October 28 - November 10, 2022 The Log Digital Edition

Brokerages

GREEN SAILING WITH NEWPORT ELECTRIC BOATS

NEWPORT BEACH— Newport Electric Boats has been making

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Salinity Staircases in the Arctic Ocean

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

Researchers at the University of To ronto have determined the mechanism responsible for the formation of tempera ture and salinity “staircases” in the Arc tic Ocean.

Understanding how these vertical structures work will further explain the causes and consequences of rapid Arctic Sea ice loss amid climate change.

“Our discovery of a new mechanism of hydrodynamic instability provides in sights into the formation of staircase-like structures resulting from the mixing of warm salt water and cooler fresh water,” said Yuchen Ma, a Ph.D. candidate in the department of physics in the Faculty of Arts & Science and lead author of a study published in Physical Review Fluids de scribing the findings in an interview with phys.org.

Known as thermohaline staircases, these step-like variations of temperature and salt concentration are common in a wide range of regions of the global ocean.

The findings thoroughly verify a prior analysis by the same authors published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics in 2020 that confirmed the existence of this new hydrodynamic instability. The validation

was achieved by designing a series of di rect numerical simulations of turbulence in the Arctic Ocean to understand global ocean circulation better.

“The ocean is typically thought of as a highly chaotic and turbulent environ ment, so it is striking to see such strong ly defined layers of salt and heat within it,” says Ma.

The flow of heat out of the ocean into the overlying sea ice is enhanced by the company of thermohaline staircases. Therefore, understanding the staircase formation procedure in the polar oceans is essential for developing future global warming projections and informing ef forts to mitigate sea ice loss.

“In this era of global warming, it is a well-recognized fact that the loss of Arc tic Ocean sea ice cover is a critical as pect of this global process,” said Univer sity Professor W. Richard Peltier, of the department of physics who is a co-author of the studies and Ma’s Ph.D. supervisor.

“While the extent to which staircase formation is contributing to this loss has yet to be quantified, we can certainly say that the ocean component of the cli mate models employed to make projec tions of the global warming process are not able to resolve the staircase forma tion process.”

The research builds on previous work that focused on understanding global ocean circulation under the ice age con ditions from 30,000 to 70,000 years ago.

In a previous model of glacial climate, the quick changes from cold to warm weather were confirmed to be caused by

an extensive “hole” in the sea ice cover of the North Atlantic Ocean resulting from heat flow out of the ocean into the sea ice. The magnitude of this heat flow was determined by assuming a staircase had formed into the sea below.

These staircases intervene in the heat transport from the warm water of Atlantic origin to the Arctic halocline and therefore serve as an essential process in determining the heat flux from the Atlantic Water upward to the sea ice.

FAST FACTS

How the Titanic Changed Maritime History

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

After the Titanic sank on April 14, 1912, several acts and laws were passed to avoid future maritime tragedies. With the passing of these new policies, ships now required better safety procedures and construction, constant contact with others on the sea and coastal radio stations, and rightful compensation for maritime injuries.

Following the ships sinking, the British and American Boards of Inquiry decided that ships should carry enough lifeboats for everyone onboard. In addition, lifeboat drills and inspections became required to help avoid another mass boat-sinking accident.

These requirements and more were a part of Safety of Life at Sea, an international maritime treaty that sets the minimum safety standards for construction, equipment, and operation of merchant ships.

SOLAS was developed in 1914 because of the sinking of the Titanic but was not fully adopted until 1974.

The Titanic’s disaster also prompted ships to be redesigned

for better safety. For example, the ship’s bulkheads were built higher so water could not get in, and bottoms were stretched to create double hulls. These changes contributed to more suitable, safer, and reliable sea travel.

The radio act of 1912 was also formed. This requires that all sea vessels have a 24-hour radio system to stay in contact with other ships on the water and coastal radio stations. In addition, after this act was passed, all radio operators were required to obtain a license to promote the credibility and responsibility of operators.

First developed in 1914, the International Ice Patrol was founded to alert any sea vessels

traveling in the shipping routes of Europe, Canada, and the United States of any icebergs. Today, the U.S. Coast Guard runs the International Ice Patrol.

According to Baumhedlundlaw.com, the Jones Act, or the Merchant Marine Act, was passed in 1920. This federal law has many components, but it also allows a ship employee or “seaman” injured at sea to file a lawsuit against their employer. This act calls for rightful compensation and recovery for the injured party.

Even with all the regulations implemented after the Titanic, the seas can still be perilous.

Letters/Online Comments

The RMS Titanic, a luxury steamship, sank after sideswiping an iceberg during its maiden voyage. Of the 2,240 passengers and crew on board, more than 1,500 lost their lives in the disaster, sparking the change in maritime laws.

“the management skills of our government are horrific, the decline in fish population is due to putting the coastal sea lions on the endangered list. Each one consumes 100lbs of fish on the average a day and not the whole fish, they take a bite or two out of their guts and throw the rest away.”

Desalination In Doheny Is Making Progress (APRIL 1- 14)

“Lot’s of opportunity here to provide much needed drinking water while addressing long overlooked environmental challenges like habitat conditions within the estuary and along stream corridor. A potential win-win on a grand scale.”

Sutherland

Historical Photo: Steelhead Trout Caught by a Fisherman in 1911 in Sespe Creek (SEPT. 30- OCT. 13)

On

Johnson by J.R. Johnson

Write to: The Log Editorial, P.O. Box 1337, Newport Beach, CA 92659 thelogeditor@thelog.com.

Village

news briefs

By Katherine M. Clements

SAN DIEGO — The Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners has approved a ten-year deal for a full-service restaurant and bar in Seaport Village. Cork and Batter will offer a first-class dining experience in a warm bungalow-themed environment with American fare created with freshly sourced ingredients, craft beer, wine, and hand-crafted cocktails. In addition, during sporting games, Cork and Batter will show live games on multiple flat screens.

“If you’re looking for delicious food, a good cold beverage, and a place to cheer on your favorite San Diego sports team, Cork and Batter will have that along with the San Diego Bay views and vibrant, friendly atmosphere we all love at Seaport Village,” said Chairman Dan Malcolm, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners in a press release from Oct. 17.

Cork and Batter will be operated by BNG Hospitality Group, a Los Angelesbased restaurant management, and marketing company.

“Cork and Batter currently operates in the heart of Inglewood’s entertainment and sports district, across the street from Sofi stadium and directly in front of Intuit Dome, the future home of Los Angeles Clippers,” said Drew Gates, BNG’s managing partner in the press release. “We are actively expanding this concept into other cities around the country, including nearby Simi Valley, as well as Boston, Miami, and Atlanta.”

Cork and Batter will anchor Suite E3 in the Lighthouse District in the Seaport Village, covering approximately 7,989 square feet of indoor restaurant space and a patio and courtyard area. The Port expects Cork and Batter to help draw more tourists to the Lighthouse District and continue to elevate the existing dining and shopping experiences at the shopping center.

Since taking ownership of Seaport Village in 2018, the Port has closely coordinated with property manager Protea Property Management, Inc. and broker Retail Insite to remake Seaport Village into a vibrant waterfront destination along the San Diego bayfront for locals and tourists. As a result, Seaport Village features primarily locally owned and operated businesses with a mix of old and new favorites. A fun lineup of new tenants includes Louisiana Charlie’s, Tuk Tuk Eatery, Mike Hess Brewing, and Eclectique Boutique. In addition, future tenants will include Zytoun Gourmet Mediterranean, Malibu Farm, Shorebird, Crack Taco Shop, and Gladstone’s.

