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Wish Your Computer Could
Remind You Of
Ever wish your PC could remind
you to pay an important bill or check the parking
meter? If you use Microsoft Outlook, you already
have this neat feature.
To use it, open Outlook and
locate the “Tasks” folder. (It should
be on the left hand side of your screen under
the “Folder List” or the “Outlook
Shortcuts” pane). Open the Tasks Folder and
add a new task in the space indicated.
Now, double-click on the task
you just created which will open up a window for
the task. Check the reminder box and enter the date
and time you’d like to be reminded.
That’s all there is to
it! You’ll get a tone and a visual notice
when the reminder time comes. Obviously, you can
use this handy feature for birthdays,
anniversaries, and all sorts of other things.
Desktop Photo of the Month - Big Sur on a Chilly Day In May
Our BlueSkyNews.com camera captured this Big Sur windy and
cold seascape a few days ago. For step-by-step
instructions to download this photo or one of our
many other fantastic free photos to your PC
desktop, Click here.
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Sun Harbor Marina Minute
Kathy OBrien | |||||||||||
On Saturday,
June 2nd, The Port of San
Diego’s 17th annual “Operation
Clean Sweep” will take place.
This year will include America’s Cup Harbor and shores of
Shelter Island. Please plan to join your fellow boaters and
help us keep our tidelands clean. For more information, please
contact the San Diego Port Tenants Association at 619/226-6546.
Saturday, June 16 from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM will be Vessel
Safety Check Day at Sun Harbor
Marina. Don’t miss this opportunity to have a US Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Examiner Safety
Check your vessel; right at your
slip. Appointments can be made via E-mail to srsmith_cga@juno.com, or phone, 858-676-5963 and you will be honored
first on June 16th. Allow 15 to 30 minutes for the safety
check. Please include your name, slip # and phone number in
your appointment request. EPIRB testing will also be
available at the head of the dock. PLUS, the Marina will be hosting a BBQ for all participating tenants! Chris Donnelly has volunteered to be the chef
for the day. Please RSVP to the office if you plan on attending
so we are sure to have enough food.
Speaking of BBQ
Need to use a BBQ? Stop by the marina
office and borrow a key for the grill.
May Nautical Swap Meet a Success
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Comings and Goings
Welcome Aboard!
Sun Harbor Marina extends a warm welcome
to our new boaters this month:
Rob Davis, T/T sv Dolphin,
M-2
Frank Morelli, Empress, B-61
Welcome Back!
William Reese, Last
Resolution, A-47
Farewell!
Fred McCamic, Cytherea, A-28
Joe Halpin, Molly, B-71
Randal Aldern, Mardad, A-18
Bon Voyage!
- Randal and Jessica are setting sail May 22nd with their two
dogs, Wylie and Sasha. We wish them a safe journey and fair
winds on their way to the Channel Islands and further parts
north.
Changes In Faces At The Marina
Rita Grindle
is leaving Sun Harbor Marina on May 30th. She is headed
to Oregon to continue her duties as General Manager for
American River Touring Association. Please help me wish
her a warm farewell or contact ARTA to sign up for one of her trips.
There will also be a new face in the
office starting June 1. Allie
Laurie will be joining the
team to help keep the marina running smoothly.
Gentle Reminder - The washing and maintenance of vehicles in the parking
lot is prohibited. Cleaning services are prohibited from
washing vehicles or vessels in the parking lot as well.
Parking Permit Enforcement
And as we approach our first major holiday
of the boating season, I think it’s a good time the parking rules for the property are reviewed. Parking in the marina lots is only
for vehicles that have the Sun Harbor Marina Parking Permit.
Parking is limited to 72 hours in a space. This policy will be
enforced daily. Violators are subject to towing without notice.
If your guests wish to park on the property, you must pick up a
guest permit from the marina office. There is only one car
parking allowed in the marina lots per slip per day. The
car can be yours or your guest. Additional parking is
available on the street or in one of the two ACE parking lots
for $5.00 per day. Your co-operation in this matter will help
to ensure there is maximum parking for you and your fellow Sun
Harbor Marina boaters. Thank you for your assistance.
