Winterizing your Boat

July 2010 Christmas Rock

Ok, in the southeastern part of NC, a lot of folks think this is not necessary. Well, not necessarily so. Remember last winter? It got pretty cold, and stayed that way for several days. In fact, I chopped wood for our fireplace pretty much every day for a couple months (I do love a warm, wood fire, though).
Ok, back to boats.
Winterizing your boat.
If you don't know how to do it, don't. Take it to a marina with a QUALIFIED mechanic. There are, unfortunately, a lot of what we use to call "shade tree mechanics" advertising all over the place.
Just as unfortunately, I've seen their work. For small things, like changing spark plugs, they're not too bad. But, when it comes to serious stuff...watch out!!!!
Just as you would with a doctor, check out their credentials. Have they even been to a school sponsored by Mercury, Johnson, Yamaha...what have you? And, even if they have a 1997 certificate hanging from a greasy spot on their wall, that simply means they haven't kept up with the times.
A 1960's advertising campaign asked us to "Trust Your Car To The Man Who Wears The Star". That, of course, was the Texaco campaign. As trite as it may sound, it makes sense. Find a mechanic that has gone through regular in-service training with manufacture-sponsored schools.
Back to winterizing. Several steps need to be taken. Depending on how much, if any, you're planning to use your boat during the winter (yes, some of us take to the water all winter long), or when you plan to "abandon boating plans" until it gets a little warmer, there are different degrees of winterization you'll need to consider. Any reputable, certified mechanic can handle those chores for you.
What's it gonna cost? A whole lot less than not doing it if it's a cold winter. Water becomes ice when it gets really cold. In a confined space, inside an engine, the ice expands and the result is often a ruptered something or other. That becomes expensive.
And, even if it's a warmer than usual winter, it's best to take some precautions. Those procedures will make it less likely 1) that you will have damage during the winter, and 2) that your motor(s) will be in better condition, ready for action, when you are next spring.
Now, some stuff you can do that has nothing to do with your motor, but stuff that is often overlooked and causes some irritation when you're ready for next year's boating season.
Electronics and electrical connections.
Cleaning connectors is important. Antenna, power, transducer connectors can get a "film" of corrosion that will result in a poor or high resistance connection. For instance, if a power connector has a high resistance problem, your VHF radio might appear to be working when it's in the receive mode. But, when you transmit (key the mic), the much higher current demands could result in a voltage drop causing low or no power output.
Similar issues happen with antenna connections. The high resistance might cause you to think your radio is not performaing the way it should, in receive or transmit modes.
It's best, even when your boat is not stored for the winter, to periodically "work" the connectors. Remove them, clean the contacts, and re-connect. A little spray of CRC will help. DO NOT USE WD-40. That's a fish-oil based lubricant that keeps MECHANICAL things moving, but it's NOT an electrical cleaner.
Now, on to next spring. Hopefully, you're planning to take care of your boat (winterizing) in the off season.