For more information, visit seaportvillage.com and follow Seaport Village on Instagram and Facebook for daily updates.

Newport Beach Seeks Coastal Commission Approval for Controversial Dredging Project

NEWPORT BEACH — On Oct. 14, the OC Coastkeeper released a press release stating that the California Coastal Commission will review a contentious Coastal Development Permit application that would significantly impact Newport Harbor. The City of Newport Beach is looking to make a Confined Aquatic Disposal facility to address underwater sediment accumulation. If approved, the CAD project would bury contaminated sediment dredged from nearby channels in the center of Newport Harbor. Occasional dredging is essential to keep the waterways deep enough for boats to travel through safely.

Orange County Coastkeeper is arguing that the proposed CAD project is not the best option available for the following reasons:

1. The City of Newport Beach has wrongfully characterized the sediment as harmless. The city’s fact sheet claims that the dredged sediment is not considered hazardous or toxic but is still considered “unsuitable” to be disposed of in the EPA-approved ocean dumpsite off Newport’s coast.

2. The project’s thin proposed interim cap layer may lead to contamination due to burrowing marine life. For the first two years of the CAD project, the city would utilize a 12-inch cap layer until the project’s final capping is complete. However, Coastkeeper is concerned that burrowing marine life and emergency anchoring could disturb this thin layer of sediment, releasing hazardous substances into the harbor.

3. The city has not thoroughly considered potential alternative projects.

Since the CAD project’s initial cost estimate and environmental impact report, new conditions have been added, leading Coastkeeper to question if the project’s initial cost estimates are accurate. In addition, Coastkeeper notes that the city has not considered alternative projects, such as plans that would treat the sediment before disposal.

STATE/NATIONAL/ INTERNATIONAL

The California Clean Boating Network will host a free educational virtual workshop on Nov. 9 that will have California experts discuss top-tier subjects that impact California waterways. Several topics will be addressed, including:

•  The state of the microplastics science in California, how the EPA plans for monitoring and managing them, and dispelling some common misconceptions along the way.

• The importance of monitoring

LEGAL ADVICE ask a maritime attorney

By David Weil

Annual Possessory Interest Tax on Previously Owned Slip.

Founded

WRITE TO: P.O. Box 1337

Newport Beach, CA 92659 (949) 660-6150 (800) 873-7327

QUESTION:

I have a question about the assessment of “possessory interest” taxes on my marina slip. I keep my boat in a city-owned marina. After months of complaining that my dock was sinking, they finally moved me to a new slip and completely dismantled my old slip. The slip has not been replaced, so I was really surprised when I received a tax bill from the county earlier this year for my old slip. The bill indicated that it was for the period from July 1 of this year through June 30 next year. When I contacted the assessor’s office to question this, they advised that they are unable to pro-rate or refund taxes when a tenant leaves a slip in the middle of the year. This seems ridiculous in light of the fact that I left before July 1, and in light of the fact that the slip no longer exists! This is important to me because my new slip is in less desirable location, and as such I assume the value, and therefore the taxes will be lower. Regardless of the amount of the assessment on the new slip, I am concerned that I will end up being taxed on both slips. Do I have any recourse at all with all of this?

David Weil is the managing attorney at Weil & Associates (www. weilmaritime.com) in Seal Beach. He is certified as a Specialist in Admiralty and Maritime Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and a “Proctor in Admiralty” Member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, an adjunct professor of Admiralty Law, and former legal counsel to the California Yacht Brokers Association. If you have a maritime law question for Weil, he can be contacted at 562-799-5508, through his website at www.weilmaritime.com, or via email at dweil@ weilmaritime.com.

Log Abroad

The Log Leaves the Stand for Mallorca

“Karl and Suzy Wagner and Gerry and Natilee Cope of Southwestern Yacht Club in San Diego enjoy reading TheLog while sailing a 12-meter catamaran around the island of Mallorca,” said Susan Wagner in an email to TheLog. ‘Tall ships, small ships, ships that sail the seas. The best ships are friendships, and may they ever be.’”

ANSWER: Our reader is referring to the annual Possessory Interest Tax paid by marina tenants to the county in which a publicly owned marina is located. When a person or entity leases, rents, or uses real estate owned by a government agency, that person or entity has a taxable possessory interest in the property. In this case, “real estate” includes tidelands adjacent to government-owned property, which in turn includes city-owned marinas. You owe the tax because your landlord is a tax-exempt government entity.

Ordinarily, the owner of the marina would be responsible for paying property tax on the assessed value of the entire marina. However, in the case of a municipal marina, the property owner is a tax exempt government entity, and under California law the obligation to pay property tax is passed on to the individual tenants of the marina in the form of the Possessory Interest Tax. The justification for this treatment is that a commercial marina would pass its property tax burden on to its tenants in the form of

Please see ATTORNEY,

Fax (949) 660-6172

EDITORIAL/CREATIVE (949) 660-6150

Editor and Publisher Duncan McIntosh, Jr. duncan@goboating.com

General Manager Kathleen Ford kathleen@goboating.com (949) 519-4745

Editor Katherine Clements katherine@goboating.com

Graphic Artist

Meredith V. Ewell

Contributors

J.R. Johnson, Bob Vanian, Catherine French, David Weil, Capt. Pat Rains

ADVERTISING SALES (949) 660-6150

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The Smallest Skipper Oliver loves when the family goes on Duffy boat rides around the Long Beach marina. He is small enough to site on Grandpaws lap to stay warm!

The Boating Life Chose Sheba

“Sheba is a 1yo Rhodesian Ridgeback who has grown up on my Hunter ‘41DS,” said Sean Bertram in an email to TheLog. “She loves to sail in calm seas and playing in the waves. No issues getting up and down the stairs as females can climb trees. Only difficult when good snacks are around :) Love the Log and the dog photos ”

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Log, PO Box 1337, Newport Beach, CA 92659.

SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: One year, $39.00 by third class mail. Subscriptions are transferable but not refundable. Call us at (800) 887-1615. The Log is published every other Friday and distributed throughout Southern California.

New Editor for the Log to Take a Bow

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

Hello readers,

My name is Katherine Clements, and I am the new editor for The Log newspa per. After serving as a staff writer for this publication for over a year, my predeces sor has moved on to a new adventure, and I have taken over the role of editor. I am very excited to be navigating this newspa per, which has taught me so much about the maritime industry.

I am a graduate of California State University, Dominguez Hills, where I re ceived a Bachelor’s in Journalism— Go Toros! I have been part of the newspa per staff for every school I’ve attended since my senior year in high school. I fell in love with writing and reporting my senior year at Huntington Beach High School when my favorite English teach er and I resurrected the school newspa per. I continued on to write for Golden West College, CSUDH, and other various publications.

A year in the maritime news indus

From page 6

Attorneyhigher rents, and that the rent in a mu nicipal marina is therefore artificially low. Theoretically.

In any case, regardless of the name of the tax or the justification for the tax, it is part of the property tax system. The owner of the property (or in this case the possessor of the property) on January 1st of each year is liable for the tax each year.

Property tax should not be viewed as a tax for a particular time period (such as a year). Instead, it is a tax assessed on the person who owned or had possession of the property on January 1st each year. We may agree to pro-rate the tax when we buy a boat or a home, but in fact January 1st is the only date that matters and the other 364 days each year are essentially tax free. It makes no difference if you sell or move away on January 2nd. You still owe the entire amount of the tax as of January 1st. Likewise, if you move into a slip on Feb ruary 1 and move out on December 1, you owe no tax for the year because you were not a tenant on January 1.

