NOVEMBER 2010 - Association of Marina Industries

Clean Marina & Environmental News Continued from Page 3the U.S. Power Squadron, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary andN.C. Big Sweep. For more information, contact Pat Durrett,North Carolina’s Clean Marina coordinator, at (252)808-2808.Pumped Up About Free ServiceLake Wylie Pump Out Boat Hits theWaterSource: Lake Wylie PilotIt’s a dirty job, but somebody’s going to have a much easiertime doing it.On Monday afternoon, Capt. Donnie Brown with PumpOutUSA delivered a new $119,000 pump out boat to DuranColey, owner of Commodore Yacht Club, Lake Club Marinaand Tega Cay Marina. The new vessel replaces an older,smaller one and will improve service to all parts of LakeWylie.“He’s real excited about it, and he should be,” said Joe Stowe,executive director of the Lake Wylie Marine Commission.“In a fairly short time, he’s become a real mover and shakeralong the lake. A lot of people don’t want to be bothered.”The grant program pays up to 75 percent of the initial costof a boat like the one delivered to Coley, as well as ongoingcosts like gas and operation by staff. The money comesfrom state sales of items like boat fuel and fishing tackle.“The users of the resource are actually the ones paying forthe pump out,” Meister said.The vessel is required to service, in the case of the newboat, all South Carolina waters on Lake Wylie and chargeno more than $5 per pump out. Coley said the boat will gofurther still.“We actually do it free,” he said. “We actually cover thewhole lake.”The previous pump out boat held 350 gallons at a time, andwas 23 feet long. At 26 feet long, the new boat holds up to1,000 gallons. Which means Coley and his team can servicea marina with multiple houseboats at once rather thanneeding to make return trips.“Now we can probably get three or four boats at once,” hesaid.The boat launched at Tega Cay Marina Monday afternoon,but will be housed at Lake Club Marina. While he and hisstaff have been pumping out for eight years, Coley hopesthe new boat will improve service.When the marine commission named its first class of cleanmarinas earlier this year, Coley’s three made the list alongwith River Hills Marina, which is a certified South CarolinaClean Marina. The new pump out boat investment willadd convenience along the lake, said marine commissionchairman Smith “Smitty” Hanks, while keeping dischargesout of the water.“He’s done everything we’ve asked of him, and done it in atimely matter,” Hanks said.The new boat was paid for in part through a grant fromSouth Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Stateclean vessel coordinator Scott Meister said keeping thecontents from holding tanks of boats out of the water isimportant throughout the state, but especially on inlandlakes such as Wylie.“It’s especially important in these waters because they’re aclosed system,” he said. “You don’t have something to comein and flush them out several times a year.”11“You’d be amazed how much we pump,” he said. “It justmakes you wonder what it was like before this. There wasnowhere else for it all to go except the lake.”To find out about pump out services, call 803-548-7380.Two More Clean Marinas On The WestRiverTwo facilities on the West River have recently joined theranks of Maryland’s certified Clean Marinas. The GalesvilleHarbor Yacht Yard and the West River Yacht HarbourCondominium Association, including the West River FuelDock, worked simultaneously to meet the award criteriaand become certified Clean Marinas. The Maryland Departmentof Natural Resources (DNR) oversees the CleanMarina Initiative, which is a voluntary program that promotesand celebrates efforts of marinas, boatyards andyacht clubs to reduce their pollution.“We were really pleased to see these facilities working togetherto help protect the West River and, ultimately the Chesa-Clean Marina & Environmental News Continued on Page 5