From Your Marina Team
Welcome to the January 2008 e-mail newsletter, and a happy and prosperous new year to you all.

Things were quiet and peaceful around the marina during the holidays, so there's not much excitement to report.

A lot of people are planning to check out the San Diego Boat Show - It's Thursday through Friday, January 3rd - January 6th, at the Marriott Marina and the San Diego Convention Center so I might see you there.

Time For Some Preventative Maintenance?
Now that we are in the slow season for boating and fishing, you might take advantage of the down time to hit some of those maintenance items you've been putting off.

Here's a checklist courtesy of Gerry Charest at Marina Village to get you thinking about the multitude of tasks that you or your mechanic can get started on:

• Check the engine shaft and rudder stuffing boxes for leaks and looseness.
  
  
• Inspect fuel lines, including fill and vent hoses, for indication of softness, brittleness or cracking.
  
  
• Wipe flexible hoses with a clean cloth. A strong odor of gasoline or diesel indicates a hose should be replaced, but only with a Coast Guard approved type for fuel.
  
  
• Inspect all other components in the fuel system - fuel tanks, fuel pumps, filters, for leaks. A dry rag can be used at connections and you can also trust your nose. Hose clamps should be snug and free of heavy rust.
  
  
• Wire brush battery terminals and fill any low cells with distilled water.
  
  
• Exhaust manifolds should be removed every few years and inspected for corrosion, which could restrict water flow.
  
  
• Cooling hoses should also be inspected for signs of old age, check for stiffness, rot, leaks, and/or cracking. Replace as necessary.
  
  
• Inspect bilge blower hose for leaks.
  
  
• Clean and tighten electrical connections, especially both ends of battery cables.

Thanks for the checklist Gerry - there are many more maintenance tasks that should be performed on a recurring basis. Some are simple and others are more complex and require special tools or equipment. Your own knowledge and skill level should dictate whether or not you are comfortable performing a particular maintenance item. If in doubt, call a certified marine mechanic.






That's It For Now
Again, a happy new year to all - I look forward to a great 2008 boating year, and I look forward to seeing you all around the docks.

Bob Buckman and John Rue
Seaforth Marina

e-Letters to the Editor
Dear BlueSkyNews.com.
My boat carries 200 gallons of diesel, and I am amazed at the price for fuel these days.

I think you would be doing a Great service to boaters if you could start up something like "Gas Buddy" has on the internet, only let boaters know what fuel was selling for at the various fuel docks. This would not only benefit boaters, but might motivate some of the fuel docks to become more competitive if they see what other docks are selling their fuel for. I would like to hear your opinion on this.

Regards,
Wayne from Chula Vista

Dear Wayne
Unlike auto gas stations, the "price is not necessarily the price" at fuel docks. Special discounts are made based on how many gallons you take on board during a specific fill-up, and additional discounts can be had for boaters who establish and regularly use an established account with the fuel dock. Our best advice is to contact fuel docks in your area when you're ready for a fill-up; tell them the estimated number of gallons, and ask what the price would be. Visit our Marine Services web page for a complete listing of San Diego area fuel docks.

Best of luck,
BlueSkyNews

Proper Care For Your Sails Starts With Your Boat
- By Brad Poulos
s sailors, we are acutely aware of the cost of sails as part of the total investment in owning and operating a sailboat. Experience has also shown that the treatment of new sails after they are delivered can greatly extend or shorten their useful life.

Naturally, one of the main determinants of a sail's life span is the quality of the materials used and the workmanship of the sailmaker. Regarding proper treatment of sails to promote a long useful life, there are many steps that can and should be taken. These can be divided these into three main areas:

• Preparation of the boat and rig
  
• Proper treatment of the sails on board
  
• Care and maintenance.

In this article we will look at how to prepare your boat and the rigging:
--Tape all cotter pins, sharp corners and other points that can tear or chafe sails. Give particular attention to the pulpit area. Make sure you tape off the turnbuckles where the lifelines attach.

• Place boots or tubes over turnbuckles, both to prevent chafe and to keep grease and oil off sails.
  
  
• Be sure the lifelines are clean and free of meat hooks. Give particular attention to the stanchion tops. Acetone is a good cleaner for vinyl-coated lifelines.
  
  
• Install rollers or padded boots on spreader tips.
  
  
• Be sure wire halyards have no meat hooks or open wire on the shackles which might chafe or snag the sails.
  
  
• Position guards to close off any "V's" in the rigging that may catch the sails when they are being hoisted or lowered.
  
  
• Wash the deck before each weekend of sailing, and polish the spars periodically so that sails don't pick up any of the aluminum oxidation.
  
  
• Dry out your sails before leaving them on the boat for any period of time. One way of doing this is to simply spread the sails around the main cabin and forepeak so that the air can circulate and dry them between outings.
  
  
• Avoid the practice of drying sails by hoisting them to flog in the breeze.
  
  
• Finally, minimize exposure to direct sunlight when drying your sails.

Taking these steps will ensure and extend the life and strength of your sails allowing you to get the most out of them in terms of speed and appearance. Happy sailing! Next month I'll review how to properly treat your sails while on board.

Brad Poulos is the General Manager at UK Sails 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@uksocal.com.

Nautical Trivia - How Deep Is Your Love... or Wide?
All sailors know that one fathom equals six feet, but did you know that a fathom was once defined by an act of Parliament as "the length of a man's arms around the object of his affections." The word originally came from the Old English Faethm, which means "embracing arms." Remembering that the circumference of a circle is pi times the diameter, that means the average female waistline then was around 22 inches.

Perfect Fishing Storm Headed to
San Diego?
If you like to fish and you haven't already done it, you should become familiar California's Marine Life Protection Act. This environmental legislation is working its way down the coast from Sacramento, and is heading full steam for San Diego waters.

We'll be talking much more in future newsletters about this issue which could dramatically affect both sportfishing and recreational fishing in San Diego, including establishing many "no take" zones in traditional fishing grounds. In the meantime, to bring yourself up on both sides of the issue we suggest any local fishing enthusiasts take a look at the act itself by clicking on the link above, and then visit the Sportfishing Association of California's web site to see what this could mean to you. For a real eye full, Google the words "Marine Life Protection Act".

The watchword is "stay engaged" because if you snooze; you will lose the chance for a balanced solution!