In our reader’s case, he was the posses sor of record on January 1, so he owes tax for this year. Period. The fact that the slip no longer exists is totally irrelevant, be cause he is only being taxed for his posses sion of the slip on January 1. And, he won’t receive a tax bill this year for his new slip because he was not the possessor of that slip on January 1.

The most confusing aspect of the prop erty tax system is probably the reference on the tax bill to the July 1 to June 30 time period. This reference is actually to the fiscal year during which the county will be spending the tax money. It has noth ing to do with the taxpayer’s obligation to pay the tax, and as such it really does add a lot of confusion to the process. Again, the only date that is relevant to the assess

try has taught me so much. My first question ever was, “what’s a gaff?” But now I am gaffing my dorados on charter trips. I’m very excited to continue deliv ering you news and coming up with fun boating and fishing features to keep you entertained!

ment is January 1.

Finally, the fact that our reader’s orig inal slip may have been in a more desir able location or was otherwise perceived to have a higher value has no bearing on the assessed value of the slip. As such it has no bearing on the amount of the tax unless the marina charges a different rate for the more desirable slip. The assessed value of a possessory interest in commer cial property is based upon a valulation of the rights held by the user of the property rather than an assessment of the value of the property itself. The rights of a mari na tenant are derived from their slip rental agreement, and the assessed value is based upon the estimated net income generated by the slip for the year rather than the es timated market value of the real estate. In our reader’s case, since the rent at his new slip is the same as the rent at his old slip, the estimated net income received by the marina for the slip will be the same, and his tax bill will therefore be the same for the new slip.

More detailed information regarding property tax questions will be available through the tax assessor’s office for the county in which the property is located or by contacting an attorney experienced in yacht and marina property tax issues.

David Weil is licensed to practice law in the state of California and as such, some of the information provided in this col umn may not be applicable in a jurisdic tion outside of California. Please note also that no two legal situations are alike, and it is impossible to provide accurate legal advice without knowing all the facts of a particular situation. Therefore, the infor mation provided in this column should not be regarded as individual legal advice, and readers should not act upon this infor mation without seeking the opinion of an attorney in their home state.

POINT LOMA

PIER

Point

Katherine M. Clements image

Big Bucks Caught at the Bisbee’s Series

The multimillion-dollar tournament is back for its 42nd year, where anglers from around the world travel to Los Cabos and compete for the heftiest prize in the tournament industry.

By: KATHERINE M CLEMENTS

LOS CABOS — The Bisbee Tournaments series began their 42nd season in early August in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, beginning with the 23rd annual Bisbee East Cape Offshore in Buena Vista, with a record-breaking $1,614,425 cash prizes for 97 teams of anglers to compete for. The Bisbee’s tournament includes three events. The second tournament to take place is the Los Cabos Offshore Tournament, which took place Oct. 20-23 and will be followed by the largest and longest standing in the series, the Back & Blue Tournament from Oct. 25-29.

The 2022 Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore winners for first place for top tournament team won $61,110, first place for heavi est tuna won $20,370, and first place for heaviest dorado won $20,370; there were ten first-place payouts in total. For the complete scoring and awards, visit the Bisbee’s website.

D uring the Bisbee’s East Cape Off shore event, team Stella June’s angler, Hugo Pina, boated a 375-pound black marlin on the second day of the threeday event earning the team a reward ing $3,430 per pound payday equal ing $1,286,385 of the $1,614,425 shared a mong the six winners of the 97 teams competing.

This raised the expectations of the Bisbee teams for another record-break ing year for the two following events held i n Cabo San Lucas during the last half of October.

Millions of dollars are generated for the winners through entry fees for each event in the series. Daily Jackpots are optional to participate in, but if the an

gler decides to enter a jackpot, they must enter all fishing days of the tournament. For example, in the Black & Blue, with three days of fishing, the $500 Daily Jackpot would cost $1,500. The jackpot fees are per boat, not per angler. You can enter none, one, all, or any combination of jackpots; each tournament has at least five jackpots to win from.

T he second tournament in the string is the 2022 Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore tournament which took place from Oct. 2023, and the last is the Black & Blue. The results from these tournaments will be shared in the Nov. 11 issue of the Log.

Bob Bisbee founded the Bis bee’s Tournaments in 1981, an entrepreneur who parlayed an everyday fuel dock business in California into what is now the largest independently run biggame fishing tournament. The Black & Blue tournament was the first that Bisbee started with a total payout of $10,000, which has grown to more than 150 teams with millions of dollars on the line. In 2006 the, Black & Blue had its biggest overall cash payout of $4,165,960. This was, and remains, the largest payout in sportfishing history.

Over the years, each tourna ment has developed its person ality, with the East Cape Off shore being a laid-back “Cabo fi shing as it used to be” styled event. The Los Cabos, which takes place just days before the Black & Blue each year, is nick named the “Little Bisbee’s” and is more of a social event full of camaraderie where friends can meet, trade stories, and get in a few days of fishing before the “Big Show.”

The final tournament in the series, Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament, is tough to describe to those who have never been. It’s a five-day event described as organized chaos full of passionate excitement.

The lively city of Cabo San Lucas is the backdrop for thousands of people crowd ing the marina walkways to shop, party, and watch giant fish being weighed in at the scales in front of the world-famous Puerto Paraiso Entertainment Plaza. The Black & Blue is a once-in-a-lifetime af fair that anglers never forget whether you take home memories or millions. The

Black & Blue Tournament is the largest of the three and targets black marlin, blue marlin, pacific sailfish, spearfish, sword fish, and striped marlin, which is where it gets its name.

For more information on the events, to register, or watch the live scoring, please visit https://www.bisbees.com/home.

Image courtesy of Gary Graham; Bisbee’s

Image courtesy of Gary Graham; Bisbee’s

Image courtesy of Gary Graham; Bisbee’s

Image courtesy of Gary Graham; Bisbee’s

In 2021 during the Los Cabos Offshore Tournament, Team Pelagic won first place for their catches, winning them $863,480.

Team Braniff won over one million in total for their accomplishments during the Black & Blue Tournament.

Team Stella June’s angler, Hugo Pina, boated a 375-pound black marlin on the second day of the three-day event earning the team a rewarding $3,430 per pound payday equaling $1,286,385.

Trophies are awarded to the top three teams that accumulate the most billfish release points.

Green Sailing with Newport Electric Boats

While environmental concerns are on the rise, so is electric boating. Newport Electric Boats in Costa Mesa are heavily focusing on electric propulsion systems to benefit not only the environment but your bank account as well.

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

NEWPORT BEACH — Newport Electric Boats has been making electric propulsion systems since Walt White founded the company in 2020 and has been selling them across the east and west coasts. White is an electrical and systems engineer with a long career involving new product design and development in multiple industries. The system is completely clean, easily installed, and has battery options for day sailing, weekend cruising, and longer journeys.

The motor fits into sailboats in the same space as the original diesel. It mounts to the same motor mounts and couples to the propeller shaft in the same way as the original diesel motor had. This feature simplifies the installation and is familiar to anyone accustomed to working with boats.

“As of today, we only sell systems or electric propulsion,” said Walt White, owner of Newport Electric Boats. “A customer simply purchases what they need from our website, and then we ship them the equipment. We include an installation manual with the package, which is used by their shipyard or marine mechanic during their re-powering process. As our company grows, we’ll eventually offer installation services, but right now, we only provide the systems.”

These electric systems offer significant economic benefits. Similar to an electric car, there are more up-front costs. However, once the system is installed, it begins to pay for itself through fuel savings but also because of the zero maintenance required.

“Also, just about all slips already include an AC power receptacle at the dock, and the cost of electricity is typically included in the slip fees,” said White.