This was February 2010 in Southwest Creek

Or, you can just keep using it. Yeah, I know. It gets cold on the water. But, with some cold weather clothing, you can pick some warm days and enjoy the water all year long 'round these parts.
Do not wait until next Memorial Day (that's in May), the traditional start of the summer boating season, to check out your boat. Whether you choose to winterize it, or take your chances, you should take it in for a spring checkup. Chances are, your water pump (that's just a little rubber-type impeller in the lower unit) will have dried out, and may not function. Not a good thing. Best to have your engine lubricants checked/changed, spark plugs checked/changed, and other things that trained, certified mechanics will handle for you. And, having tackled a few of these jobs myself, I found it to be a whole lot cheaper, in the end, to have it done by someone qualified.
As far as timing for this event...I'd suggest you uncover and clean your boat in February, and get it to a qualified, certified mechanic in March. If you wait until it's time to take to the water, you will find yourself at the back end of the line. And, the later in the spring you wait, the longer the line. I can tell you, for a fact, that any time after Memorial Day will result in a 3-4 WEEK wait before a good mechanic can even look at your boat. Even if you have something minor wrong, mechanics take the work in the order it is brought to them. It is not fair, I'm sure you'll agree, for a mechanic to allow you to "cut in line", even if you only need your spark plugs changed...a 20 minute job...when others are ahead of you, waiting patiently.
Decide on a mechanic in advance. Talk with them. Check their credentials. Ask other boat owners about their experiences. Of course, if those "others" waited until the week before the 4th of July to take their boats out for the first time that season, you might take that into consideration.
I have some prejudices in the mechanic arena. Having retired from my "regular" profession, I have worked, part time, at a marina with a top notch mechanic (I am in NO WAY a mechanic...I work in the store part of the marina). It allows me to be close to my boat...sighhhh. And, time to observe.
I've watched, throughout the spring, summer, and now fall, as fellow boaters brought their boats in with problems. Many of those, I'm afraid to tell you, could have been prevented with preventative maintenance. I cannot begin tell you how many folks uncovered their boats, for the first time this year, on Memorial Day weekend, added some fuel to the 6-8 month "leftover", stale gasoline in their tanks, and headed for the nearest boat ramp. "It was working just fine the last time I used it", they said. Yep, it was. A half a year ago. I can sympathize with them. I was one of "them" before. Some things we just seem to take for granted.
With a little effort before storing your boat, and some prep work in advance of next year's boating season, you'll be the one who launches and motors away, feeling pity for those tied up to the dock, with the engine covers off, trying to figure out why their ^$!*^*%*&#  boats won't start.
Need a referral to a good mechanic? E-mail me. raefordbrown@gmail.com  Tell me the make, model and age of your motor. If it's one we work on, I'll give you contact info.
Rant and rave coming up next time. Ethenol. What in the world is the EPA thinking? And, I'll have some suggestions on how to protect your boat engine from EXPENSIVE damage caused by this corn-based-fuel.

"Fish on"

Almost Daily Facts and Opinions

Been a bit crazy for a few days. My "Daily" missed a beat or two.

Went to a family reunion in Charlotte Saturday...210 miles each way. Had some GREAT food, and  saw some folks I haven't seen in a couple years.

Decided that Sunday was such a gorgeous day that I'd head "out to sea". My cousin, my brother-in-law and I took Pirate Attack for a spin. We ended up at a spot called Jerry's Reef" (gotta find out a little history about the plots off the Carolina Coast. There's a story in their naming, to be sure). Turned out that it's 28 miles from New River Inlet, and in 100 feet of water. Only big problem is that we didn't find any fish.

However, before we headed to points WAY offshore, we looked for spanish macks close to the beach, and we picked up a pretty good sized one. Made for a good dinner, I'm sure.

Worked all day Monday. And, I found out that a gent from Hayes, Virginia...a spot that's about 250 miles from Jacksonville...wanted to buy one of my boats, and planned to be in town Tuesday morning. Early.

He came. He bought the boat. On condition that I transport it, for a fee, to his home. And, it had to be done Tuesday.

Bill, at Tideline Marine, handled the details, and he readied the trailer for a long haul. Took a couple new bearings...thank goodness he took care of that problem. I would not like to be stuck alongside the road waiting for help. Not a good thing.

Made the trip there and back with no issues. Nine hours, straight, on the road. And, I work again all day Wednesday. Heck of a schedule for a retired old fogey.

Some say that the two best days of a man's life are when he buys a boat and when he sells it. I disagree. I have never sold a boat, including this one, that I did not regret selling. No, I didn't need her (all boats are "hers"), and she's in good hands. And, I have two other boats. But, I already miss my Aquaholic (that was her name).

Anyway, I made the trip, there and back...safely.

Lots of e-mails making the rounds. I enjoy reading jokes, even the non PC ones. I even understand some of them. And, you can pick up some great tips from some of them, as well.