Pump out vandalism
Yes, that’s right. During the first
week of May, the pump-out hose was borrowed without signing it
out. The good news is the hose was returned. The
bad news is it was returned without the sight glass and nozzle
attached to the hose.
While we have repaired the hose, it is
unfortunate that whoever was using the system when the break
occurred did not notify the office of the damage. This meant
that the entire system was unavailable to the remaining tenants
for approximately one week. Please help keep the marina running
smoothly by notifying the office when there is a problem or
damage to the property. And as a reminder, the pump-out system
is for holding tanks only. Please do not pump out your bilge.
The hoses and the sewer are not designed for the oil and oil
products often found in the bilge.
Sun Harbor Exhibit A Hit At High Tech High
At San Diego’s High Tech
High School, all 125 student
interns created an exhibit about their internship to showcase
the work that they have done.
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For her exhibit, Sun Harbor intern Sara Islas created
a descriptive tri-fold board about Sun Harbor Marina and why it
is unique, as well as a hands-on activity that exemplifies the
marina’s emphasis on sound environmental practices.
The hands on activity used Bilge Oil
Absorber Pads cut up into 1 inch x 2 inch pieces for attendees
use! They first dipped them in a bucket with plain bay water,
and discovered that the water was not absorbed. Then by dipping
the pads in the next bucket with motor oil, participants
discovered that because no interference of water absorption
occurred, the pad was able to absorb a lot of oil. “Both
myself and the people who tried the experiment were actually
amazed at how well and efficiently the pads worked!”,
Islas said.
“It turned out to be a great night
and the pads that help save our environment were a hit!”,
she said.
Let Us Hear From You
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Kathy OBrien - Sun Harbor Marina
Physics 101 and Docking Your Boat
Is your boat slip located in a prevailing
crosswind? If so, it’s a good idea to keep Newton's
second law of motion in mind, namely, Force equals Mass times
Acceleration (F = ma).
The force were concerned about here is the
force with which your boat might smack into the dock finger (or
your neighbor’s boat if you’re in a double slip),
depending upon how you bring it in.
A brief review of the principles involved
is in order before we proceed. If you remember, the first
derivative of distance over time is speed (velocity); the
second derivative is acceleration, and the third is onset,
which in simple terms is the rate of change of acceleration.
It’s onset that can kill you in a car crash; not speed or
acceleration.
Likewise, it’s onset that can make
that awful crunch on the dock finger (or your neighbor’s
boat) if you allow the sideways motion of your boat to get out
of hand while docking.
If Newton were alive, he would
advise you to avoid making a downwind approach to your slip in
a crosswind. If you approach your slip at a slight upwind
attitude, you’ll be better able to keep the crosswind
from increasing the sideways acceleration of your boat, thus
achieving a gentler kiss on the dock. It’s also important
to always maintain some amount of forward motion when docking
in a crosswind.
We didn’t mention current here, but
if your slip has a prevailing crosswind and a strong current,
Newton would probably advise you to ask your marina manager for
a new slip!
EPIRB Reminder
The Coast Guard reminds all boaters that
as of Jan 1, 2007, both 121.5 and 243 MHz Emergency Position
Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) were prohibited from use in
both commercial and recreational watercraft.
Boaters wishing to have an emergency
rescue beacon aboard their vessel must have a digital 406 MHz
model.
Your Impact on the San Diego Bay - Part 1
Fishes in San Diego Bay
The San Diego Bay’s water may appear
to be calm at the surface, but underneath, it is bustling with
thousands of marine species. These marine species are inclusive
of about 78 species of fish, and nearly half a million
individuals.