“Therefore, once an electric system is installed, there are no ongoing costs. There is no oil to change, no fuel tank to fill, and no other maintenance such as worn impellers, belts, filters, hoses, etc.”

While an electric motor can push the boat as fast as diesel, it’s generally not used for that purpose. Battery power needs to be managed more carefully than diesel fuel. For example, the NEB-25 package sold by Newport Electric Boats will run the motor for six hours while consuming about 1.5 kW (~2HP). More power can be used when more power is needed for reasons like leaving a harbor, fighting a chop, an incoming tide, or a headwind. Likewise, no battery power is used when

the wind blows, and the sails can be utilized. When strong winds are blowing, the motor automatically turns into a generator and puts harvested electric power from the propeller dragging back into the battery.

The battery can be charged in many ways. Using the AC receptacle at the dock is the easiest. Having a solar array on the boat is also very useful, mainly to keep the house batteries charged for things like cabin lighting, cooling the refrigerator, running water pumps, or the windlass.

“Solar can also be routed to the pro-

The Newport-15 is a 15 kW (20 HP) inboard electric motor designed as a drop-in replacement for sailboats currently using diesel engines. The motor fits into the exact location, mounts on the same motor mounts, and couples to the propeller shaft in the same way as the most common sailboat diesel engines.

The team at Hawthorne Marine Power has a unique understanding of the wants and needs of the mega yacht owner and the engineering crews who run them. From marine engines to generator sets, power solutions and Genuine Cat® parts, Hawthorne Marine power provides a one-stop solution to keep you up and running.

Plus, we’re backed by the renowned

network

Give

Image courtesy of Walt White; Newport Electric Boats.

Clean and green

By: MARK CORKE

Many manufacturers claim their boatcare products are environmentally friendly. But how effective are they at getting your boat clean? The BoatU.S. Foundation finds out

The staff at our BoatU.S. Foundation, dedicated to clean and safe boating, started this Green Cleaners test with two questions: What does “green” mean when it comes to the products we all use to clean our boats, and how well do they clean? In search of answers, we recently gathered in a driveway, soaking wet, covered in soap suds, cleaning dirty boats with a variety of “green” cleaners on the market, cleaners advertised as being safer for the environment.

This is the second time the Foundation tested “green” boat cleaners. Many of the products we tested in 2009 are no longer available, and many new products have since entered the market as more boaters have embraced more environmentally friendly cleaning alternatives. It was time for a new test.

Cleaning tests were carried out on fiberglass gelcoat; Hypalon, used to make inflatable dinghies; and sections of nonskid decking. We used the products as recommended by the manufacturers, and while some cleaned remarkably well, others had little effect – most noticeably the home remedies.

The first challenge was labeling. We found that that there are no federal requirements or specific standards that manufacturers must follow to make claims like “biodegradable” or “environmentally safe.” The Federal Trade Commission only requires that all claims “must be qualified and backed up by competent and reliable scientific evidence.” That’s a low bar.

In 2009, some products we looked at were marked with the “Design For The Environment” logo, now called “Safer Choice,” a certification initiative by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help consumers make smarter choices. Products with the Safer Choice logo contain ingredients that have been screened, but not tested, by EPA. This means that where two or more ingredients perform the same function, the one with the lesser environmental impact has been chosen and incorporated into the final product. Booyah Clean was the only product in our test carrying the Safer Choice logo.

Products carrying the Safer Choice logo aren’t necessarily more environmentally safe than those without it. The program is voluntary and requires participating manufacturers to go through a lengthy process and disclose all ingredients, a proprietary issue for some who chose not to participate in the EPA screening.

The aims of our BoatU.S. test were to assess the cleaning products, first on their ability to clean and second on their effect on marine life. Our findings are presented in a chart so you can compare our findings to decide which products are right for your situation.

The contenders

While there are many boat cleaners available, we chose nine commercially available products that are conveniently available from local boating-supply stores, like West Marine, or online. All products included some kind of “biodegradable” or “environmentally safe” marketing claim on their labels, online, or in marketing materials. And none were included in our previous test. We put the off-the-shelf products up against two common, homemade cleaning solutions often touted as the gold standards for eco-friendly cleaners – including on our own BoatU.S. Foundation website! Spoiler alert. They didn’t measure up.

When it came to testing the products, we followed the manufacturers’ recommendations for use. The majority were diluted in a bucket with water. A couple

Shrimp-like crustaceans called mysida were monitored several times daily under controlled conditions and their mortality rate recorded. The faster they died, the more impactful the cleaner.

come in spray bottles intended for spot cleaning, which we used full strength as instructed. The two homemade cleaners included a vinegar/water solution, and a solution of baking soda, white vinegar, lemon ammonia, and water. Both these home remedies were applied as spot cleaners using a spray bottle.

Adding elbow grease

In 2009, we tested the cleaners only on a fiberglass boat hull. This time we tested each on three different surfaces: Hypalon, used for making the tubes on many inflatable dinghies; stippled nonskid fiberglass; and smooth fiberglass gelcoat. Both the Hypalon and nonskid were cut into 12inch squares from boats beyond economic repair. The third test sample consisted of carefully marked-off sections on the hull of a small bowrider sitting on a trailer.

To be as fair and consistent as possible, we first rinsed each test panel with fresh water to remove any loose dirt before applying the cleaners. Cleaner was applied to Hypalon samples with a Scotch-Brite pad, the nonskid using a nylon-bristled scrub brush, and the smooth gelcoat with a sponge – all tools that the average boat owner might employ.

We also kept an uncleaned sample of each of the surfaces as “control” so at the end of the test, when everything was dry, we could make a side-by-side evaluation. While some cleaners clearly worked better than others, not all were equally effective on all three surfaces. As expected, the

10 TIPS FOR GREENER BOAT CLEANING

1. Rinse your boat with freshwater after every trip. It will go a long way in keeping the boat clean, and can prolong the periods between using detergent products.

2. Apply a good boat wax at least once per year to help prevent dirt, bird droppings, and airborne contaminants from adhering to the boat to make cleaning easier.

3. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, especially regarding dilution levels. During our product tests, we found that increasing the detergent-to-water ratio did not improve cleaning power.

4. If your marina has a designated wash-down area, use that for all boat cleaning. A boat cleaned out of the water will likely have less of an impact on water quality than one cleaned afloat where the runoff has a direct path to the water.

5. Most products require treatment in a wastewater treatment plant to be truly nontoxic and biodegradable, so use them in an area that doesn’t drain directly to the water.

6. Some cleaners, although they may not be as environmentally friendly as others, clean better using less product, so overall environmental impact may be decreased. So, always start by using less product, which may be quite enough to do the job

7. For overall cleaning, use a general-purpose boat wash and a spot cleaner to remove tougher stains.

8. When a using a spot cleaner, wipe the area with a cloth that can be disposed of ashore, rather than rinsing off with water.

9. For boats stored in the water in coastal areas, wash the boat on an outgoing tide, which allows any soap runoff to be carried away from shore.

10. Avoid cleaning the boat in full sun. Warmer temperatures make cleaners evaporate faster, and you’ll end up using more product.

smooth gelcoat was the easiest surface to clean, and all the cleaners rated well on that surface. The Hypalon and nonskid seemed to hang on to the dirt and showed less difference before and after cleaning. Ratings revealed which cleaners worked best on those surfaces.

Off to the lab

Finally, for the nonpartial scientific evaluation of the impact, if any, that these cleaners could have on the environ-

Mark Corke photo

Mark Corke photo

ment, samples of each clean er were sent to the Univer sity of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. The Foundation also paid for the Chesapeake Biological Lab oratory in Solomons, Mary land, to assess the cleaners f or their effect on marine life. Testing was carried out under the auspices of Dr. Carys Mitchelmore, a profes sor at the university and ex pert in this type of research.

