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Happy Holidays to all of our Sheraton
Harbor Island tenants. We hope you have a wonderful time with
friends and family this holiday season, and of course, some
relaxing boating time at the marina!
Annual Marina Tenant Holiday Party
We look forward to seeing you all at this
year’s Annual Marina Tenant
Holiday Party on Sunday, December 17th. Please remember to RSVP to the marina office at
619-692-2249 or by email to make sure we have things prepared
for everybody. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to raise
a glass and swap some fibs with your fellow dock mates. You
don’t want to miss out on the great food Chief Steve
Black has prepared just for us.
Hail and Farewell
Bon voyage and good fortune to Sheraton
Harbor Island General Manager Kelly
Sanders who is leaving us to
oversee the renovation of the Sheraton Waikiki in Oahu. And
welcome aboard to Robert Cartwright, who is rejoining the hotel as the incoming
General Manager.
Also, we bid farewell to Christopher Calisi who
recently sold his boat. Christopher and his family will be
missed.
Hail and Farewell Times Two
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Thanks everybody – I hope & wish you all have a joy
filled Holiday Season. Send me an email if you have any
questions about the marina.
Eric Holle - Dockmaster
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.
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
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).
Between The Sheets - It’s December;
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 | |||||||||||
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 visit
CBP’s recent press release for complete information about the new
reporting location including height limitations and required
reporting procedures.
Bob Hope Waterfront Tribute Takes Shape
Bob Hope Military Tribute | |||||||||||
Around the perimeter of the Tribute there
will be five additional bronze sculptures representing
servicemen from the five branches of the armed
forces—Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast
Guard. A large rotating globe with a small airplane in the
center of the Tribute, mounted over a water element, will
symbolize Bob Hope’s extensive travels around the world
while entertaining troops. The Port held a dedication ceremony
on October 25 to dedicate the sculptures of the various
servicemen and women. They anticipate the Bob Hope
element of the sculpture to be completely ready and installed
by his birthday, which is May 29.
NEW - BlueSkyNews.com Desktop Photo
of the Month
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November 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?”
Editor’s Note: Once again - We
apologize for Madeline. We’re trying to get her to be
more polished, but we’re not making much progress. If you
have a pet question or photo to send to her, please e-mail it
to Madeline@BlueSkyNews.com
San Diego’s 35th Annual Parade of
Lights
The Port of San Diego’s 35th annual
“Parade of Lights” will be held on Sunday, December 10, and
Sunday, December 17, 2006 from 5:30 PM until 9:00 PM. Fireworks
on both Sundays begin at 5: 30pm; the Light Parade begins
immediately following the fireworks The parade takes
approximately one hour to one and a half hours to pass any
given point along the parade route.
If you’ve never witnessed San
Diego’s Parade of Lights before, plan to be entertained
by the imagination of San Diego’s recreational boaters,
who deck out their boats with lights in creative and
entertaining themes. Bring the chairs and blankets early to
stake out a good viewing place along the waterfront, and
prepare to have a fun evening.
For boaters wishing to view the parade
from their boats on the bay, a good viewing area is where the
parade route turns for Coronado, near the 10th Street Terminal.
For those viewing on land, the north and south ends of the
Embarcadero as well as the pathway along Coronado are good
spots as they tend to be less crowded. If you plan on viewing
the parade from Harbor Island, get there early and be aware
that parking is at a premium. Another good spot is the park
behind Seaport Village.
To enter your boat in the parade,
download the entry form and
return it to the Parade organizers by November 30th with the
entry fee of $30.
San Diego Gets Its’ First Year-Round
Home Ported Cruise Ship
Carnival’s - “Elation” | |||||||||||
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.
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.
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