Get Ready to Party! Don't Miss Sun Harbor's 4th of July Celebration!

Comings and Goings - Welcome Aboard!
Sun Harbor Marina extends a warm welcome to our new boaters this month:
A28 - Ray Babb
A31 - Jerry Gillies, Shelby Marie
A39 - Anthony Cukierski, Will Power
B61X62 - Richard Watson, Tucanita
B69 - John Kindel, Last Resolution
B70 - Barbara Olmstead, Other Side of Midnight
B71 - Spencer Tally, Pakele Loa

Get Well Soon
We would also like to wish John Trunbull a speedy recovery from his hospital stay - hurry back John, the giant squid are biting!

Event Reminders
Sun Harbor's next Swap Meet will be on Sunday, July 15th. It's a great opportunity to turn that used nautical gear into cash or to find a bargain item you've been wanting to buy.

Damaged Boat!!!
At some point in the last two weeks (June 2nd & 14th) "Shibumi", located at slip A43, was hit. There is extensive damage to the rail around the Bow Pulpit. The boat owner that caused this damage did not leave a note or report to the Dock Master. If anyone has seen anything that appeared suspicious please contact Robert B. Klaus at 619-368-8727.

Dock Cart Theft is on the Rise Again!
While we were lucky enough to have the last one returned by a good Samaritan, please protect your dock carts by retuning them to the base of the dock ramp when not in use. Leaving the carts at the top of the promenade or the parking lot provides easy access to those who are just "borrowing" on their way off site.

Vehicle 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.

Special Cleaning Discount Offered to Sun Harbor Boaters
Pure Cleaning Services is offering Sun Harbor boaters a 10% discount on your first cleaning. They are bonded and insured and use all natural, non-toxic, and earth-friendly products. Call 619-885-4553 or email service@purecleaningservices.com for an appointment.

Article Submissions Wanted for the Newsletter
Have an interesting sea story or item of interest you think our newsletter readers would enjoy? Click here to send an e-mail with your submission to Allie Laurie - 50 words or less please.

Let Us Hear From You
That's it for now - Remember, if you have any questions or items you would like to discuss, please send us an email. We would like to hear from you.

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

A Big Thank You To The Operation Clean Sweep Team
A very successful Operation Clean Sweep 2007 is now behind us. The shoreside clean up sites for June 2nd 2007 included; Chula Vista Marina, Cesar Chavez Park, Shelter Island, Chollas Creek, while the Civilian and Navy Divers were sweeping under the waters in the America's Cup Harbor area. This year our volunteers cleaned up over 305 cubic yards of trash out of our Big Bay and surrounding areas where the trash would eventually end up in our bay! We were also successful in pulling out 1 sunken boat from Americas Cup Harbor area, along with other items that don't belong in our bay such as, tires, toilets, tools, engines, and batteries. Even an old ping pong table was found this year!

After the clean up volunteers enjoyed the "Treasure Hunt Junk Party". The first place trash that was found was an old seat from an airplane! We enjoyed a fantastic BBQ and beer donated by Budweiser. The very talented U.S Navy jazz combo "The Destroyers" played into the afternoon for us. Everyone had a great time!

Thank you for your continued support of Operation Clean Sweep. Truly, we could not have done it without you and we hope that you will be able to be a part of Operation Clean Sweep 2008 when we celebrate our 18th year of cleaning up the bay on June 7th, 2008.

To see other pictures of Operation Clean Sweep 2007, please take a look at the San Diego Port Tenants Association website.

Yours Truly,
Kristin Tyson-Peterson
Director of Operations - SDPTA

PC Tip - Your Favorite Web Sites
Pretty much everybody knows that you can save web site addresses that you'd like to remember to a list of "Favorites" by clicking on the "Add To Favorites" selection under the "Favorites" pull down menu. But if you're the kind of person that has lots and lots of favorites, you may spend a lot of unnecessary time hunting for your favorite favorite if it's buried way down in the list. (Huh? - That's a lot of favorites!). Anyway, if you click on the "Organize Favorites" selection under the Favorites pull down menu, you can move your favorite favorites up to the top of the list by clicking on a favorite and holding down the click button on your mouse while you drag it up higher in the list.

