More California Nonsense Proposed

[Rick D]

See this article on possibly requiring dye tablets and seals for heads in California's Oceanside marina (and my comment when you click on the comment's section). Another case of fixing a non-existent or low priority problem, in my opinion.
http://www.thelog.com/Newsletter/Article/Oceanside-Harbor-weighs-dye-tablet-viability#appError

 

[Stu Jackson]

Superb reply and great link to the Avalon nonsense, too.

I wish those damned environmentalists would go after automobile and yard garden and municipal sewage discharges instead.

The "commercial" instigation of this idea is laughable.

 

[Calif. Ted]

Avalon is at the bottom of a box canyon, every morning city workers hose all the dog, cat, bird and tourist droppings into the harbor.
I once went into Oside during a red tide, OMG !!! talk about gagging a maggot, couldn't leave quick enough.

 

[shemandr]

I didn't know CA had "Red Tide" events. Is it the same organism as the West Coast of FL? The Brown and "Mahogany" Tides we get are different organisms. It's been almost 30 years since they began and it seems we're no closer to understanding them.

 

[Brian D]

Oceanside hosts a better portion of 950 boats. Thornton wants the business so she is pushing for the pump out of every boat at $10 a month. What a business concept.

 

[Stu Jackson]

But, Brian, the scariest part is how she's going about it! Business concept? Ripoff and scare-mongering are more like it.

The county/harbor oughta pull her license.

 

[Rick D]

"Red Tide"

I didn't know CA had "Red Tide" events. Is it the same organism as the West Coast of FL? The Brown and "Mahogany" Tides we get are different organisms. It's been almost 30 years since they began and it seems we're no closer to understanding them.

Yea, we get 'em once or twice a year, typically in summer or fall. When the seawater intake to your head almost knocks you over, you can bet you'll see some brownish - red seawater outside...

 

[StinkBug]

Yep, just trying to make a buck by force.

The way that article is worded makes it sound like only 5 out of 95 live aboard boats are getting pumped out....that's BS. She's not the only game in town, and not all live aboards actually use their plumbing. One of my friends lives on a boat down in Shelter island, and her father lives on another boat in the same marina. They both walk the dock back to the nice clean bathrooms and showers on shore. Why do your business in a cramped little smelly boat bathroom when you're paying for nicer facilities a short walk away? If your tanks aren't being used you dont need them pumped, and being forced to pay a private business for services not rendered is a pretty disgusting method of taxation.

 

[Chris Patterson]

It surely DOES seem as if 'suck em up sally' or whatever is instigating this. What pray tell could be the motivation?...

 

[Skipper]

Avalon and Oceanside: 2 different animals.

Avalon has huge transient mooring traffic. Easy to administer the dye program when visitors rent a mooring, and an effective way to keep human waste out of a bay that by nature is not a great self-cleaner.

People swim and snorkel nearby, and keeping junk out of the water using dye tablets is a good program. You never know who's coming into the bay, and it's worthwhile to have some control. Keeping animal and runoff waste out is another story.

In Oceanside, it would be ludicrous to legislate a dye program for permanent tenants, much less a compulsory monthly pump out. It wouldn't be feasible. Also, as a former short-term live-aboard and a person who spends 8 days a month on his boat currently, the reason you don't see the live-aboard boats at the pumpout is that they use the dockside heads. Also, when I was in So-Cal I would dump far offshore periodically when I went sailing. I can't do it now, I'm on the Chesapeake. ----So unless there is actual evidence of a dumping problem in Oceanside, not just momentary gasp-laden conclusions, I'd think those who decide would ignore this plea. But then, in California anything can happen.

I seriously doubt there are harbor dumpers in the sailing community. Powerboaters, maybe -humor

 

[WayneH]

Let's see if I got this right.

Pump It Out Sally wants the city to put dye tablets into the holding tank.

Then flush our head and fill the holding tank.

Then charge me $10 to remove the water that was mandated to be pumped into my holding tank.

I think not. If you're going to cause the problem, you should fix it for free.

But then again this is California where they have legislated against fun and logic for decades now.

 

[woodster]

Flowers

Let's see if I got this right.

Pump It Out Sally wants the city to put dye tablets into the holding tank.

Then flush our head and fill the holding tank.

Then charge me $10 to remove the water that was mandated to be pumped into my holding tank.

I think not. If you're going to cause the problem, you should fix it for free.

But then again this is California where they have legislated against fun and logic for decades now.

Wayne you would not have that problem if....................you would ware a flower in your hair

 

[Gunni]

I am pretty sure that the vessel discharge regulation started right here on the Chesapeake Bay. It began with pumpout stations few and far between, failure prone, expensive, lots of head refitting, and accompanied by a lot of whining. We now have pumpout stations widely available, our boats are delivered with compliant waste systems, pumpouts cheap to free of cost, better systems, and a cleaner bay.

