Sun Harbor Marina Minute
Greetings Sun Harbor tenants and welcome to the November 2009 marina newsletter.

Friday the 13th - The Perfect Date to Give Thanks Early!
And on that subject of holiday cheer, mark your calendar for Sun Harbor Marina's Thanksgiving Celebration on Friday the 13th! SHM will provide the turkey - we ask you to please sign up at the office and let us know which of your Thanksgiving feast delicacies and masterpieces you'll be bringing!

The festivities will be conducted from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the rec room (which can be found over the river and through the woods).

Pumpkin Carving Contest and Chili Cookoff
Before we say goodbye to October though, remember to join the fun in the Sun Harbor Marina Pumpkin Carving Contest and Chili Cookoff on Saturday, Oct 31st at noon.

Don't Miss the Mariners' Swap Meet
The Sun Harbor Mariners' Swap Meet will be held on Saturday, November 7th, from 6 a.m. to 11a.m. - To reserve your spot to sell your marine treasures at the swap meet, just purchase a $10 gift certificate from Pizza Nova prior to the Swap Meet. Buyers and browsers gain free entrance. See you there!

Boating Trivia of the Month - Toe the Line
The space between each pair of deck planks in a wooden ship was filled with a packing material called "oakum", and then sealed with a mixture of pitch and tar.

The result, from afar, was a series of parallel lines a half-foot or so apart, running the length of the deck. Once a week, as a rule, usually on Sunday, a warship's crew was ordered to fall in at quarters - that is, each group of men into which the crew was divided would line up in formation in a given area of the deck. To insure a neat alignment of each row, the Sailors were directed to stand with their toes just touching a particular seam.

Another use for these seams was punitive. The youngsters in a ship, be they ship's boys or student officers, might be required to stand with their toes just touching a designated seam for a length of time as punishment for some minor infraction of discipline, such as talking or fidgeting at the wrong time.

A tough captain might require the miscreant to stand there, not talking to anyone, in fair weather or foul, for hours at a time. Hopefully, he would learn it was easier and more pleasant to conduct himself in the required manner rather than suffer the punishment.

From these two uses of deck seams comes our cautionary word to obstreperous youngsters to "toe the line."

Tenant of the Month
Tony Lutkus on "Mad Fer It" is always letting us know when he comes across anything he thinks may need our attention - most recently, an oil spill in the parking lot driveway. Thank you Tony!

Speaking of Oil - A Little Reminder
Oil and gasoline contain hydrocarbons and heavy metals that pollute and are toxic to humans and aquatic life. Oil can coat the feathers and fur of wildlife, destroying their natural insulation from cold.

Even a thin film of oil can kill organisms that live near the water's surface. A single gallon of fuel can contaminate over a million gallons of water. Once ingested, oil moves up the food chain from tiny plankton to fish, birds and even humans, which can cause reproductive problems, weakness and death.

To help prevent oil and gas spills:

• Use caution when filling your fuel tank. Watch the nozzle at all times. Don't top off.

• Don't hose down gas spills or apply detergents or soaps to an oil sheen.

• Install fuel tank vent whistles or fuel/air separators to avoid spills.

• Inspect fuel lines and hoses periodically. Replace as needed.

• Use funnels for pouring oil and keep a supply of absorbent pads onboard for cleaning up spills.

• Dispose of used oil, drained oil filters and soiled rags at a waste oil recycling center.

*If a spill occurs, notify the Marina office immediately and the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center at 800-424-8802.

Pearson's Fuel at 2435 Shelter Island Drive accepts used oil, filters, and oil soaked absorbent pads. Call 619-222-7084 for times and days. Also at Kragen Auto Parts store, 2750 Midway Drive 619-235-0116, is a resource to dispose of oil.There are nominal fees.

Thanksgiving - Little Known Facts
There wasn't a set day for Thanksgiving until 1863. Up until then the President would issue a proclamation each year announcing the date the holiday would be observed that year. Then in 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the last Thursday of November.

No one respected President Lincoln's proclamation in the years after his death; the country went back to the old yearly proclamation system until 1939. Franklin D. Roosevelt returned the country to the fourth Thursday in November standard because it would lengthen the Christmas shopping season and hopefully boost the economy. In 1941, Congress passed a proclamation officially designating the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.

Canada celebrates Thanksgiving too, but on the second Monday in October.

Here on the west coast the Dungeness crab is a popular alternative to turkey.

Archeologists have found evidence that turkeys were roaming the North American continent 10 million years ago. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, a turkey weighing 86 lbs., won the Heaviest Turkey competition in London on December 12, 1989.

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird, rather than the eagle.

A wild turkey can run up to 20 mph if alarmed. They can also fly at speeds approaching 50-55 mph.

Probably the strangest thing you've heard about turkey is that it contains tryptophan, a natural sedative. While it is true that turkey contains tryptophan, it's a myth that you get sleepy from eating it. According to the myth, Tryptophan, an amino acid that helps your body produce serotonin, a calming agent in the brain that plays a key role in sleep, is found in turkey in large enough amounts to make you sleepy so that is why everyone takes their post-dinner nap on Turkey Day.

As it turns out, tryptophan levels in turkey are minimal, and it only works on an empty stomach. When you have food in your system tryptophan has to compete with all the other amino acids in your system, so a small percentage of tryptophan makes it to your brain.

The real reason you get sleepy is-overeating. The average meal contains 3000 calories, most of which are carbohydrates. This means your body is working overtime to digest everything causing that post-meal lethargy.

In addition to turkey on Thanksgiving Day, there is also the Macy's Parade-held annually since 1920, and so prominent in New York City that Thanksgiving Day there is frequently referred to as Macy's Day. The end of the parade signals the beginning of the Christmas Season, kicked of by Black Friday, where shoppers officially begin the holiday rush.

The day before Thanksgiving is the largest day in for bar sales in the United States. New Years Eve holds a close second.

That's it For Now
I look forward to seeing you all at the marina!

Kathy OBrien - Sun Harbor Marina
kathy@sun-harbor.com