Did you know that asparagus can prevent or cure cancer? One of the better ones explains our tax system so that even I can understand it. And, it comes from a very smart person. Read on, take notes, and pay attention.


THE TAX SYSTEM EXPLAINED IN BEER
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten
comes to $100...If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it
would go something like this...
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
 So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the
arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball. "Since
you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of
your daily beer by $20." Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So
the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But
what about the other six men? The paying customers? How could they divide the
$20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted
that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each
end up being paid to drink his beer.
So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's
bill by a higher percentage. They decided to follow the principle of the tax
system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he
suggested that each should now pay.
 And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100%  saving).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving).
 Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued
to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare
their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving," declared the sixth man. He
pointed to the tenth man, " but he got $10!"
"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar too.
It's unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!"
"That's true!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back,
when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison, "we didn't get
anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!"
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat
down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill,
they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between
all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how
our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will
naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much,
attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In
fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat
friendlier.

 David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible

Daily Facts and Opinions...Illegals

Now, this will be a hot topic.

One side says we need to show compassion and take care of the Illegals. I believe in being compassionate. But, I also believe that we need to enforce our laws. If, at any time, we decide that it's ok to make "illegals" legal, then we have a problem. Next step: let's reduce the crime rate. It's easy. Just make a lot of the crimes "legal". Instant crime reduction.

One of those e-mails making the rounds points out that Missouri has had a strictly enforced law dealing with illegals for several years. They're "illegal". Enough said. State police check the status of those they arrest for any crime. And, if their status is "illegal", then action is taken. And, says the spreading e-mail, there are fewer illegals in Missouri.

North Carolina, according to at least one source, is number five in the nation, per capita, for illegal aliens. Many North Carolina industries say they cannot produce their products unless they can hire cheap labor. I don't buy that, not for a second. If North Carolina, and other states, did not have to support, via welfare, education, public housing, and the like, ILLEGALS...supported by tax dollars...then perhaps these companies could actually afford to pay LEGAL wages to LEGAL workers. Their taxes wouldn't be so high.

I had occasion to be around a construction project about five years ago, off and on for several weeks. The sub-contractor on that project had a half dozen or so foreign nationals working for him. One was a foreman, and he was "legal". None of the others spoke English, and all, admitted the foreman, were illegals. They were paid, in cash, each week. No tax dollars were taken out. No paperwork was filed. No insurance was paid. The foreman candidly admitted that the illegals made bi-monthly trips back to Mexico, and took the majority of their earnings with them, leaving their hard-earned cash with their families. While working in the U.S., they rented one small, modest house. All lived there, quietly, so as not to attract any attention.

It is indeed sad that Mexico and other countries cannot support their citizens. It's sad that these hardworking individuals risk capture, and worse, to sneak across the US-Mexican border in order to make what is to them "good money".

However. It's pretty irritating that employers in this country, the US, continue to seek out cheap labor so they can compete in this dog-eat-dog world. And, when some local and state government lawmakers decide that enough is enough, and adopt policies to strictly enforce the laws ALREADY ON THE BOOKS, our supreme government in Washington decides to step in and say "you can't do that". Wonder why that is. Is it political? Well, duh. Likely. Someone certainly has something to gain when any agency looks the other way when it's time to enforce the laws.

Reminds me of a former sheriff in a southeastern NC county. He not only turned his back on drug smuggling operations (for a fee, of course), he ordered his deputies NOT to enforce smuggling laws. He claimed that was up to the Feds. Well, as it turned out, some of his men went behind his back. They were waiting when a load of dope was smuggled into this coastal area. And, they did not call the sheriff. They called the media...me. In the middle of the night, I notified DEA of the bust. And, you can just imagine the firestorm that ensued. The sheriff, along with several other lawmen (all on the take) were nailed. They ended up in prison, making little rocks out of big ones.