To test each product, a sample was mixed accord ing to the manufacturer’s instructions then combined with a consistent, measured amount of seawater con taining 10 neonatal mysi da. Mysida ( Americamysis bahia) are small shrimplike crustaceans, also called opossum shrimp, which have long been used as test sub jects as there is considerable data regarding their sensitiv ity to myriad environmental contaminants.

Under carefully con trolled laboratory condi tions, each of the samples was monitored at fixed inter vals, noting the time it took for the mysida to die. Essen tially, the faster they die, the more negatively impactful the cleaner is on marine life and environment. Testing was limited to marine-life toxicity; no testing was done on biodegradability claims.

The bottom line

303

Power

Boat

As expected, no one prod uct we tested walked away as the clear winner in every category. Some cleaned one material really well, others had different attributes; some cleaned ev erything adequately but killed our mysida test subjects more quickly. The takeaway? Depending on what you need to clean, consider having two “green” cleaners on hand – one for reliable general cleaning, and another for more difficult occasional

jobs such as nonskid or hypalon. There are many good options that work well and do less harm to the environment.

Another great takeaway? The clear consensus was that the “green” cleaners that scored highest on our test stacked up in cleaning power, in our staff’s years of personal boat-owning and boat-clean ing experience, to the majority of cleaners

on the market that make no claim to be less environmentally toxic. So, use these high-scorers with confidence, use the manufacturer’s recommended amount, minimize any product run-off, and enjoy happy times aboard, knowing you’re doing your part to keep our aquatic playground as clean as possible.

This article was reprinted with permission from BoatU.S. Magazine, flagship publication of the membership organization Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.). For more expert articles and videos to make your boating, sailing, or fishing better, visit BoatUS.com.

MEXICO REPORT: LOS CABOS TO LA PAZ: DO YOU KNOW THE WAY?

By: CAPT. PAT RAINS

Last time we hopped from Mag Bay non-stop down to Los Cabos. So, this time, let’s slow down and check out eight interesting sights and stops as we cruise around Baja’s giant East Cape bulge. This leg ends at the approach to the La Paz Channel, the gateway to the Sea of Cortez.

Because this 140-mile leg has only three anchorages that offer decent pro tection from northerly winds, it’s wise to w ait for a good forecast before depart ing either “Cabo” in the Los Cabos re gion. Also, on this leg, the southbound current off the Pacific will mix with any local wind-driven current and tidal cur rent from the whole Sea of Cortez.

Plan to run this initial curving coast line at least 3 n.m. out, just to avoid the few detached rocks and seasonal shoals that get amplified by runoff from recent tropical storms, especially soon after hur ricane season. A 2-lane road flanks the coast for only the first 50 miles.

The Gorda Banks (Outer, Inner) of fers world-famous fishing over a big patch o f detached seamounts (some only 42’ deep) located from five to 12 n.m. offshore to the southeast of Punta Gorda. Unfor tunately, the historic WWII shipwreck 4 .5 miles north of Punta Gorda finally rusted away. Anyway, if we hope for tasty dorado, cabrilla, grouper, or pargo for lunch, we better have lines in the water at sunrise. From Boca de Tule (first subma rine canyon) to landmark Cabo Los Frail es (second submarine canyon) is about 10 miles; en route, look for manta rays around detached Roca Salado discovered by oceanographer Terry Kennedy.

Bahia Los Frailes : Pronounced FRY-layz, this 1.25-mile-wide bay immediately south of the Frailes (Friars) headland (755’ tall) provides boat ers with coveted northw ind shelter and the only anchorage (two narrow shelves) within the na tional park. Have your C onservation Passports ready to show park rang ers in pangas; they may suggest the best spots to drop your hook for the night.

Cabo Pulmo Nation al Marine Park offers s pectacular snorkeling and scuba diving on El Pulmo, the massive liv ing coral-reef structure, n ow 20 years restored back to its colorful, pristine state and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This nat ural beauty is not to be missed.

A nchoring, even a dinghy, is strictly prohibited in the park to protect the frag ile living corals. Scuba divers can suit up and enter the water from aboard a rang er panga or charter boat drifting over the reef fingers. Snorkelers can do the same or can walk in from the beach south of Pulmo village, a collection of dive shops, hotels and, cafes 2.5 miles north of Cabo Los Frailes.

Ready to depart? We’ll safely avoid Pulmo Shoal (6’ depths) and its two ship wrecks by heading 3 n.m. due east from t he Frailes anchorages, turn due north, and continue at least 5 n.m. north be

fore making any westing. Punta Arena de la Riviera (23°33.35’N, 109°27.82’W) is low, sandy, and shoal for half a mile out, sometimes breaking, so we stay 1.5 n.m. offshore.

Marina Costa Palmas, next to La Ri bera fishing village in Bahia Las Palmas, promises to open its 20-slip marina on Jan. 1, 2023; then boaters can enter its newly dredged (15’) man-made channels, grab a comfy slip (6’ draft), get fuel and supplies, and soak up some Four Seasons amenities at Costa Palmas. For more in formation, visit CostaPalmas.com.

E xplore Ashore? Natural hot springs bubble up around the oasis villages of Santiago and Mira Flores, 20 miles from the marina, in the Sierra la Laguna foot hills. Ask Costa Palmas’ concierge to find y ou a knowledgeable local guide with 4WD for the day. Although just off High way 1, these undeveloped hot springs are on private “ranchos.” Pack in all your food

and water plus 200 pesos per person.

Bahia de Los Muertos: Although most of this 1-mile elongated bay is wide open to east and south conditions, little Muertos Cove at its north end gives good anchoring shelter (40 boats) from north winds that sometimes blast down the Sea of Cortez. Don’t expect fuel, water, or public moorings here, but you can usu ally get a cold beer and hot tacos in the C orona cantina on this beach. The for mer Bay of Dreams golf resort closed, but their clever Train Room restaurant at the south end of the bay sometimes opens for dinner-group tours. Gather up a group.

The place name “Muertos” refers to six train axles that, in 1920, were sunk as an chors in the north cove. The buried axles ( known as dead-man anchors or “muer tos” in Spanish) had once tethered three ore barges owned by El Triunfo silver

Approach to La Paz Channel: When approaching the La Paz Channel, swing wide outside ship moorings off Punta Prieta and boats anchored off Berkovich boat yard. Then swing tight to starboard to enter the channel and turn south to reach the harbor.

Photo Pat Rains

Courtesy Mexico Boating Guide

Sailboats anchored on the narrow shelf off the south side of Cabo Los Frailes, and cruisers stretch their legs on the southern beach of Frailes Bay. Have your Conservation Passports ready.

Los Cabos to Cabo Pulmo: From either Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo, this might be an easy first-day’s run.

Please see MEXICO REPORT, PAGE 13

mines up in the Lagunas. Back then, the barges came alongside a low stone wharf to load tons of silver ore bound for Mazatlan. Ruins of the stone wharf and warehouse are still visible today on the cove’s northern shoreline. Up in the mountains, remnants of El Triunfo’s 100-year-old train tracks are still found.

Punta Arena de la Ventana is a significant turning point into the Sea of Cortez, and four miles north rises the huge uninhabited Isla Cerralvo. In between, we transit the Cerralvo Channel, which is sometimes fraught with a strong current, wind chop, and tons of migrating marine life – whales, rays, and turtles galore.

In case the south wind chased you out of Muertos, anchorage for a dozen boats is possible on the north side of Ventana Lighthouse Point , off a 3-mile dazzling white sand beach. And you’re seven miles closer to La Paz.