Between the Sheets - Taking Care of Your Sails
Sails are something we sailors often take for granted. We uncover them, motor into the bay and hoist them, and we set off for a pleasant day on the water. But wait, what was that tearing sound as we trimmed the head sail? There it is - the leach line with no pocket; flapping in the breeze.

If it's been months or longer since you really examined your sails, here are some pointers that I learned many years ago from a Sail Wright after an unscheduled visit to his sail loft. Check your sails by hoisting them a foot at a time. Check the stitching, grommet and attaching points for any missing stitches, loose threads, or damaged attaching points. If you find any damage mark the area with blue painters tape. ( It's difficult to locate the damage later without doing that). Then if everything is o.k., make sure your sail is clean. There are many ways to do this. I prefer hoisting the sail and scrubbing both sides with a mild biodegradable soap solution and soft brush, rinsing each section until all soap is removed. Let sail remain hoisted until completely dry. Flogging of your sails when wet can stretch the sails. Always un-tension the out-haul after sailing - constant tension will stretch the sail and cause undue stress on the stitching.

If your sails are not the pristine white you desire but the fabric is in good shape, there are many sail cleaning and reconditioning process available that will clean, repair, resining and renew the logos and numbers for a fraction of the cost of a new sail check the internet under sail cleaning. Happy sailing - See you on the water!

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.

Selecting Maintenance Services for Your Boat - Part 2
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. Ask your service provider to...

1. Limit work done in the marina to minor maintenance. Take larger projects to an onshore service with proper equipment and pollution controls.

2. Use biodegradable & environmentally friendly products. Read labels & ask your maintenance service for more information.

4. When painting, ask your service provider to... Cover water between boat & dock with visquine (plastic sheet) or tarp. Clean, dry & reuse visquine & tarps. Reverse boat in slip to work on other side Mix only the amount of paint needed for the job. Mix paint on land, not on the dock; avoid dripping paint on dock. Use drip pans & containment trays to catch drips and spills. Have absorbent pads & thinner ready to clean up spills. Clean brushes on land. Seal containers tightly when not in use. Don't paint in a heavy breeze.

5. When sanding, ask your service provider to... Cover the water between boat and dock with visquine or tarps. Clean, dry & reuse visquine & tarps. Reverse boat in slip to work on other side. Use a dust containment bag with sanding equipment. Sweep or vacuum all residual sanding dust and put it in the trash. Don't sand with steel wool; dust makes rust spots on other boats, docks or equipment. Plug scuppers to contain dust and debris. Don't sand underwater or in a heavy breeze.

6. When cleaning, ask your service provider to... Avoid products with lye, ammonia, sodium hypochlorite, petroleum or chlorine. Use soap in moderation. More soap doesn't mean more clean.

7. For Exterior Teak Decks and Trim, ask your service provider to... Allow teak to fade to gray. Rinse it as needed with fresh or salt water to remove dirt. This reduces wear and tear from particles under foot. Teak trim requires different care than teak decks. Varnished exterior teak lasts longer and provides more protection than an oil finish. Sand and varnish teak trim as needed. Use teak cleaners and soaps sparingly. Solvents in cleaners eat away at the soft grain of teak and damage seam compounds. Caustic cleaners and varnishes should not be introduced to marine waters. Dispose of extras as hazardous waste. For the look of freshly sanded teak that is easy on the environment, scrub teak decks with clean salt water and let the sun bleach them.

Your Impact on the San Diego Bay
Part 2: Endangered Species
Fish are a significant part of the bay's ecosystem, but unfortunately they are only a small percentage of the species threatened by endangerment in the San Diego Bay. What exactly is an endangered species? It is a species at risk of extinction because of human activity, changes in climate, or changes in predator-prey ratios. They are officially designated as such by a governmental agency such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Extinction has plagued the world throughout history, but a link has been found between increase in extinction rates and increase in human growth rates (which have tremendously risen in the modern era). Shockingly, on average one species goes extinct every day.

