Click Here to view this newsletter in a browser
Greetings From Your Marina Manager
And welcome to the first edition of Shelter Cove’s new monthly e-mail
newsletter. By using e-mail, we
will be able to keep you posted on marina happenings and
important notices on a timely basis. While we’re at it,
we’ll be including lots of information in each newsletter
that will make your marina experiences more interesting, fun
and enjoyable.
For example, we’ve researched the
restaurants on where you can take your boat to dock and dine,
where you can go for fuel and pump-outs, and regularly updated
listings of events that are happening around town.
There are many other hidden to having an
e-mail newsletter that we know you’ll enjoy as time goes
by; not the least of which is that it affords you the
convenient opportunity to communicate with your marina team.
Christmas Pot-Luck Holiday Kick-Off Was
Great!
Many thanks to everyone who attended the
Christmas pot-luck and made it a success. We hope everyone
enjoyed watching the parade of lights. And a big thank everyone
who decorated their boat with lights. You made the marina look
terrific and you can look for a deduction on your February
electrical invoice.
We Would Enjoy Hearing From You
We hope you all have a great holiday
season, and I look forward to seeing you at the marina. In the
meantime, if you have any questions or items you would like to
discuss, please stop in the office
or send me an e-mail.
Thanks – Enjoy the new
e-newsletter, and I’ll see you at the marina.
Shaun McMahon -
Marina Manager
San Diego Marina Fires Raise A Flag Of
Concern To Marina Managers
On November 29th, a total of nine boats went up in flames or were damaged in
fires at the second major
fire in recent months at the San Diego Marriott marina, and the
Hyatt Islandia marina in Mission Bay. Many marina managers
worry that more such fires will be attributed in part to the
increasing number of “boats that go nowhere”, i.e.,
people that are buying boats to serve essentially as vacation
condos that sit in slips for months or even years without ever
putting out to sea. Most seasoned boat owners are disciplined
to turn off water heaters, space heaters, and other unnecessary
electrical power devices when their boats are unoccupied, and
to frequently check for corrosion in other power points such as
battery chargers and power cables, but the fear is that many
novice boat owners have not had the training or education to
properly maintain these critical components and turn them off
when their boats are vacant.
The bottom line - Salt water and salt air
are corrosive, and nearly all boat fires are attributed to
electrical failures linked to corrosion in the last analysis.
If you don’t know how to do it yourself, hire a
professional to periodically inspect the electrical systems in
your boat. And most important, remember to unplug or switch off
any unnecessary electrical devices whenever you leave your boat
unattended.
Shelter Cove Needs Your Neighborhood Watch
Assistance
It’s awkward; sometimes annoying;
frequently embarrassing; always a pain. You’re
approaching the gate to your dock, and there they are. Workmen
with tool boxes, families with ice chests and water toys, other
seemingly nice people all waiting
for someone with a key to let them in.
You wish they weren’t there,
because you don’t want to be the one who has to say
“Sorry, I apologize, but if you don’t have a key, I
can’t let you in”. But that’s exactly what we
need you to do to protect you and your marina. In addition to
basic security reasons, there are liability issues and all
sorts of other issues relating to unauthorized persons being
admitted to the docks.
Here’s our suggestion - The next
time this happens to you, just say something like
“I’m sorry, but I can lose my dock privileges
if I let someone in without a key. If you visit the marina
office, I’m sure they can help you out”. In other
words, blame it on us. If enough of you do this, the problem
will eventually go away and you will have helped us protect
your boat and your marina.
What’s On Your Boat Bottom?
As most of you know, The Regional
Water Quality Control Board is cracking down on use of
copper-based hull coats which, after being applied and exposed
to salt water, almost immediately have a negative impact on the
health of marine life and the environment. The Shelter Island
Yacht Basin is the first of any of California's waterways to
enforce such a ban and as such, we encourage you to look into
alternative non-toxic and low-toxic coating products for your
next repainting. Non-toxic paints are known as antifouling or
biocide free hull coatings. Bill Roberts, of Shelter
Island Boat Yard, promotes the two following products.
Echo5 is
an epoxy coat that is totally “biocide free”.
The downfall is more cleanings (every two weeks).
This should change with product improvements. Paint
bottoms must also be fully stripped before coat is applied
(most ideal for new boats). Echo5 has been around for a
couple years. Those who have made the switch are quite
happy with the decision.
E-paint is
the newest biocide free product. It is a water-born
product with 3% zinc-oxide (ingredient found in Head and
Shoulders shampoo). Suggested cleanings is once a month.
The jury is still out on the possibility this
Massachusetts product can go over copper paint bottoms to
eliminate additional stripping costs. E Paint has
developed specialty antifouling coatings for the United States
Coast Guard, United States Navy, and a number of oceanographic
institutions. www.e-paint.net
Roberts is eager to see the change to
biocide free paints and is happy to educate anyone on
specifics.
Paints that are not biocide free, but
have a low percentage of copper and are presently accepted by
the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, are also
available. These coats can be applied over existing bottom
coats. Greg Thomas, of Driscoll’s Boat Works,
suggested the following legal low toxic bottom paints:
Interlux Line’s:
Ultra Coat (hand
modified epoxy, 65% Copper)
Super KL (hand
modified epoxy, 65% Copper)
Proline (vinyl-based
- 65% Copper)
Sea Hawk Brand’s:
Shark Skin (high
50’s % Copper)
CuKote (in
testing - 45%-50% Copper)
Juton Hydro Coat (in testing - 45%-50% Copper).