San Lorenzo Channel , 30 n.m. up from Ventana, is the E-W passage midway between the shoaly north end of the La Paz peninsula and the shoaly south end of Isla Espiritu Santo. Lighted buoys and towers mark this 1.4-mile-wide deep-water channel itself. If big ships can thread this needle, we can too. Once through, we turn southwest and then south with increasing boat traffic.

La Paz Approach

In the next 11.5 n.m. to the start of the La Paz Channel, we pass 16 places of boating interest. Let’s look.

Balandra Bay reopened to anchoring in October after a 2-month cleanup from the 120’ yacht that burned to the waterline here. (No injuries.) We can snorkel the turquoise lagoon and kayak the mangroves. On departure, avoid aquaculture pens.

Roca Lobos Rock Light marks the entrance to Caleta Lobos, a pretty 2-fingered anchoring cove. El Merito is the intimate northern finger. Then we cruise south outside Isla Lobos (frosted cupcake) and poke our nose into roomy Playa Pichilingue Cove. Here the north shore is quieter, away from the shoreline highway and Marina Cantamar, with diveboat docks at the south end.

Bahia Pichilingue: We stay at least half a mile offshore and run south parallel to massive Isla Nepomuceno for 1.35 n.m. A tank farm is visible atop the island’s south end. Now we get super alert to avoid fast ferries and big ships exiting this busy commercial harbor. We can’t see them until they turn north – toward us.

From my waypoint (24°15’N, 110°20’W) half a mile south of Nepo island, we can safely turn east to explore two picturesque spots: False Bay is where Sevenstar sometimes picks up yachts for transport, and tiny Tesoro Cove is where a treasure box of pearls was unearthed

during road building. Rounding Punta Colorado, we can anchor off the snorkeling reefs at Playa Erendira and take the SUP, kayak, or dinghy to explore adjacent Caleta Erendira

Punta Prieta: This major turning point is 1.55 n.m. down from Punta Colorado, and we want to round Prieta about a quarter to a half mile off to figure out the complex buoys and channel markers.

We must (1.) stay south of the Pemex offshore ship moorings , even if a ship is not tied there, and (2.) south of boats moored off Berkovich boat yard, yet (3.) get quickly north of the first lighted markers lining the start of the La Paz Channel that will take us south into the city harbor. Or (4.) Marina CostaBaja’s lighted entrance lies just east of the Berkovich boats and northeast of the start of the La Paz Channel. (See chart.) Follow it for less than four miles to reach the heart of La Paz harbor.

I’m taking a break to get back to sea myself, but next time, we’ll explore the thriving nautical side of La Paz, the gateway to the Sea of Cortez.

the marinas,

yards, fuel

sail &

provisioning, boat storage, 400 pages.

Paperwork Cha Cha: Port Captain, Customs, Immigration,

Navy. Diving, fishing, eco boating. TRUSTED.

Written by Pat & John Rains, experienced Mexico cruisers & U.S.C.G. mariners, just for southbound boaters. Mile by mile, no gaps, no fluff. Still $69.95

Photo courtesy Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Photo Pat Rains

Cabo Pulmo Marine Park is an underwater wonderland of colorful coral reef sea life, as seen here by oceanographer Octavio Aburto.

San Lorenzo Reef Light marks a rocky reef on the south side of the San Lorenzo Channel into La Paz. The peaks in the background are Cerro San Lorenzo on the La Paz Peninsula.

Frailes & Pulmo to Cerralvo Channel: Between Cabo Pulmo Marine Park and Muertos Cove anchorage, Marina Costa Palmas is slated to open January 1, 2023.

Dana

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

p.m. One hundred percent of the vendor space fee will benefit Age Well, Orange County’s partner in providing programs and services for seniors, as well as the weekday Dana Point senior lunch program and Meals on Wheels.

Vendors are welcome and encouraged to participate. The event will have complimentary refreshments and raffle

Contact Sandy Rivera at dpc1@ myagewell.org for vendor space information or call 949-496-4252. For more information on Age Well please visit https://agewellseniorservices.org/.

Professional Pumpkin Carving

VENTURA —The Ventura Harbor Village is offering a spooktacular Halloween event throughout Halloween weekend on Oct. 29-30, 2022, where kids and adults can wander throughout Ventura Harbor Village and watch professional pumpkin carving from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. each day. Local artist and professional pumpkin carver Dawn Reily will be on the seaside Promenade Stage carving a giant pumpkin. Guest can get a frontrow seat to the creative carving process and watch her pumpkin come to life.

Kids Seaside Trick or Treat 2022

On Oct. 30, the Ventura Harbor Village will host the Kids Seaside Trick

or Treat from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Families are encouraged to dress up before they navigate through the Village with over a dozen trick-or-treat stops at participating Harbor businesses. Trickor-treaters should bring their treat bags, and treats will be available while supplies last.

Kids get creative at a complimentary craft station hosted by Lakeshore Learning. Each child can decorate mini pumpkins using colorful stickers and sparkles. Underwood Family Farms donated 300 pumpkins and crafty decorations. The entire family is welcome to take a spooky photo with the Halloween Hearse courtesy of thanks to the Joseph P. Reardon funeral home, which will be decked out to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos in Ventura Harbor Village’s courtyard.

A face painter will be present to add a bit of flashiness and final costume touches, and a fortune teller can add some mysticism. If you need a last-minute costume, the Ventura Harbor Village boo-tique shops and galleries have you covered.

For more information, visit https:// www.venturaharborvillage.com/event/ trick-or-treat-2022/.

Shutterstock

image

Local vendors are highly encouraged to come sell their goods as the proceeds from purchasing their space will go towards benefiting Age Well.

Catalina Connection

By: Katherine M. Clements

SUN COUNTY MICRO BREW FESTIVAL IN TWO HARBORS

TWO HARBORS — On Nov. 5, the Two Harbors Activities & Adventures will present the Sun County Micro Brew Festival in Two Harbors from 1-4 p.m. The event was initially scheduled for Sept. 10 but was rescheduled due to weather complications. Therefore, all tickets purchased for the Sept. 10 event will remain valid for the Nov. 5 event.

The event will include live music from Band Overboard and a large selection of microbrews from more than 30 breweries.

A ticket costs $88

News Briefs

From page 5

sewage pump outs and how it impacts boaters statewide.

• The impacts of expired marine flares and what California is doing to dispose of these flares properly and safely, and what reusable options are available to reduce hazardous waste generation and learning

• The whales that reside off the coast

and gets you a souvenir beer glass, complimentary appetizers, unlimited tastings from all participating breweries, and access to the silent auction. The event will also have games and photo booths for guests to enjoy. A portion of this event’s proceeds benefits Avalon High School students through the Sophie Tarbuck Scholarship Fund.

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS FAMILY FESTIVAL

AVALON — The Catalina Museum for Art & History will host the Día de Los Muertos Family Festival on Nov. 1 from 6-9 p.m. The event will be a lively celebration with events that will highlight the traditional Mexican cultural celebration of Día de Los Muertos. This is a tradition in Avalon that brings together Mexican cultural elements, dancing, music, and family-friendly activities.

The Día de Los Muertos multi-day holiday is traditionally celebrated Nov. 1-2, where family and friends gather to pay respects and to remember their fami-

SEPTEMBER

of California, their importance to our marine ecosystems, the challenges these whales face, and the resources the public must help with reporting and research.