The top ten most abundant species and
their population sizes are listed as follows: Northern Anchovy -
206,787, Tops Melt - 89,809, Pacific
Sardine - 61,375, Shiner Surfperch -
11,806, Giant Kelpfish - 10,327, California
Grunion - 4,326, Bay Pipefish - 3,112, Barred Pipefish -
2,886, Round Stingray - 2,427,
About 900 fish are caught by both
commercial and recreational boaters daily. This is a large and
potentially dangerous amount; between habitat loss, pollution,
and fishing, many fish in the San Diego Bay are threatened or
endangered. The lurking threat of endangerment caused the Navy
and the Port to co-fund a 5 year program meant to complete an
inventory on fish. This enabled the abundance of fish, and how
recreational and commercial activity affects them to be
determined.
Commendably, in response to the dropping
abundance rates of fish that were determined, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act was established. The
Act outlines Essential Fish Habitat, creates Fishery Management
Council and Fisheries Management Plans. This Act has already
impacted fish in the San Diego Bay, and has created an upward
and positive trend!
Sara Islas is Sun Harbor’s intern
from High Tech High School. This is the first installment of
her three part series on how we impact our San Diego Bay
environment. Next month - Part 2 - Endangered Species in San
Diego Bay.
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Selecting Maintenance Services for Your
Boat - Part 1
Sea
Grant offers the following
tips to help you select and guide a professional maintenance
service that will protect your boat and the marine environment.
1. Ask
your boat maintenance services to follow marina requirements
and use best management practices (BMPs) to avoid damaging
boats or releasing pollutants into marina waters.
2. Ask
your marina manager or harbor master for a list of service
providers. Some marinas may not be able to provide business
referrals.
3. Hire a
professional. Ask to see the service's current business license
& liability insurance. Some maintenance services may belong
to a professional association that uses BMP's.
4. Ask
for a copy of the maintenance service's or association's BMPs
or standard procedures.
5. Get
three local references from a prospective maintenance service
or other boaters who know their work. Ask if they were
satisfied and try to see the completed work.
6. Obtain
and verify the service's business address and telephone number.
You may need to contact them in case of incomplete work, an
illegal discharge or improper waste disposal.
Explain Your Expectations
Be direct. Let the contractor know what
you need and how it should be performed. The guidelines below
will help you specify practices to protect your boat and the
environment.
Underwater Hull Cleaning
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Ask your hull cleaner to...
1. Use
only soft sponges or pieces of "carpet" to clean
marine growth.
2. Use
stainless steel pads or brushes only on unpainted metal areas,
never on bottom paint.
3. Return
zinc anodes to shore for recycling or proper disposal
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Lightning and Your Boat
One of my customers called me last week
from a boating class. They had just covered the danger of
lightning strikes and he was wondering if his boat had been
properly bonded for protection?
No, I told him. The West coast doesn't get
a lot of thunderstorms, so most boat builders out here do not
add an appropriate path for lightning current to follow to and
from the sea. An air to sea lightning strike will look for a
connection to the sea at about a million volts, and
there’s not a thing you can do about it except get out of
the way. On an unbonded sailboat, the current will flow
down the mast and shrouds until it reaches a high resistance
point, say a fiberglass or wood hull, and will do several
things, all bad. It may just blow a hole in the boat, but more
likely it will "side flash" to the electronics,
stove, water heater, fuel tanks, you, etc, on its way to
ground.
You can get out of the way, however, by
creating what is known as a "Faraday's Cage".
The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) recommends that sailboats bond all
shrouds and large metallic objects with a #4 gauge wire and
create a path to ship's ground. Most boats use their engine
shafts and props for their ship's ground. A better solution is
a bronze ground plate mounted midships to keep the wire run as
straight as possible. It is also recommended that all large
metal devices be included in the bonding system by #6 wire to
minimize side flash danger.
Sailboats that are headed to Mexico or the
tropics might also consider bonding the lifelines and pulpits.
Surge protectors used on antennas will help protect the
electronics, but carry a spare radio just in case.
Power boats use the same methods, but
normally need to install a lightning rod at the top of their
signal masts or arch to create a zone of protection.
Brett Dingerson | |||||||||||
Editor’s Note: Brett Dingerson has
over 25 years experience as a commercial fisherman, sailor, and
marine electrician, with a specialty in marine galvanic
corrosion protection. A top-shelf designer and troubleshooter
that has worked with a wide range of sailing and power vessel
electrical systems for blue water or local bay boating. He is
the owner and founder of San Diego-based Marine
Electric.