Reminder - Your Water Hose Can Sink Your
Boat
Remember - you should never leave the
city water hose connected to an unattended boat, even if
it’s turned off (somebody who uses your water connection
could accidentally turn it back on). If there’s a
failure, you boat could accidentally sink. Please fill your
fresh water tank and disconnect the hose from your boat for
everybody’s safety.
Second Customs Reporting Location Now Open
In Mission Bay
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has added a second
vessel reporting location at
the Dana Launch Ramp public dock in Mission Bay. This new
pleasure boat clearance procedure is part of CBP's
comprehensive efforts to improve security at the nation's
borders while enhancing legitimate travel, including private
boaters, to make reporting more convenient for pleasure boaters
arriving in the United States from foreign ports or places.
Interested boaters should contact CBP for
complete information about the new reporting location including
height limitations and required reporting procedures.
NEW - BlueSkyNews.com Desktop Photo
of the Month
| |||||||||||
December saw some spectacular western
sunsets. This one taken at La Playa Cove on a chilly November
evening. Click here for
instructions to download this fantastic photo to your PC
desktop.
“Red Sky in Morning, Sailor’s
Warning; Red Sky At Night, Sailor’s Delight!?”
Ever wonder wonder about that popular
saying? Since our weather travels from West to East,
shouldn’t it be just the opposite? It turns out the
saying originated from mid-latitude locations where winds are
easterly in the tropics, and from the high latitudes where the
sun rises and sets at a large deviation from the east-west
trajectory. A more appropriate saying for where we live might
be “Red sky in morning, sailor go steady; red sky at
night, sailor get ready!”
How about “Between
The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea?” In olden wooden ships, the “devil”
is the longest seam of the ship. It ran from the bow to the
stern. When at sea and the “devil” had to be
caulked, the sailor sat in the bo’sun’s chair to do
the work, suspended between the “devil” and the
deep blue sea; a very precarious position while at sea.
From the Poop Deck
Madeline | |||||||||||
I said, “Hey - then why don’t
you get a different job?”
He said, “What! And get out of
yachting?”
Editors Note: Once again - We do apologize
for Madeline. We keep trying to smooth out her rough edges. If
you have a pet question or photo to send to her, please e-mail
it to Madeline@BlueSkyNews.com
Dear Flo-Tilla
Flo Tillatm | |||||||||||
I really like this time of year except
for having to decorate the boat. My wife makes a big deal out
of it, and it can chew up a whole weekend. Then, after the
holidays, it takes another day to take the stuff down. How did
this decorating tradition get started anyway?
Sincerely,
Captain Humbug
Dear Humbug,
It all started with a cave woman who said
to her cave man, “Honey, I want you to go out into the
woods; chop down the most flammable thing you can find; and
drag it back here into the cave. Then we’ll put lit
candles on it!’
Have a question you’d like Flo-Tilla
to answer?
San Diego Gets Its’ First Year-Round
Home Ported Cruise Ship
Carnival’s - “Elation” | |||||||||||
Where Are My Zincs Going?
While we’re on the subject of
electricity, did you know that in seawater, the hardware on
your boat (prop, shaft, through hulls, etc.) serves as a
conductive medium. The AC grounding wire provides a direct
electrical connection between the underwater hardware on boats
plugged into shore power. If your
neighbor’s boat has no zincs, then your boat’s
zincs will be eaten away first. Once
the zincs are gone, both boats are subject to corrosive damage
on the underwater hardware. The boat with the least noble metal
among the different boats will always protect the other boats
(zinc<aluminum< brass< stainless steel).
How far can galvanic corrosion travel
between boats? Depending on water temperature, current,
salinity, condition of zincs, proximity of boats, relative
surface areas of the respective anodic (i.e. zinc) and cathodic
(i.e. boat prop) metals, the voltage produced by galvanic
activity (normally less than 1.0 volt) can affect boats two or
three slips away before the current begins to dissipate through
the water.
Be a good neighbor - replace your zincs
regularly; verify your ground fault circuit breaker is set at
the proper level, and if there has been arcing across the pins
on the cord or the receptacles on the pedestal, notify the
marina office. Another tip - you can protect yourself by
installing a Galvanic isolator, but as always, there is a
catch. You must regularly monitor whether the isolator is
working properly or the likelihood of an electrical shock
hazard increases significantly. Galvanic isolators connect to
the green wire, close to shore-power inlet, to block the
circuit of galvanic current flow between neighboring boats.
Between the Sheets - It’s
January; the air is fresh; the water is cold; and the winds are
calling!
What happened to summer? Who cares? For
Southern California sailors, winter brings some of the best
boating weather in the country. Warm sunny day’s; crisp
star-lit nights. Many sailors believe that this is the best
time of the year to enjoy the full palette of the local sailing
experience. San Diego is known for its almost benign summer
wind patterns, which can be can become a howling breeze as the
winter fronts pass. So for all of us that look forward to this
time of the year, here are a couple of tips to remember as you
venture out:
- When in
doubt let if out: If you find
yourself in the position where the helm just doesn’t seem
to have any feel or the boat feels like it’s stuck in the
mud, the best thing to do is let the sails out. When they start
to luff bring them back in a little.
- Shorten
sail as soon as the conditions call for it: A very salty sailor once told me that any idiot
can get a sail up, but it takes a real sailor to get it down
when all hell breaks loose!
Have a great holiday season, and
I’ll see you out there!
Richard Benscoter | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