The virtual meeting will take place from 10 a.m.- 12:15 p.m., and those interested must register in advance at https://ports-ca.zoom.us/meeting/ register/tJMofuCuqzIuGNLKBLg9YYkCMxRQKUvPqDt-. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation via email.

pulsion battery, and we do that on our Hunter 33 all the time, but it takes days to recharge the propulsion battery by solar,” said White. “A diesel generator is also a very effective way to recharge while onthe-hook, or at a mooring. Generators are also very effective for boats that want the benefits of electricity but want to be able to motor for long distances.”

The company’s mission is to help make sailing clean and green. Newport Electric Boat is working to replace every fossil fuel system with an electric system as soon as it is practical. For many sailboats, it is convenient to do this today. However, for larger power yachts, it is not practical yet. Nevertheless, with evolving climate change, White wants to give boaters a straightforward path to transition to electric propulsion and help positively impact the environment.

Newport Electric Boat only targets sailboats. Sailboats need a motor for hours

at a time, but they also have their sails to help offload some of the work required to move the vessel around. Electric power is an excellent fit for many sailboats today. As battery cell technology and solar efficiencies continue to advance, more marine applications will be able to transition.

For now, however, sailboats are an excellent fit, which is White’s focus.

For those interested in purchasing a system, visit the Newport Electric Boat website, where purchasing a system can be done directly. If you want to discuss your repowering project, fill out the contact form on the website, and White will personally respond with questions about the project. It is helpful for Newport Electric Boats to know what engine was originally used in the boat, the make and length of the boat, and how you plan to sail, whether it›s day trips, weekend cruising, or longer journeys.

For more information, visit https:// newportelectricboats.com/ or contact hello@NewportElectricBoats.com.

The celebration is not solely focused on the dead, as it is also common to give gifts to friends such as candy sugar skulls.

ly and friends who have died. In addition, marigolds, favorite foods and beverages, and Calaveras are placed on a home altar called an ofrenda to pay remembrance.

Beer enthusiast will not want to miss the Sun County Micro Brew Festival that features a lineup of more than 30 breweries.

Shutterstock image

Sailing

Silver Gate Yacht Club Involvement

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

SAN DIEGO — Silver Gate Yacht Club, lives on Shelter Island in San Diego and has big projects and programs going on behind the scenes. This club offers all the amenities a member is looking for but is also involved in a beneficial project called Urban Oyster, has a junior sail ing program, and operates the SGYC Foundation.

Junior and senior students from High Tech High in Point Loma have been studying oyster recruitment at yacht club docks in San Diego Bay. In May, the team had placed oyster “condos” which are de vices designed for oysters to recruit to in the water, and have been monitoring their progress along with water quality.

SGYC has less than five oysters, along with San Diego Yacht Club, Southwest ern Yacht Club has approximately 35 oys ters, and Shelter Island Marina has about 15.

The team returned to the sites for ad ditional testing and species assessment of the inside of the condos twice during October. The students have designed re

search investigations based on the data they collected from those visits. Current topics of interest include the impact of temperature and oxygen on oyster dis tribution and competitive fouling, and the condos themselves.

In addition to the Urban Oyster pro gram, the SGYC also has a junior sail ing program. The program focuses on t eaching kids the basics of sailing and not grooming them for the Olympics, a mission uncommon for a yacht club. The program is open to children ages 8-16 and offers personalized instruction in their fleet of modern dinghies and keel boats.

The SGYC was founded in 1952, and since then, the club has implemented and hosted annual signature charitable regattas such as the Wheelchair Regat ta, where members and volunteers share SGYC with hundreds of disabled indi viduals to enjoy a “Day on the Bay” with lunch and music and the Schooner Cup.

For more information on SGYC, how to schedule a tour for those inter ested in becoming a member, or infor mation about their programs, please v isit https://www.sgyc.org/.

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

Balboa Yacht Club’s Choc Regatta (Nov. 5-6) and 2022-23 Sunkist Series (Nov. 5-6 & Dec. 3-4)

CARONA DEL MAR — From Nov.5-6, the Balboa Yacht Club will host the Choc Regatta. The Sunkist Series includes one-design racing for Inside Classes on four Saturdays and PHRF and one-design racing for Outside Classes on four Sundays spanning a four-month period. The Children’s Hospital of Orange County Regatta is a fundraising event that uses the November Sunkist Series races to provide an opportunity to compete for

additional awards and contribute to CHOC. The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing, which includes the rules of the classes competing, except that the Southern California PHRF MIR Rule (Section 8) will not apply. The warning for the first race will go off at 1 p.m. These events are open to members in good standing of clubs or organizations affiliated with Southern California Yachting Association or any national authority associated with the sport of sailboat racing. Inside classes include Harbor 20 (A, B & C), Thistle, Lido 14 (A & B), ILCA, Adult Naples Sabot, and any other one-design “dinghy” class under 20ft in length with five (5) or more boats entered before the day of racing. Outside classes include PHRF and one-design keelboat classes 20ft or greater in length, with five (5) or more boats entered before any day of racing.

Fees are as follows:

Sunkist Series Inside Classes Entry Fee: $15

Sunkist Series Outside Classes Entry Fee: $30

CHOC Inside Classes Entry Fee: $25 CHOC Outside Classes Entry Fee: $50

Competitors may enter online at www.balboayachtclub.com, in the “On the Water” section, or by submitting a

completed entry form and the entry fee at the Balboa Yacht Club sailing office. Only one entry is needed for the entire Sunkist Series. CHOC entries taken online will be charged $27 for inside classes and $54 for outside classes to cover online registration costs to raise more money for CHOC. For more information, please visit https://www.balboayachtclub.com/.

2022 Two Harbors Fall Series (Nov. 12)

OXNARD — The Pierpont Bay Yacht Club and Anacapa Yacht Club will host the last leg of the Two harbors Fall Series on Nov. 12. The start signal will go off at 11:30 a.m. PHRF-handicapped spinnaker and non-spinnaker classes and an ORCA-handicapped class will be formed with class breaks determined by entries. All boats shall carry the safety equipment specified by the U.S. Safety Equipment Requirements for Nearshore Races: https://www.ussailing.org/wpcontent/uploads/2022/01/ Monohull-SER-2022.0-Nearshore.pdf; for monohulls, and https://www.ussailing.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ Multihull-SER-2022.0-Nearshore. pdf for multihulls. In addition, lifeline requirements 2.4.1 – 2.4.8 apply, except

that coated lifelines are permitted. These changes will appear in full in the Sailing Instructions. PHRF area A Random Leg Course handicaps will be used. PHRF-handicapped boats must have a current PHRF certificate to be eligible for series trophies regardless of class. The races will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing. Eligible boats may be entered by completing registration via Regatta Network through the following link: https://www.regattanetwork. com/event/25332. That link will let you register for the series or just Race 1. If you wish to enter only race two, the link is https://www.regattanetwork. com/event/25341. If you want to enter only race three, the link is https://www. regattanetwork.com/event/25342. There will be no Skippers Meeting— entries for the series or race close at 5 p.m. on the Friday preceding each race. The Sailing Instructions will be available through Regatta Network. The entry fee for the series is $85 ($75 for USSA members), and the entry fee for individual races is $32 ($28 for USSA members).

For more information, please contact Richard Countress at rcountress@ aol.com or Todd Turner at arcadeglass@att.net.

Katherine M. Clements image

Silver Gate Yacht Club member Alan Brown in the library at the club.

How to read a nautical chart

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

Ahoy sailors, last time we discussed essential prop maintenance and tips for keeping it in tip-top shape during the off-season. Next, we will explain how to read a nautical chart for those wanting to try an old-school navigation method. Then, stay tuned for next week when we discuss diesel engine oil changes and oil filters that are paramount to the engine’s life.