What is the difference today? If local, state or federal cops fail to enforce the immigration laws, why are they any different than the sheriff of that NC county? Crooked is as crooked does. If local sheriffs or police chiefs can decide what laws to enforce, and which laws to ignore, then we have a problem. Even if their likes and dislikes are based soley on their personal feelings, we have a problem. There is, of course, "officer discretion". But, that's on an individual, case by case basis. That is not to be used to decide that the laws are not right. That is not the job of lawmen.

Until the immigration laws are changed, it is ILLEGAL to sneak into this country, it is ILLEGAL to employ those who do, and it is up to the law enforcement community and the courts to take the proper action to stop ILLEGAL activity. Or, it's time for them to step aside and let someone else, with guts and integrity, to get the job done.

Daily Facts and Opinions

Another gorgeous fall day in eastern North Carolina. And, it promises to be a great weekend. The nip in the air, hopefully, will set the fish a-biting.

The Jacksonville (NC) Daily News today contains a story about a journalist who will be embedded with marines from Camp Lejeune:
“I think we’ve got a pretty significant disconnect between the military and civilian population in this country to the point that most people in the United States don’t have the slightest clue what is going on and what soldiers and Marines are doing over there,” he said. “The basic nuts and bolts and mechanics of it are pretty much lost on the American people.”

Writes the Daily News:
Teru Kuwayama, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based photographer with a portfolio including Middle East assignments for Time, Newsweek and National Geographic, is beginning a social media embed project with Camp Lejeune’s 1st Battalion, 8th Marines.

Maybe we'll see images of what's going on "over there", images that you have only seen, so far, in limited internet e-mails. If it's not sensational, i.e. body bags, bloodied civilians, and the like, the networks and newspapers tend to ignore them. Don't blame the journalists...well, don't blame them entirely. They shoot a lot of images, but only the sensational ones tend to catch the eyes of editors "back home". And, they're going to shoot what sells.

Newspapers have limited space, and pictures take up a lot of room. "One picture is worth a thousand words" may be true, but many editors would rather cram a thousand words into the space where one picture could go.

Unfortunaely, due to budget contraints these days, caused by a major reduction in advertising dollars, newspapers can't just add extra pages. That would increase their operating expenses. There has to be a proper mix of ad revenue and print space, or the papers will go under.

It's pretty much the same with television (I know much more about that than I do the inner workings of newspapers). Television stations and networks depend on advertising dollars to operate. You hear of layoffs and cutbacks and salary reductions in television when advertisers don't spend as much. Television remains "free" to the public because of advertising. You may think you're paying for it, with satellite fees or cable fees, but you can get LOCAL TV for free. All it takes is an antenna. Satellite and cable fees allow for a wider selection of available channels, of course. These distribution providers pay for the privilege of distributing those channels to you, for a price. You are still subjected to ads from the cable channels (USA, A&E, and the like), as well as "local" ads from "foreign stations" like WGN. Just what I want to see...a spot for a used car dealer in Chicago. The exception, of course, are the so-called premium channels. You get no ads, but you pay extra for that. Nothing is free.

Except local TV. With an antenna. And, with today's digital TV transmissions, the picture is clear. One advantage of DTV is that you either get the station, or you don't. Gone are the days of "snowy" pictures. If the signal you're getting is weak, you won't see the picture at all.

Another advantage of DTV is that most stations are transmitting additional programming (other than their network programming) on separate sub channels. Some are carrying round-the-clock weather; others are syndicating old TV shows or movies (pretty much like some of the cable channels you're paying extra for)...and, these channels are yours, for free, by adding an antenna (if you have an HDTV set; otherwise, you'll need to pick up one of those inexpensive converter boxes we heard so much about during the DTV transition in 2008 and 2009).

Got something on your mind? Wanta discuss politics, fishing, photography, boating, television, journalism...drop me a line at raefordbrown@gmail,com or post a comment on the blog.

