Tweet

Port Honors Boat Owners for Participation in Hull Paint Study

Wednesday, 08 December 2010
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

Thirteen boat owners were publicly honored by the Board of Port Commissioners for their assistance with an alternative boat hull paint study. The owners volunteered their vessels and their time in the "Safer Alternatives to Copper-based Antifouling Paint" project that was designed to assist the Port with reducing the level of copper in San Diego Bay.

The goal of the project, funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was to evaluate alternative coatings to determine if they could be applied and cleaned in a manner similar to commonly used copper hull paints. The alternative coatings also had to be cost-effective.

The Port accepted the EPA grant in November 2007 and began the project in June 2008. Total funding for the project was $380,033.

Lauded for their participation in the study were Jeff Elliot and Scott and Sonja Dugan, owners of the Crosswinds; William Waite, owner of Hi Flyer; Curt Corda, owner of Marlin Nailer II; David Fudala, owner of Martha Blue; Steve Roeber, owner of Mis-Behave II; Brad Saunders, owner of Spellbinder; Brad Poulos, owner of Cheri Marie; John Moses, owner of Therapy; Todd Roberts, owner of Andrea Donn; Michael Feldman, owner of No Mas; Ron Barnett, owner of Wind Charmer; Robert Spriggs, owner of Firefox and Alex Halston with San Diego Diving Services.

"These vessel owners truly are stewards of the bay's environment," said David Merk, Director of Environmental Services. "It's people like them who help us achieve our vision of a clean bay and clean marinas."

In 1996 the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board added the Shelter Island Yacht Basin, located in San Diego Bay, to its list of impaired water bodies because of its elevated levels of copper. Since then, the agency established additional regulations for the basin, which prompted the Port to take steps to substantially reduce copper pollution.

The copper-based antifouling paints, used to protect the hulls of vessels from barnacles, algae and other sea life that attach themselves to boat hulls, were identified as a source of the copper pollution.

Boat owners who participated in the study agreed to have a test paint applied to their boat's hull. The paints were assessed for approximately two years. During that period, the owners were asked to keep a log of how and when they used their vessels and to use the hull cleaner associated with the project.

Because of the participation of the boaters, the Port was able to achieve the project goal of identifying viable alternatives to copper paints. The final report of the project's findings will be submitted to the EPA in January 2011.