A nautical chart isn’t something you’ll find on every boat. For many boaters, it’s like owning a road map. It’s outdat ed, and if you know where you’re going, there’s no need for it. However, there’s a lot more to a nautical chart than show ing you just a map of the water. Having a chart and knowing how to use it is al ways a good idea, even if you’re on the Great Lakes by the cabin. In the case of an emergency, it’s a good skill to have, es pecially if it is your only option.

A nautical chart conveys what you can and can’t see. They show you where you are and what else should be there. Nauti cal charts precisely depict water areas of i mportance—things like land contours, water, and depths. The nautical chart has your back if you need to know where to find red and green buoys.

Now, let’s look at how and why you should read nautical charts. The Nation al Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra tion make several nautical charts.

You have the option between a smallscale chart and a large-scale chart. There

will be times when one will be more ap propriate than the other. The scale is rep resented as a fraction. For example, if the scale is 1:30,000, it means that 1 inch on your chart equals 30,000 inches in real life. That means 1 inch is about 0.4 nau tical miles. So, one nautical mile will be around 2.5 inches. Be sure to review the units on your chart. For example, a chart from Canada will not use inches, and the scale will differ.

• Small-scale charts offer more signifi cant detail but cover a smaller area. Harbor charts may have a scale of around 1:20,000.

• Large-scale charts offer less detail but cover a larger area. A large-scale chart could be just a general chart or a coastal chart. The scale may be 1:80,000 or even over 1:1,000,000. Harbor charts are generally the most detailed. A harbor chart covers locations near the shore. Check the scale on your chart to specify how much area is cov ered. Measuring distance is easier on small craft charts. One nautical mile can be unseeable when the entire chart cov ers a massive extent.

Contour Lines

If you’re looking at a nautical chart, you’ll notice the lines that create irregu lar shapes in the water. These will some times range in color from lighter to dark er blue and are called depth contour lines. Contour lines display the underwa ter landscape. The lines are typically ex pressed in fathoms. A fathom equals six feet. So a place on a chart that depicts a contour line will show a change in depth by one fathom or six feet. Again, always check the scale on your chart to be sure. Not every chart is measured in feet and fathoms.

If you use a larger-scale chart, con tour lines will only be included for great er depth changes. This is because there may be as much as three fathoms differ ence between contour lines in deep water.

A nautical chart shows relevant data for the crew of any vessel on their travels, such as coastlines, facilities, and ports. These documents were only available on paper in the past, but nowadays, digital versions are widely accessible. However, knowing how to read one in an emergency is a good skill.

Depths

The depths are self-explanatory. Water depths are illustrated on a chart as a num ber in the water. The number reveals the water depth at that point. The scale will tell you if it’s feet, meters, or something else. You may also have depths, called soundings, in fathoms and feet. These are on older charts and should probably be updated. Since 1992, U.S. charts have used soundings in meters.

Soundings for depth are done at mean lower low water. That’s when low tide is at its lowest. The number is the average depth over 19 years. That means the num ber on a chart will probably not be accu rate when you hit the water that day. De pending on time, the actual depth could be much deeper or not. After all, low and high tides can change dramatically.

Chart Symbols

Nautical charts use several chart sym bols— they can’t all fit on a chart key.

I nstead, you can pick up a copy of U.S Chart No.1: Symbols, Abbreviations, and Terms. You can download one at the link for free. These symbols often signify dangers in the water, such as visual ob jects and ones hidden because of water depth. They cover many area details you would not consider, like dredged chan nels. That›s what makes these important in the real world.

Chart symbols detail everything from rocks in the water to power lines and bridges. Anything and everything you’ll uncover on the water can and should be incorporated into general charts.

NOAA offers several versions of upto-date nautical charts for commercial and recreational boaters. By using propri etary technology, OceanGrafix continu ously accesses and incorporates NOAA›s l atest cartographic changes into every chart, guaranteeing that our customers get the most accurate and up-to-date information.

FishRap

Bluefin

“Another

SOUTHERN

Applications For the California Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program are Now Available

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

The California Salmon Council announced on Oct. 12 the availability of funding for California-licensed seafood processors, dealers, and processing facilities to help cover the costs connected to the impacts COVID-19 had on their businesses. The funding is provided by a $511,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is part of a $50 million national allocation under the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program.

The CSC secured California’s share of the federal funds and, with help from seafood industry representatives and contractors, has created the application process, which is available through Dec. 31. To qualify for the funding, seafood processors must have held a CDFW Fish Business or Retailer’s license in 2020 or 2021.

The California-based seafood processor organizations helping the effort include the California Fisheries & Seafood Institute, West Coast

Seafood Processors, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association, California Wet Fish Producers Association, and the University of California Aquaculture Extension.

Funding is predicted to benefit seafood processors that may have been hit hardest by various new business costs associated with the pandemic. Reimbursements will be made for expenses in six categories, including workplace safety

measures, market pivots such as transitioning to virtual and online sales, retrofitting facilities, transportation, worker housing, and employee medical costs.

The grant application can be found at https://calkingsalmon.org/wp-content/ uploads/SPRS-Grant-Application-Print. pdf. For more information and instructions regarding the application process, please visit https://calkingsalmon.org/ or email SPRSgrant@gmail.com.

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san diego fish report

OFFSHORE WARM WATER SPECIES STILL BITING AS NOVEMBER APPROACHES!

By Bob Vanian of 976Bite.com

• We are close to being into the month of November and at the current time Southern California offshore anglers are enjoying a real treat in being able to plan a fishing trip and be able to target species that include bluefin tuna to 200-plus pounds, yellowfin tuna, dorado, yellowtail, striped marlin and swordfish. The reality of the situation is that the run of any or all of these warm water species could end at any time if currents or storms bring about a significant drop in the water temperature. For the time being though the water conditions remain rather stable with water temperatures as warm as 70.5 degrees being reported out on the offshore fishing grounds.

• Big bluefin tuna continue to bite out by the Tanner and Cortes Banks with the Tanner Bank being the best bluefin bite sector in recent days in an area ranging from southeast over to northeast of the Tanner Bank high spot in depths ranging from 30 to 300plus fathoms. A new development that makes the fishing picture even better out by the Cortes and Tanner Banks is that there is a possibility of finding quality sized yellowtail biting in the 15 to 30 fathom depths when fishing in the vicinity of the high spot at the Tanner Bank or The Buoy at the Cortes Bank.

• A recent private boater report from the Tanner Bank was of catching limits of bluefin to 100plus pounds from the area to the northeast of the Tanner Bank high spot. Bluefin have been biting both day and night and most of the bluefin are being located by finding meter marks, sonar marks or blind trolling strikes. There have also been occasional showings

of breezing, foaming or breaking bluefin.

• During the night, the bluefin have been biting well on knife jigs or sinker rigged sardines. During daylight hours, a good way to go has been using flylined and sinker rigged sardines, knife jigs, trolled Nomad Madmac jigs and kite fished flying fish. For private boaters, the Nomad Madmac trolling jigs and kite fished flying fish often work best during daylight hours.

• Boats fishing waters within 35 miles or so of Point Loma have been catching good numbers of dorado along with an occasional 30 to 50 pound bluefin tuna or 10 to 20 pound yellowfin tuna.

Full story will be found online. Bob Vanian is the voice, writer, and researcher of the San Diego-based internet fish report service called 976-Bite which can be found at www.976bite. com. Vanian also provides anglers with a personal fish report service over the telephone at (619) 226-8218. He always welcomes your fish reports at that same phone number or at bob976bite@aol. com.

Solution from CROSSWORD, PAGE 14

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