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Sailing Away?
right on the deck and not try to electrify the lifelines or create a classic fence. A leaping 500-lb sea lion will break down such a fence before it would have a deterrent effect. But if Mr. Flipper landed on an electrified pad, he wouldn't want to stay long. Speaking from personal experience, such electric fences won't hurt you, but one shock is enough. Fences are available on the net for $100 at places such as the Pet Warehouse. Stan Wieg Sacramento
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Stan — That's an interesting idea. We wonder if such a fence would somehow run the boatowner afoul of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. ⇑⇓IT HASN'T BEEN BAD THIS YEAR — YET The sea lions really haven't been too bad this year in Newport. The city and harbor patrol have done an excellent job promoting the idea that if boaters deny the sea lions boats as habitats, they'll just swim around the harbor looking for fish and keep relatively quiet. It’s only when they find a place to hang out and bark — such as an unprotected boat — that they become a real nuisance. Robert Spakowski Raka Newport Beach Robert — We agree that the city and harbor patrol have done a good job of coming up with a plan to nip the problem in the bud, and we hope it works. But the real test will be in the next few months when the sea lions try to establish their breeding grounds.
HOGIN SAILS • New racing or cruising sails • Roller furling conversions • Canvas covers • Repair and service In the Alameda Marina at 1801-D Clement Ave., Alameda, CA 94501
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• June, 2007
LATITUDE / RICHARD
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⇑⇓MARINE BIOLOGY STUDENTS CAN BE A SOLUTION When I lived aboard in Moss Landing for awhile, I used to have issues with sea lions on the dock. I kept the hose handy, and found that a squirt would get them moving. My solution for the folks in Newport is to put a water tank on a utility boat and hire Despite the boat owner's best efforts to prevent sea marine bilions from boarding, these guys came right over the ology manetting and crushed the lifelines and stanchions. jors to go around squirting the critters with reclaimed water. Once they start getting squirted on a routine basis, perhaps they'd seek other places to haul out. Dave Benjamin Island Planet Sails Portland Dave — Ironically, sea lions really do dislike being squirted with water. As such, one of the preventative methods suggested by the city and harbor patrol is the 'Scarecrow', which combines a motion detector and a sprayer to try to squirt sea lions when they come aboard. The parts cost about $600, and we're not sure how effective they've been.