Sadly, San Diego is home to several endangered species, such as the following:
3- California Least Tern
3 Western Snowy Plover
3 California Brown Pelican
3 White Abalone
3 Turtles (Leatherback, Loggerhead, Olive Ridley & Green)
3 Whales (Sperm, Northern Right, Sei, Blue, Fin, Humpback)
3 Steller Sea Lion
3 Guadalupe Fur Seal

Boats impact these animals by displacing them from their habitats, frightening them, the occasional yet deadly oil spill, and dropping trash into their habitat. To prevent these species from becoming endangered, or to prevent further endangerment of other species we must be careful, and take precautionary action. Always make sure that you are considerate of animals, and try avoiding their habitats. Before departure, check all possible places in which oil could escape from your boat; oil is toxic and extremely harmful to animals. Never throw trash into the water, or store it in an unstable area where it could possibly get into the water.

Change has also been made in a more communal effort. Laws to help in the prevention of further loss of animals have been established by people hoping to make a change. Both the Migratory Bird Protection Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, protect animals around the San Diego Bay. Thanks to these programs, we have seen a significant increase in the marine species in or around the San Diego Bay. The Clean Water Act is one which has made the more significant change, and has helped bring the marine species of the San Diego back to life.

Sara Islas is Sun Harbor's intern from High Tech High School. This is the second installment of her three part series on how we impact our San Diego Bay environment. Next month - Part 3 - The Clean Water Act

Wooden Boat Festival Was Good Fun
Even though it was Koehler Kraft's 17th annual Shelter Island San Diego Wooden Boat Festival, we had never been to it before, and had no idea what to expect. What we found on Father's Day weekend was a whole different world of magnificent wooden vessels carefully tended to by a devoted group of people. There were everything from mahogany inboard ski-boats from the early 1900's era, to modern day wooden craft, and many boats in various stages of restoration. There were a few well attended demonstrations on topics like marine electricity 101 and how to make hand made rope fenders, but the main attraction were the 18 in-water and 6 out of water boats on display. It's a small intimate event, but I highly recommend it as a must do next Father's Day weekend for anyone who would like to see how the boating world was before fiberglass.

2007 Independence Day Fireworks Shows
Fireworks will fill the skies at Glorietta Bay, Mission Bay, and San Diego Bay on the evening of July 4th. You can watch the skies above San Diego Bay come alive with color when the 7th Annual Big Bay July 4th Fireworks Show launches at 9:00 p.m. The 20-minute display of some of the most technically advanced pyrotechnics will be fired from four barges and choreographed to music simulcast live on Star 94.1 FM radio.

The barges will be located near Shelter Island, Harbor Island, the North Embarcadero where B Street Pier is located and off Seaport Village. There are several waterfront park areas, including Shelter Island, Harbor Island, Spanish Landing, Tuna Harbor, Embarcadero Marina Park North and Coronado Tidelands Park that offer excellent venus to enjoy the show. Parking is always a challenge, so take the trolley or stay in one of the bayside hotels if you can.

Also Happening In July
The 27th Annual Sand Castle Days and Sandcastle Ball will be held on Friday, Saturday & Sunday, July 27th-30th at Imperial Beach. This unique event is free (except for the Sandcastle Ball). The Sandcastle weekend begins Friday night with the annual Sandcastle Ball and continues Saturday with a street festival, pancake breakfast, parade and fireworks. The official competition is held Sunday. For the exact schedule, visit US Open Sand Castle.

New Hilton Hotel Takes Shape
That huge structure taking shape on San Diego bay just South of the Convention Center is the new Hilton San Diego Convention Center Hotel. Located across from the San Diego Convention Center at the intersection on Harbor Drive and Eighth Avenue, the project will transform the former Campbell Shipyard site into a 32-story, 1.65 million square-foot structure which includes a 385 foot tower, 106,000 square feet of meeting space, 5,360 square feet of retail space, a 23,082 square-foot health club, 1,200 guest rooms, a 14,000 square-foot restaurant, a 4.3-acre public park, and a water taxi dock to serve hotel guests. The hotel is tentatively scheduled to open in Summer 2008.

Uninsured Vendors Can Cost You Plenty
Do you check vendors that work on your boat to see if they have current insurance? Common sense and potential big dollar liability suggest you should. The failure of a vendor to have insurance can leave you in the position of insuring yourself. In some cases, lack of insurance can mean that the vendor either lacks the assets to fix the problem or there are other problems in their business practices. Additionally, if the vendor does not carry Workman's Compensation, you could possibly be liable for a workman's compensation claim. The bottom line? Make sure your vendors are insured! It only takes a minute to gain that peace of mind.