Daily Facts and Opinions

The sun is shining. Yea!! And, we're beginning to dry out after last week's unusual torrential rainfall.
Beware, though, boaters on the New River between Jacksonville (NC) and Sneads Ferry. Reports of a lot of debris in the water, debris that floated downstream as the banks of the New River and the various creeks that feed it oveflowed. Hopefully, the logs and branches and whatever else made its way downriver will soon be deposited on the banks.

And, equally as hopefully, all that fresh water will once again be replaced with salt water. Fishermen have been catching all sorts of salt water species in downtown Jacksonville. Flounder, speckled trout, blue fish. And, my cousin picked up a spanish mackerel, a three pounder, just south of the high rise bypass bridge just before the "rains came down".

This weekend, it's the annual Swansboro Rotary Club's King Mackerel Tournament. Good luck to all the anglers competing for an estimated $180-thousand. Should be a lot of fun, though they may have to fish further offshore than normal for the fall kings. The freshwater runoff, if heavy rains of the past are any indication, may extend out several miles from the shoreline.

Nice king on a trip with Cap'n Andy Everhart, Southern Sportfishing

Chances are good that I'll be offshore Sunday aboard our boat, Pirate Attack.  We monitor channel 16, and scan a variety of other "local" channels. Give us a hollar if you're hooked up. If we're close, I'd like to get photos to post here.

What's up with what once was "fast food" restaurants? While I don't make a habit of fast food on my diet, twice this week I've stopped for a burger at one of the joints. First time, there wee about a half dozen people in the ONE line open. One order-taker was half working the line, but was taking her time socializing with an obvious friend . Seve, count them, SEVEN other staffers were inside. One was working the drive-thru, ONE was cooking, one was handling the fry-station, and the rest were milling around. There are three cash registers at this restaurant. Only the one was open as the line of people, including me, were looking for FAST-FOOD.

Second trip. Only one person in line. I became the second. One person on the register. One on the window. One on fries. One cooking. Two others standing around, not even trying to look busy. The order-taker did her job, but then had to run around to different locations to fill the order. Refer back to that part where "two others were standing around". I was the second person in line. It took six minutes before I left with a hamburger. Not a "special order" burger. Just a plain old, what once was a 15-cent piece of meat, with ketchup and mustard, crammed between two pieces of bread. Six minutes for Fast Food. I was just happy that I didn't order fries and a soft drink.

And, speaking of "crammed between two pieces of bread"...ever notice those big display posters at the Fast Food joints? The ones depicting a burger, with the meat extending outside the bun? Yeah, the one where there is an even amount of meat displayed, ever so exact, all around the bun? Let me know if you ever get one of those burgers.

Still haven't seen the deer at Tideline. Not since the rains started. I'm guessing they found some higher ground. Hopefully, they'll return after everything returns to normal. Always fun to watch them feeding in the grass next to the marina.

One of the two Tideline Deer.

Daily Facts and Opinions

"The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under
the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist
program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without
knowing how it happened." 

Six-times a candiate for President of the United States on the Socialist Party ticket, Norman Thomas was quite a character. Some might say he was a visionary, and point to the current state of our government as an example of his comments-coming-true.

I hope not. I hope that our political leaders, present and future, will wake up, and take a look around. That's not what we need.

What I believe is...and, many have heard me say this time and again...is that we need a fresh start. Mathematically-speaking, it is simple. Every member of the U.S. House of Representavies is up for election in November. One-third of the U.S. Senators' terms are up. Ideally, we could replace every congressman and one third of the Senate this year. In 2012, we could replace another third of the Senate AND the President (as well as any newly elected congressman who have not stepped up to the plate); and, by 2014, the finaly one third of the senators, and any remaining congressmen not doing what we pay them to do, could get the boot.