California should subsidize the installation of pump out stations, and marina waste system installation, it protects a commonwealth. take it out of boating fees. Maryland did, and it worked.

If you can't be bothered to get your boat over to the dock for a pumpout, and don't want to pay for a mobile pumpout, you are not only a lazy skipper, you probably are not legally compliant on a number of your obligations, starting with your MSD.

This is the very reason that I quit boating into Cane Garden Bay, Tortola - the bay is a stinking cesspool.

 

[Brian D]

Of course this is all assuming that we in Oceanside Harbor are indeed using our head facilities on the boat.

 

[Stu Jackson]

California should subsidize the installation of pump out stations, and marina waste system installation, it protects a commonwealth. take it out of boating fees. Maryland did, and it worked.

California Dept. of Recreation & Boaters does just that and has been doing it for years. Many marinas have their own free pump outs for berth holders, mine does. When CA started the pump out program, they avoided the issue you described where it was mandated but un- or under-funded and sparsely located.

I believe we were either with you or ahead of you.

Don't knock California, it's just this Oceanside Stupid Silly Sally Lady who's creating (pi) the stink.

 

[Rick D]

Agree With Stu

California Dept. of Recreation & Boaters does just that and has been doing it for years. Many marinas have their own free pump outs for berth holders, mine does. When CA started the pump out program, they avoided the issue you described where it was mandated but un- or under-funded and sparsely located.

I believe we were either with you or ahead of you.

Don't knock California, it's just this Oceanside Stupid Silly Sally Lady who's creating (pi) the stink.

Agree with Stu on this. The implementation in SoCal was pretty good in most places. When it failed was proper maintenance of the pump outs or the number of them. For example, Marina del Rey near LAX airport had a grand total of two pump outs for 6,000 boats for many years, and one was in pretty shallow water near a launch ramp. However, they did also have private pump out services. Of course, that was the County of Los Angeles so why would you expect any more than minimal infrastructure investment? However, all this has been pretty much rectified. Where I am now, there are 2,500 slips and four pump outs, two in and two near the marina. They are easy to access, reasonably well maintained and convenient. There are also several pump out services.

As an aside, I used to get solicited to contribute and join Heal The Bay which, among other activities, used to trot out their posters and pamphlets and profess to encourage clean boating. While being a little annoyed that the assumption was that we were dirty boaters, in general their goals were laudable. Still, I told them I would be delighted to contribute when they put their considerable dollars and influence to getting more pump out facilities in MdR. i usually got blank stares from the freshly-minted young faces.

 

[Gunni]

Many marinas inspect their liveaboard boats for compliance with not only MSD compliance but to make sure they are not a hazard to the other boaters. But like Thornton says, liveaboards just need to prove that they have had a pumpout in the last 30 days - there is no way those people are skittering to the marina head every time nature calls. And nobody wants to be storing scuttlebutt for a month.

 

[Joe]

Geez... what's up with you California bashers? We're just on the cutting edge, don't you know..... for example, just the other day, my No. SD County sources told met that after mandatory dye tabs and pumpouts... Sally's going after harbor seals who discharge illegal matter into Oceanside's pristine wetness..... the biggest question is whether to simply ban the critters from entering the basin (perhaps issue ID cards to restrict non resident seals)...... or take the more progressive approach by issuing specially fit diapers ("SEALers") to each animal as they enter and leave the harbor. Apparently the big obstacle to this method is the cost of training the seals to don and remove their own diapers... the same sources indicate that overtures to Sea World and San Diego zoo have been made to design and staff a changing/training facility near the entrance, tentatively to be called the "poop dock". Stay tuned. heh, heh.

 

[caguy]

Geez... what's up with you California bashers? We're just on the cutting edge, don't you know..... for example, just the other day, my No. SD County sources told met that after mandatory dye tabs and pumpouts... Sally's going after harbor seals who discharge illegal matter into Oceanside's pristine wetness..... the biggest question is whether to simply ban the critters from entering the basin (perhaps issue ID cards to restrict non resident seals)...... or take the more progressive approach by issuing specially fit diapers ("SEALers") to each animal as they enter and leave the harbor. Apparently the big obstacle to this method is the cost of training the seals to don and remove their own diapers... the same sources indicate that overtures to Sea World and San Diego zoo have been made to design and staff a changing/training facility near the entrance, tentatively to be called the "poop dock". Stay tuned. heh, heh.

Rick, send her a copy of this.

 

[Benny17441]

Let's do a reality check. Those marina toilets and showers loose their appeal in the middle of the night when it is raining outside. Don't tell me there are live aboard sailors that never use their boat heads. I'm not in favor of any testing and much less in forcing people to pay for some service they don't desire.