Shelter Cove Marina
2240 Shelter Island Dr.
San Diego, Ca. 92106
Telephone:
619-224-2471
Fax:
619-224-9117
E-mail Address:
info@sheltercove
marina.com
Web Site:
www.sheltercove
marina.com
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Greetings From the Marina Office!
April was the second month in an early Roman calendar, but became the fourth when the ancient Romans started using January as the first month.
The Romans called the month Aprilis. It may come from a word meaning 'to open', or it may come from Aphrodite, the Greek name for the goddess of love.
Small animals that hibernate are usually coming out of their burrows in April. The birds fly back northward or they settle down to have their families. The bees and butterflies begin to gather nectar from the first flowers of the season.
And of course, boaters emerge from the cabin fever of Winter and come back to their boats at the marina to renew the spirit.
Welcome Back!
Shaun McMahon - Marina Manager
info@sheltercovemarina
Something Fun and Different to Do In San Diego
Most visitors and even the locals in San Diego will visit or recommend visiting things like the museums in Balboa Park, Sea World, The Maritime Museum, Petco Park, Cabrillo Monument, the beaches, or the Gaslamp District when asked "What is there to do in San Diego".
One lesser well known place to go is the Birch Aquarium at UCSD in La Jolla, high on the cliffs overlooking the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the famous Scripps Pier.
The aquarium is a real sleeper, with not only a first class collection of marine species, but also features a great gallery of oceanographic displays. On top of that, it has an ocean view from the top of the world.
So next time you're looking for something different to do try the Birch Aquarium. Top it off afterward with a stop at George's at the Cove for a perfect La Jolla ambience day.
The Border Run Race
It's that time of year again for the Border Run Race. The Border Run Race is on Saturday, April 24th and has become very popular. As of this publication there are 151 boats registered.
There is an after race party with a Beach Boys Tribute Band for anyone who wants to attend at the Kona Kai on Sunday, April 25th.
For information on the parties and to sign up for the race go to the Border Run website at www.theborderrun.org.
Cruising to the Northern Channel Islands - Part 3
- By Frank & Martha Mowry
This is Part 3 of a three part series of articles treating cruising to the Northern Channel Islands: Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel.
The Northern Group of the Channel Islands (San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa) are arranged in linear fashion off Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Along with Santa Barbara Island they form the Channel Islands National Park and the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary.
Santa Cruz takes the prize for cruising ground and anchorages. During our 4 trips to the islands we have anchored exclusively off Santa Cruz. Hardier souls may choose to anchor off Santa Rosa (South shore), San Miguel or Anacapa, but the potential for problems escalates. Even so, with calm winds and seas these islands offer beautiful vistas and hiking trails.
Things That Go Bump in the Night (and Day!)
- By Richard Benscoter
If you missed being on your boat when the tsunami from the Chilean earthquake made its appearance in San Diego bay, you might have missed the unusual sight of seeing a bow wake while your boat was tightly secured to the dock.
And if you happened to be watching, you would have seen the docks visibly rise and then fall with the extreme amount of water that flooded and then receded from the bay.
Most people heard about the docks separating at the Bail Hai Restaurant on Shelter Island, but there were many other tsunami happenings in San Diego that day.
For example, a friend of mine was out sailing that day on his Catalina 30; outbound from San Diego Bay on the east side of the Channel, south of San Diego Bay Channel Buoy 14.
There was a Catalina 36 four boat lengths to the south of their position on approximately the same course and heading. They had passed Ballast Point to the west with their depth sounding instrument read 18', and a speed through the water of 6.8 knots with an outgoing tidal current of two knots.
Desktop Photo of the Month - Early Sunrise at Cabo
A morning cup of coffee, perfect weather, and an early sunrise view of Land's End as you cruise into Cabo San Lucas.
Ahhhh! What could be better! To put this or one of our other free spectacular photos on your PC desktop, Click Here.
Two Power Settings All Skippers Should Know
- By Jay Bernstein
There are two important power settings on any boat that will make it perform at its best. Every skipper should have at least a basic understanding of these settings and the appropriate time to use them.
The first is maximum continuous power, which is the fastest speed that you can run at for any length of time without overheating your engines.
The second power setting you should know will give you your boat's most efficient cruising speed.
It doesn't matter whether you have a sail boat or a power boat. Your boat has them. Once you are familiar with your boat, you can consistently get very close to the speed you want by simply advancing your throttles to the desired RPM and trimming the boat out.
You're cruising into a western river system from seaward, and you encounter a buoy with markings like this. Do you know what it means?The answer is: There is a "fork in the road" ahead, and the fact that the top color is green means that you can take either channel, but the preferred channel is to starboard.
If the top color is red, the preferred channel would be to port.
To see this and all of the U.S. Coast Guard's Pacific Coast and Pacific Islands list of lights, sound signals, buoys, day beacons, and other aids to navigation, Click Here.
CG Auxiliary Tip of the Month - My CF Number Looks Cool - Why Isn't It?
-By Bob Simons
If the only visible identification on your boat or dinghy is a CF number, it might aid in your rescue if you have a problem out there on the water...or not, depending on whether you know what we're going to tell you about here.
If you have a problem and report yourself in distress, your Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary is going to send out assets looking for you, and this is usually not going to be in the most ideal conditions. There are many vessels out there, and when we are called to assist, it is necessary for us to not only find a boat, but to determine exactly which boat is in distress.
Often there are multiple boats in the general area a distressed boat reports themselves to be in, and the description of a "white boat with blue trim" is the topic of many jokes among rescue crews.
Knowing the boat length is a help, but from a fast moving rescue boat or a helicopter, subtle differentials of a few feet are difficult to determine. Frequently, the CF number is what we use to positively determine which boat is the one in distress.
For us to do that, the numbers on your boat must be visible and readable from a horizontal distance of at least 100 feet, and be of contrasting color to the hull. They must be plain vertical block capital letters and numbers (not cutesy scrollwork or darling colors), no less than three inches in height that are permanently attached to the forward half of the hull. The letters should be separated from the numbers by three inches or a dash
"Visible" also means they shouldn't be under the flare or flange of the boat, making them visible only to swimmers.
"Readable" means black on white or white on black. Other combinations might be a nice decorator ideas, but not appropriate for a rescue at sea.
Check your CF numbered boat or dinghy to make sure it meets these requirements - the day may come when you'll be glad you did.
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. You can send an e-mail to Bob at bobsimons@BlueSkyNews.com .
Why We Tap Your Bottom (and Other Things)
- By Kells Christian
Spend time at a boat yard and you will be sure to hear the tap, tap, tap of a marine surveyor. "What are you looking for?" is a question I hear with regularity. At a boat show recently I heard a broker complain about a surveyor who "showed up with a small hammer and tapped everywhere." Here is why we do it.
Tapping, or percussion testing, is an extremely useful non-destructive inspection technique. Tapping is not limited to boat yards; it is used throughout the world and in many different fields.
It is included in the inspection process of stealth technology planes and space shuttles. It provides information that is not available visually and usually causes no damage, except for perhaps a small localized loss of bottom paint.
It's primary use in a boat yard is determining the condition of fiberglass laminates. It is also useful with wood and other construction materials. In fiberglass or composite boats, tapping allows detection of delamination
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