Why take such drastic action? In any war, there is collateral damage. There "may" be some of our elected reps who "may" be doing a good job. But, they're not getting the job done. There is a distinction. If they are in office, they are either part of the problem, OR they have not done enough to solve the problem. Either way, we must wake them up. And, those who are trying but not succeeding have to step aside (or be pushed aside) to allow someone else, hopefully with a better process on fixin' our woes, a chnace to get the job done.

This same process should be applied at all levels of government. Up to a point.

Elected, SALARIED, servants should be judged on the job they've done. The clerk of court, and the sheriff, for instance, should be judged as individuals. They, and they alone, run their departments (except for financing). You might say, then, that the President fits this category. Not exactly. While he is on a salary (along with a ton of benefits), he is nothing more than the party's chosen one, and is serving as the "party".

What is included are school boards, city and town councils, and county commission boards. Unless an individual has proven to be a strong dissident on those boards, he/she must go. By "dissident", I do not mean someone who's an irrational radical when dealing with common sense issues. But, what we do not need to continue with are deal-makers. "Hey, Bubba, if you'll support my stupid idea, I'll support one of yours down the road". Those are the folks who must get the boot.

What a week it was. Starting last Sunday, we picked up just a tad of rain. When it was all over, the official rainfall totaled 19.19 inches at the official reporting station in Jacksonville. Some areas, of course, got "locally heavier amounts" (that's one of those CYA phrases that TV meteorologists love to use...a "qualifier", if you will).

Some issues with the big tank in Jacksonville (NC) that was designd to take care of heavy rains...the sensors failed. Automatic stuff is good, but when unusual events are predicted, it might be a good idea to have human intervention standing by. Kinda like the automatic bilge pumps on my boat. They work great. Most of the time. For normal events. But, if the wind blows and debris gets into the bilge, the "automation" may malfunction and my boat's gonna fill up with water. That's when human intervention needs to take place.

I haven't seen the "Tideline Deer" since the rains started. The water overflowed the banks of the New River along the area where the deer like to hang out. Hopefully, they sought higher ground. Stay tuned...when I see them again, I'll let you know.

Fishing

The U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament, in the southern part of NC, was postponed for two weeks. Heavy seas were associated with the strom.

The Swansboro King Mackerel Tournament, sponsored by the Swansboro Rotary Club, is scheduled for this weekend. Hopefully, the weather will provide calm seas.

With the abundance of fresh water in the New River, it's predicted that all those saltwater species...flounder and speckled trout, especially...will move a little further downriver for a while. I'll relay any information I pick up.

Cooking

Took a few pieces of leftover chicken I had from an earlier-in-the-week dinner,  pulled the meat off the bones, added it to a pot of water, dumped in chunks of onions, added some chopped celery, seasoned the mess with salt, pepper, Double R spices (a concoction that my wife, Robie, and I make...11 spices blended together...I'll share the recipe one day)...I think that was all. It boiled vigoroulsy for about 15 minutes, then I reduced the heat to a slow simmer, and added a half box of wild rice. Another 20 minutes, and we had some pretty good chicken-N-stuff soup. We really, really try to never throw out leftovers. We just make something else with them.

Picture This

I haven't too much this week, other than "water pcitures" (see earlier blogs for those pics). I have been shooting some products for the new Ship's Wheel that is going to be headquarted at Tideline Marine. The gift shop is getting a makeover, and there's going to be an online element. More coming on that.

I like pirate stuff. Our boat (one of them) is named

 Pirate Attack. And, no, it has nothing to do with East Carolina.

Here's hoping for a great week.

Daily Facts and Opinions, Wastewater Overflow

From Jacksonville (NC) Daily News, Friday evening.

