The Triton

May 2006

The Business of Keeping Marinas Clean

By John Freeman

S

AN DIEGO – No yachtie wants to berth at a dirty marina. And no self-respecting marina operator would run a dirty marina. It’s not only bad for the environment, it’s bad for business.

That in mind, H.P. “Sandy” Purdon, a San Diego marina owner/operator, came up with an idea that has evolved into Clean Marinas California (CMC) -- the nation’s first industry-sponsored marina certification program.

“It’s the right thing to do and we’ve found this is the right way to it,” said Purdon, the program’s founder and owner of Shelter Cove Marina on San Diego’s Shelter Island.

CMC’s origins date back to late 2003 after the San Diego Water Quality Control Board cited some local marinas as sources of bay pollution, raising the specter of stricter, even punitive regulations. First, Purdon persuaded the board to grant an extension. Then, working with a cadre of San Diego marina operators, he spent the next nine months developing a comprehensive manual on how to operate an environmentally compliant marina.

“Our plan was, let’s see if we can come up with some program to alleviate the problems. And that’s what we did,” recalled Purdon, current chairman of the California Boating Commission and also an accomplished yachtsman having once sailed solo from San Diego to Honolulu in a 46-foot sailboat in 17 days.

So far, CMC has certified 34 marinas throughout California – including prominent marinas in San Diego, Dana Point, Newport Beach, the Los Angeles Basin, Ventura/Santa Barbara and San Francisco – even Lake Tahoe and a few smaller fresh-water lakes. Also, a marina in Puerto Vallarta has been certified. In all, there are more than 400 sea- and salt-water marinas in California.

At first, a few San Diego marinas were skeptical about the concept of self-regulation.

“There was some talk of, ‘Let’s not open a Pandora’s box,’” recalled Purdon. “But we found that most of the marinas were doing the right thing already.”

The CMC handbook and evaluation form are posted on its website (www.cleanmarinascalifornia.org), so marina operators are easily able to prepare for the $250 inspection and test. The inspectors usually include Purdon, plus selected marina operators from around the state.

After a marina attains CMC certification, the operator receives a burgee and a certificate good for three years.

With the program’s growing success, Purdon has tentative plans to open regional offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco, along with the San Diego office, operated in partnership with the non-profit San Diego Port Tenants Association.

While a number of other states have government-run programs, Clean Marinas California is still the only one fully administrated by the industry itself. Already, it’s been endorsed by the San Diego Association of Yacht Clubs, San Diego Oceans Foundation, California Department of Boating and Waterways and the Recreational Boaters of California. Recently, the Marina Recreation Association of California – the marine industry’s leading advocate in the state -- agreed to sanction the program.

“We’re getting much more cooperation because we’re not the government,” said Tim Leathers, one of CMC’s founders and an executive with Almar Management, Inc., operator of seven San Francisco Bay Area marinas. “So far, no marina has said they’re not going to participate. What a few have said is, ‘Oh, we’re not ready yet.’ When that happens, we work with them so they’re up to speed and ready to pass. We want them to comply.”

For Scott MacLaggan, general manager of Sunroad Resort Marina on San Diego’s Harbor Island, CMC’s self-regulation aspect holds special appeal.

“The exciting thing is, we’re working together to improve our industry – while at the same time keeping government off our backs,” said MacLaggan, whose facility was among the first to be certified and one of only a few to earn a 100 percent grade.

He points out that regular government inspections continue apace by agencies like the U.S. Coast Guard, the California Fish & Game Department and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “But we’ve proven we can do this ourselves and get positive results,” he said.

The Port of San Diego, the governmental body that oversees tidelands activities along San Diego Bay and holds environmental jurisdiction over nearly all San Diego’s salt-water marinas, applauds the self-regulated effort.

“We’re very supportive of what Sandy’s doing,” said David Merk, the Port’s Director of Environmental Services. “In fact, we’ve actually noticed improvements during our own inspections that are no doubt attributable to their program.”

For Leathers, the program has brought an added “feel good” benefit. “You get very few opportunities in life to give back to an industry that has given me so much,” he said. “This is one of them. I couldn’t be happier with the way this thing has taken off.”