July Newsletter

In this Newsletter :

• Does size really matter? Benicia Marina revamps the docks!
• Someone in the marina is giving out complimentary paint jobs for their neighbors!
• Annual game of musical boats gets a green light!

C-Dock Conversion:

A major phase of the C-dock conversion is about to take place. One entire dock finger is about to be moved to its new location for re-installation. Following this task will be electrical, water and other dock hookups. Several new 55 foot berths are expected upon completion of this project. Please be cautious of the ongoing construction in the area.

Sanding / Painting Inside The Marina

Please remember to review the Benicia Marina "Rules and Regs" that all boat owners have signed and dated. Sanding and painting boats inside the marina is strictly forbidden due to the massive amount of damage it can cause other boats and also to the marine environment. Dumping paint, sawdust and other chemicals into the marina basin is a serious violation of the law, and fines are very heft for this kind of crime. Our correspondence on this issue has been disregarded, and there has been repeated non-compliance with this rule. Please be mindful of the people around us and the environment in which we live.

Annual Dredging

Ye be warned! Permits are finally falling into place and Salt River Construction is warming up the tugs. A large dredging project is in the works for this year. Dredging of the main entrance and the sandbar is scheduled to begin first, and the marina's main fairway and the B-Dock area are planned to commence after that. If the project goes according to plan, a large section of E-Dock will hopefully be dredged as well. This will be a massive project because the dredging of the dock areas will include dredging the inside of the boat slips which will call for a lot of boats to be temporarily relocated. Please consider this newsletter a forewarning of the dredging ahead. Boats will have to be moved, but the marina office will call each boat owner in advance . A chart with the exact dredging plan can also be found in the marina office.

Questions, comments, ideas, letters to the editor:

Phone : (707)745-2250
Email : beniciamarina266@gmail.com

May 15,2009 Newsletter

Opening Day Parade

The opening day parade with this year's theme "America The Beautiful" was a success! Special thanks to Steve Sullivan on the R/V Lightning for his vast amount of help organizing this. The winners of the parade are as follows :

First Prize - Brook Seymour - Get Away
Second Prize - Noble Griswold - Blue Fin
Third Prize - Shep and Nancy Jenks - Hoot
Most Impressive Newcomer - Rob Cline on his new yacht - Starlight

Marina Security Concerns

Remember to keep a sharp eye on the docks as well as your neighbor's boats. There have been a few security issues this month, but nothing of high value has been lost to date. If / when security concerns do arise, please contact the marina office as your first course of action. If there are people on the docks who appear that they do not belong, contact the marina office immediately.

Other individuals who are not allowed onto the private docks include the Benicia Police Department. In a previous occurrence here at the marina, a very serious incident arose when the BPD gained access to the docks and entered a boat without permission. A marina berther, who was onboard the boat, was held at gunpoint and searched, but no arrest was made. The BPD is no longer allowed admittance to the docks unless there is a valid warrant and/or a clear and present danger / emergency. The City Manager has been advised of this new marina policy in writing.

Reminder to Illegal Live-Aboards

Several questions have been raised regarding the Benicia Marina permit obtained from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), specifically about live-aboard usage. The permit is available for review upon the request of the marina berthers. To clarify any uncertainties, two sections from the permit have been listed below :

Article II Section E. "Marina and Live-Aboard Requirements"

1. Permittee's Responsibility to Enforce. The permittee (Benicia Marina) shall permanently, continuously and fully enforce, through lease provisions, monitoring, notices, education and other appropriate measures, all requirements imposed by Special Condition II-E herein.

2. Number and distribution. The permittee may allow no more than 32 live-aboard boats (10% of the marina's 320 berths) within the marina basis and other water covered areas of the Benicia Marina. Such vessels are allowed only for the purpose of providing added security for all boat owners, users, and the public. The live-aboard boats shall be distributed throughout the marina in a manner that will provide the greatest security.

Smooth Sailing,

Chuck Hooper, Assistant Harbormaster

March 15, 2009 Newsletter

Dock Inspections

Dock inspections are currently underway, so if you have any maintenance issues, requests, or reports about the dock area around your slip, please contact your dock captain or the marina office.

Knock Down

In the first sixty days after the dredging was completed, a two and a half foot sandbar was formed at the entrance of the marina. By removing this sandbar, it will allow the mid that enters the marina at high tide to leave at low tide. With the sandbar in place, it is trapping the mud coming into the marina, so its removal will hopefully help out when it comes to next year's dredging operation. Plans are underway for a barge to begin the removal of the sandbar near the front entrance.

Live-Aboards

For all persons living aboard your vessel three nights a week or more, if you are not paying your monthly live-aboard fee, expect to receive a 30-day notice regarding this. Please review #11 under the Benicia Marina Rules and Regulations in your Benicia Marina rental agreements. Any person(s) spending three or more nights a week constitutes Live-Aboard status. If you are not sure if you are being charged for your live-aboard status or not, please refer to your monthly statement, or contact the marina office.

Fuel Pumps

The entire fuel system is back online and operational. An entire new fuel system has been installed. Thank your for your patience through that construction period.

If you have any further questions about any of these updates or anything else in the marina for that matter, please feel free to contact the Harbormaster's office at (707)745-2628. You can also reach me direct at (707)745-2550. Please leave a message for me, and I will make it my priority to get back to you in a short time.

Smooth Sailing,

Peter Knowles, Assistant Harbormaster

Welcome to Benicia Marina!

Welcome to the new Benicia Marina website and blog. This blog will be used to communicate general information to berthers and guests of the Benicia Marina. We're just getting started, so stay tuned. We'll be adding content at a dizzying pace over the next few weeks so keep checking to see what's going on at our beautiful marina!

Enjoy!