City officials are continuing an investigation into why a system attached to a tank designed to help prevent overflows during severe rain events malfunctioned.
Using methodology provided by the State, the estimate is that between 150,000 and 250,000 gallons of untreated wastewater possibly flowed into Chaney Creek Friday morning, according to information from the City of Jacksonville.
The city is in the process of assembling a forensic engineering team to investigate how the system allowed an overflow to occur, according to Jacksonville officials. A preliminary review by the City Engineer indicates that a sensor that was to have stopped flow to the tank and alert City operators of a problem malfunctioned. A second backup sensor that would have done the same was also never tripped.
Tropical Storm Nicole was the first time that the Equalization Tank has been used during peak pumping times since its construction.
City crews visually inspected the tank at 4 a.m. Friday, according to the city. During another visual inspection at 6:30 a.m., it was discovered to be overflowing.
Crews immediately worked to stop the flow and succeeded about 7 a.m. Crews took steps to minimize damage from the overflow, notified state officials and took steps to manually control the overflow devices.
Water Quality crews from the city have been taking samples from the waterways surrounding the site, and will continue to monitor water quality over the next few days to determine if the water is a threat to health and safety.
The city installed the Equalization Tank to absorb high flows at the Main Pump Station during peak pumping conditions, according to city officials. A majority of the cCity’s wastewater flows to the city’s Main Pump Station. From there, the city has a fixed capacity within the lines and pumps that go to the city’s Wastewater Land Treatment Site and the tank is designed to receive the flow when that capacity is challenged, such as during excessive rain events.
The City has recorded nearly 20 inches of rain since Sunday evening including the Thursday evening passing of the remnants of the eye of Tropical Storm Nicole.
On Thursday, several City manholes experienced overflows as a result of the heavy rains. In some of the cases, the overflows resulted in unknown amounts of untreated wastewater being discharged into creeks and streams.
State officials have been notified about each individual overflow and about actions that were taken to minimize the damage from the overflows. The City also has notified several environmental groups who regularly monitor the New River.
Incorrect information from early reports on the scene indicated a fish kill, according to the city. However, that was wrong. Some fish were trapped in a scour that was created by the heavy flow, but were not killed.

Chaney Creek and Phillips Park,Thursday evening

Daily Facts and Opinions

Good Friday morning.
Thank goodness the rain has stopped. Hopefully, we'll be able to get back to normal. Whoops...just when I thought so, this story from the Jacksonville (NC) Daily News hit my In-Box:

The tank designed to help prevent overflows in severe rain events has reportedly malfunctioned, city officials said.
The Equalization Tank at Jacksonville's Main Pump Station apparently caused a significant discharge into Chaney Creek, according to a press release from the city. A fish kill has been seen in the area and city staff are currently assessing the situation.
Thursday several manholes in Jacksonville experienced overflows as a result of the heavy rains. A fourth manhole was found to be overflowing Thursday evening. The overflows resulted in unknown amounts of untreated wastewater being discharged into creeks and streams, according to the release.
State officials have been notified about each individual overflow and about actions being taken to minimize the damage from the overflows. Additionally, the city notified independent environmental monitoring groups about the overflow.
Jacksonville installed the Equalization Tank to prevent overflows at the Main Pump Station during peak pumping conditions. Sensors on the tank indicated that more than 1.6 million gallons were in the tank Thursday evening. (So, who designed this thing? Do we get our money back?)
It appears however that the sensors did not correctly read the amount in the tank and a discharge occurred. How much might have been discharged is not known at this time, according to the release.
This is the first time that the Equalization Tank has been used during peak pumping times since its construction. The city has ordered the engineers who designed the tank to report to the scene to help determine what may have occurred. (Perhaps they'll get raises)
City Water Quality crews are currently assessing the situation as well as utility crews. (There's that word, again. How about changing it to "fixing"?

I would say that I'm surprised that this has occured. Actally, I would be surprised if something like this did NOT happen. True, the rains of this week were a bit abnormal, but they're not unheard of. On the coast, in a hurricane belt, where the region had a similar amount of rain just 11 years ago. You might think that up close and personal monitoring during the "rain event" would have been taking place, just to make sure that "sensors", or other devices, were working as designed.