott Marina. For those with a taste for Rum and the like, a no host bar will be available.

Please RSVP to the marina office, 619-230-8955. Very important for us to get an accurate count so we don't run out of food!

New Marina Guests to Invade F-Dock on August 1st!
All but a couple of the F-dock slips we recently made available to permanent guests are now taken.

This means we will have more than 20 new guests coming in around August 1st. Our final big event for the F-dock temporary guest slips is a cruise in for the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club from Newport Beach. They will fill up F-dock for a final time beginning July 27th. They have been annual visitors for many years here at the marina.

We are looking at working with Jerry Hall, dock captain for F-dock to have some kind of welcome celebration for the new guests on Saturday, August 1st, so keep your eyes and ears open for information on that. Join us in welcoming our new marina guests.

VA Summer Sports Clinic Returns to the San Diego Marriott!
The Department of Veterans Affairs has entered into an agreement with the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina to be the headquarters of the 2nd annual Summer Sports Clinic for wounded Iraq and Afghanistan War vets.

The National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic gives veterans a wonderful opportunity for self development and challenge. It promotes rehabilitation by teaching adventure sports to veterans with significant physical or psychological disabilities. Events such as sailing, surfing, kayaking, cycling, track and field will be offered. The event is scheduled for September 19th to the 25th.

The San Diego Marriott Marina is a silver level sponsor of the event and host to the sailing venue. Working with Challenged America, sailing vessels designed for the physically challenged sailor will be based at F-dock. Specially equipped Martin 16's and a couple other larger sailing yachts will be used to get the vets out on the bay for some timed trials and other sailing exercises. The marina will also host the International America's Cup Yacht, Stars & Stripes USA - 11 which will take the participants out to experience what it is like to handle an 80' racing yacht.

Last year the event was attended by the Secretary of VA, General James Peake as well as the VA's celebrity spokesperson, Actor Bo Derek.

There will be some opportunities for volunteer work in conjunction with the event. More information will be forthcoming as well as contact info. If you have any questions, please call the marina office.

VA Summer Sports Clinic Returns to the San Diego Marriott!
The Department of Veterans Affairs has entered into an agreement with the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina to be the headquarters of the 2nd annual Summer Sports Clinic for wounded Iraq and Afghanistan War vets.

The National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic gives veterans a wonderful opportunity for self development and challenge. It promotes rehabilitation by teaching adventure sports to veterans with significant physical or psychological disabilities. Events such as sailing, surfing, kayaking, cycling, track and field will be offered. The event is scheduled for September 19th to the 25th.

The San Diego Marriott Marina is a silver level sponsor of the event and host to the sailing venue. Working with Challenged America, sailing vessels designed for the physically challenged sailor will be based at F-dock. Specially equipped Martin 16's and a couple other larger sailing yachts will be used to get the vets out on the bay for some timed trials and other sailing exercises. The marina will also host the International America's Cup Yacht, Stars & Stripes USA - 11 which will take the participants out to experience what it is like to handle an 80' racing yacht.

Last year the event was attended by the Secretary of VA, General James Peake as well as the VA's celebrity spokesperson, Actor Bo Derek.

There will be some opportunities for volunteer work in conjunction with the event. More information will be forthcoming as well as contact info. If you have any questions, please call the marina office.

Fireworks For Boaters!
July 4th - Big Bay Boom
July 4th means fireworks of course, and if you live in San Diego and have a boat (or an adventurous friend with a boat), you're in for a real treat! Fireworks are spectacular from the shore, but they're doubly spectacular out on the bay laying down and looking up from the bow of a boat.

Rated the number one fireworks show West of the Mississippi by the travel industry, San Diego's Big Bay Boom will light up the sky at 9:00 p.m.

For more information including a map showing barge locations, the best viewing places, parking information, traffic control and island closures on Harbor Island and Shelter Island, music simulcasts on the radio, etc., click here.

Mission Bay, Chula Vista, and Coronado
The skies will light up on Mission Bay, South Bay, and Glorietta Bay at 9:00 p.m. on the 4th as well.

The Mission Bay Yacht Club will have their annual fireworks display. Adding to the fun is the club's 4th of July decorated boat parade. For more information, call the Mission Bay Yacht Club at 858-488-0501.

For a complete list of other 4th of July day long events and other San Diego area fireworks, click here.

Nautical Trivia - Starting Over with a Clean Slate
On ships of old, a slate tablet was kept near the helm on which the watch keeper would record the speeds, distances, headings and tacks during his watch.

If there were no problems during the watch, the slate would be wiped clean so that the new watch could start over with a clean slate.

Also in July - The San Diego Yacht and Boat Show
The 6th Annual San Diego Yacht and Boat Show will be held Thursday - Sunday; July 23-26, 2009 at the Sheraton Hotel & Marina on Harbor Island.

The show is produced by the Southern California Marine Association (SCMA) and features hundreds of in-water and on-land boats to see as well as an exhibition of boating and marine accessories.

Attendees will also be able to enjoy good food and beverages, entertainment, and music. Show hours are: Thursday -- 12 noon - 8pm Friday -- 12 noon - 8pm Saturday -- 10am - 8pm Sunday -- 10am - 6pm. Regular Admission: Adults $10.00 -- children 12 & under free. For advanced purchase ticket discount, more information, visit www.scma.com before July 22nd.

Sunroad Marina to Host New Boat Show in January
Sunroad Resort Marina has announced that it will fill the gap to continue the tradition of hosting a premiere annual boat show for San Diego.

Anchoring - A Spectator Sport
- By Richard Benscoter
The 4th of July is hours away, and by the time you will receive and read this, many of you will be planning to anchor for the weekend or take your boat out to watch the fireworks, so a couple of items on this great spectator sport called anchoring are in order.

Next to watching people arrive and depart from their docks, anchoring is the next most watched and graded boating activity. The antics of boaters anchoring at times resemble a comedy routine, and in some cases lead to the divorce court.

Check your anchor, ground tackle and windless. It's not cool to try and anchor and find that the ground tackle is in a knot, and can't be fed out of the locker. If you haven't used your anchor for a while, it's a good idea to feed it out and lay the rode on the dock, and while you're at it, put on some of those inexpensive colorful foot market tags you can get from your local marine store.

The other benefit of doing this is that you can gain some confidence that your windlass is working once you have anchored, and that you can weigh anchor once it's time to leave.

It's also a good idea to check the tide range for the time you are going to be anchored, and remember the ratio of anchor rode should be five to seven times the water depth. Don't forget, if you anchor at low tide and plan to remain over a high tide, use the water depth at high tide when figuring the amount of rode to deploy.

I also recommend that you purchase two FM multi channel radios with a voice activated microphones and ear pieces. Don't try to communicate with the bow or helm person by yelling - it never works! (But it does contribute to the enjoyment of all those watching your plight).

Discuss the anchoring plan with your anchor assistant and how you will execute it; then approach the anchorage into the wind. Slow to a stop at the desired spot; deploy the anchor and drift back the required amount rode.

Secure the rode. Check that the anchor is set by carefully placing your fingers under the rode between the bow roller and water. If the anchor is set, you can feel the tension increase and decrease. If the anchor is not set you can feel the anchor moving dragging across the bottom. A little reverse from the engine can usually help set the anchor. If you drift too far, don't try to save it - retrieve the anchor and try again.

Etiquette dictates that you do not disturb boats already anchored. Be careful not to anchor across another boat's anchor rode. Anchor so that your swing with the wind and tide will not cause your boat to meet with others in the anchorage and create an unwanted raft up!

Anchoring for the weekend is great fun and with a little planning you will not be the talk of the anchorage.

See you on the water!