By LEN BOSE
As I came out from underneath my boat’s cockpit cover with my bucket and hand bilge pump, I wondered if all of my Duffy and big boat clients have kept a close look at their boats since the Christmas Boat Parade. While talking to one of my big boat clients, he reminded me that CO2 detectors need to be maintained and should be updated every five years. Of course we talked about checking our dock lines and annual maintenance to our outboards, and both of us were surprised to hear that SeaKeepers, which are stabilizers for boats, need to be annually checked. We both thought this revolved around hours used rather than annual maintenance.
I then stopped by the Duffy service yard and talked to Jorge Lara who manages the Duffy repair technicians. We both agreed that owners should check their batteries to make sure they have kept their charge, as many docks have electrical issues this time of year. We are assuming with the amount of rain we have had, your boat’s bilge pumps have been working harder than normal. It’s not unusual that the bilge pump’s float switch is not working, because their connections are prone to corrosion. So the next time you head down to your boat, make sure you press the manual bilge pump switch and listen for the pump to engage with water flowing outboard. If you do not hear or see the water going out of your boat, you better look further. I have heard of the bilge pump hose breaking free of the through hull and pumping water back into the boat. Carpet, cushions and flooring should be taken out of the boat to dry out once the sun returns. I am a big believer in running a dehumidifier in the boat this time of year, trying to keep the mildew away when the heat returns. Lara and I both agreed that after the rains, skippers need to be much more aware of flotsam in the water. I have caught more than one palm frond around the prop and have had to find a diver to remove it for me.
Talking about flotsam in the harbor, my next phone call was to city harbor patrolman Matt Stanley; he and I have known each other now for close to 20 years when we delivered a J109 down the coast from San Francisco. Stanley has been working for the city since 2017. I like to reach out to him at least once a year to obtain another perspective on what’s going on in the harbor. Stanley described this winter as all about rain and wind. “Because we have had a constant water flow this winter from the inland rivers and levees, most all the debris has been cleared out. We have had very few logs, although we still notice beaver dams and mattresses floating by often. We have been busy pumping boats out, especially the south-facing shore moorings along Balboa Island. This area of the harbor takes the brunt of force in the southerly winds. We had a breeze up over 40 knots in the harbor this last Tuesday,” said Stanley.
Pressing Stanley for what strange items he has seen floating by this winter he said, “We have had some interesting wildlife around the harbor. In fact, last week we had a Red-footed booby sighted on the bait barge.”
Our harbor is extraordinarily fortunate to have Stanley as a harbor patrolman. His past employment was as the dock master at the Balboa Yacht Club, where he maintained the club’s boats’ mooring gear. No one in our harbor can spot a boat with an improper ground tackle on their moorings other than Stanley. He also has a very keen eye for boats that are not on their proper float lines or noticing sails unfurling that are ready to open on the next wind guest.
I am picking up my two-wheel duffel bag now along with my remote control Dragonflite 95 sailboat all packed up in its travel case and headed to the airport for my first sailing road trip to the Corinthian Sailing Club on White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas. Forty of the U.S.’ top RC sailors have signed up for this year’s “Blow Out Regatta.” My goal is to finish all the races and if I am really lucky, finish in the top half of the fleet. Wish me luck!
Sea ya.
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Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.
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