insatiable appetite for metals. Many of the surveyed marinas that have low level lighting 

 systems reported failures due to sea spray in high wind conditions. Unprotected connections 

 or outlets are reported to incur high maintenance costs. One operator who switched to an 

 environmentally protected electrical system complained of the lack of standardization in 

 marine electrical equipment and the many interface problems that developed with what he 

 had assumed were salvageable parts of his original system. 



Difficulties with water supply was also reported. Because of the frequency with which 

 marina water valves corrode shut, T-type faucet handles were recommended over the 

 circular type. It was found that women patrons could open stock T-handled valves with a 

 sharp blow or kick, whereas most could not budge the circular handles. One operator also 

 reported several incidences in which a circular -cast handle broke or failed in the patron's 

 grip, resulting in severe hand injury. It was also found that with a copper-tubing system, the 

 vulnerability of the tube risers caused many sweated joints to be broken, either by accident 

 or inadvertently during repair work. Rejoining of the components could then be 

 accomplished only after the entire tubing system had been drained and dried out. The 

 maintenance superintendent at the reporting marina recommended that all hose bibbs and 

 risers have threaded connections with the mains or cross runs. 



Many comments were directed at the use of untreated wood for decking or structural 

 members of fixed piers. In most cases the maintenance and replacement costs required for 

 untreated wood eventually exceeded what would have been the initial cost and subsequent 

 maintenance cost of treated wood components. Generally, the use of inferior construction 

 materials wiU lead to future economic problems that must be faced while the marina is in 

 operation. Replacement of inferior construction wiU prove costly, and income will be lost 

 while the defective facility is repaired. 



Chemonite and cellon treatments of wood components received favorable comments. 

 Nonbattened creosoted timber, however, was castigated for ruining clothing or staining 

 personal property of the patrons and for polluting the surrounding water areas. 



Floating-pier systems evoked two particular complaints. The first was the difficulty of 

 adjusting chain or cable anchorages during water surface fluctuation cycles and the tendency 

 of these systems to drift beyond desired limits. A related problem was maintaining shore 

 access when a pier drifted or its anchorage was adjusted. The second complaint was the time 

 and difficulty involved in tlie seasonal removal and storage of floating systems at locations 

 requiring winter security. 



Some marina operators questioned the reliabihty of fuel line connections to floating-pier 

 stations. Fixed-pier stations, however, experienced an operational problem in fueling boats 

 during extreme low water levels. Two marinas claimed that it was advantageous to locate 

 their fueling facilities on land behind a bulkhead rather than on a dock or floating pier. This 

 location also permitted gasoline sales to motorists, with the same pumps and service crew 



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