Boat Safety - Why Not Take Advantage of
San Diego’s Many Excellent Resources?
Safety always comes first, and we want to
make sure all of our boating subscribers are safe by providing
you with updates and reminders in safety procedures. The U.S.
Coast Guard Auxiliary
generously offers free vessel inspections by appointment. An
outside professional eye can often spot things you don't, and
give you tips on how to keep your boat safe. Call them at
619-231-1300 to arrange an
appointment. You’ll be glad
you did.
With the boating season revving up, this
is also a great time to refresh your knowledge and hone your
skills in boating safety. Classes of all different skill, age
and experience level are offered around San Diego through the
California Department of Waterways (Cal Boating), United States
Power Squadrons, and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. Thanks to
technology, some classes are even offered online, so you can
learn at your convenience.
Cal Boating is
a run through the state, but is integrated with many private
boating organizations and is quite respectable. Their course
can either be taken on-line at your convenience, or in a
classroom setting once a week over a period of 13 weeks. It
covers state and federal boating law, general rules, and safe
boat handling. For more information, click here to visit Cal Boating or
call (888)-362-2822.
The United States Power Squadrons offer a six/seven session program, called the
Squadron Boating Course, as well as an eight-hour refresher
course called Boatsmart. Both cover topics including boat
handling and operation, marine radios procedure, knots and
hitches, anchoring, federal and state requirements and
regulations, and tips for safe navigation. The Squadron Boating
Course has a special focus on charting, piloting, and position
determination. Both courses will be more hands on than Cal
Boating's program. For more information, click here to visit United States Power Squadrons. They have a lot of great boating information on
their site, so even if you are not planning on attending
courses, go check it out!
The classes offered by the U.S. Coast
Guard Auxiliary (an
entirely volunteer branch of the US Coast Guard) are definitely
the most hands-on, and only those willing to get wet should
take them! They offer two courses, one focusing on powerboats
(Boating Skills and Seamanship), and the other focusing on
sailors (Sailing and Seamanship). Both courses are 13 weeks
long, and cover general legal requirements, Coast Guard law,
navigation tips, marlinspike seamanship, charts/compasses, and
safe boat handling. They also offer more specified classes
including, Basic Coastal Navigation, Boating Safety Course,
Advanced Coastal Piloting, along with many others. To find out
more, call (619)-260-1515
Between the Sheets - The Glory Days of the
Past Live on at Avalon
For years my wife and I have sailed to
Catalina and sat on our boat in Avalon harbor in the evening
and said to each other that it must have been really something
to dance to the big bands on the magnificent Casino dance floor
in Avalon’s heyday of yesteryear.
And then we discovered that in 1996, to
support the efforts of the Catalina
Conservancy, the Corsair Yacht
Club sponsored the first Catalina Island Conservancy Ball. That
first ball in 1996 saw hundreds of people in formal dress enter
the Avalon Casino and dance the night away to the sounds of Les
Brown and his band of Renown. Ever since that, annual support
of the Catalina Conservancy and its preservation efforts has
continued for the past 12 years hosted by different yacht clubs
of southern California.
So on Saturday night, April 14th, we
joined 525 formally dressed guests at the fabulous 12th annual
Catalina Conservancy Ball hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club.
The evening featured fun, excitement, a gourmet meal with
superb wine, silent and live auctions, dancing and beautiful
views of Avalon Harbor from the Avalon Casino’s balcony.
You don’t need to be a member of a
yacht club to attend and support this annual event and your
support will help ensure that Catalina will remain the pristine
place we all like to escape to and enjoy. I encourage you all
to plan to take your fascination with Avalon and turn it into
reality next spring like we did. I guarantee it will be one of
your highlights of the year if not your life.
Editor’s Note: Richard Benscoter is
a long time avid sailor. He’s a member of the Silver Gate
Yacht Club. If you have a sailing question for Richard, send
e-mail to richard@BlueSkyNews.com