3. Battery Park Marina

Pumpout Service Used as Staff Incentive

Environmental change

Proactive environmental management-including pumpouts and other changes-at this urban marina helps keep Lake Erie clean, turned the marina around economically, and won it a national award.

The first-class urban marina

Battery Park Marina is a private, commercial marina located beside a 5-acre City of Sandusky waterfront public park and tennis courts. There are 672 floating boat slips for seasonal and transient boaters, with one large dock that has side-by-side fuel and pumpout stations. In addition to very clean restrooms and showers, the marina has a laundry, food and drink service, and ship's store, plus a leased restaurant.

During May to October 1995, 85% of the slips were rented for the boating season. On a high-use weekend about 50% of the boats would be used, with about 15% of them occupied overnight. Boat sizes range from 16 to 65 feet LOA, with the average at 28 feet. The 70% majority were powerboats, with 30% sailboats. The marina employs 6 full-time staff year-round and another 15 for the boating season.

The original marina was built on the site in the 1930s as a conversion from an industrial shipyard that had started at the beginning of this century. In 1984, when Paul and John Pheiffer won a city contract to rebuild the then-closed docks and manage the property, they hired Carl Wolf as general manager. They reopened for business in May 1986. The City of Sandusky is the landowner. Within a 2-mile radius of Battery Park, there are 7 other marinas, serving an estimated area boat population of nearly 5,000 boats around the bay.

Battery Park Marina has been nationally credited with helping to revitalize the Sandusky waterfront, increase tourism for the entire community, and demonstrate responsible environmental leadership in the marina industry.

Management measures

Battery Park Marina complies with the marina management measures for sewage facility and maintenance of sewage facilities, as well as shoreline stabilization, fueling station design, solid waste, fish waste, liquid materials, petroleum control, boat cleaning, and public education.

Costs/benefits

Battery Park Marina pumped out more than 1,000 boat holding tanks in 1995. The amortized annual cost of the pumpout and dump station is estimated to be $317, along with a $20 annual maintenance cost. Pumpout income for 1995 was $1,500, and the pumpout service increased fuel sales volume by an estimated $11,000. The estimated total net benefit of the pumpout service was $12,163 for 1995.

Environmental improvements

With the Great Lakes already designated no-discharge for boat sewage, Battery Park Marina bought turn-key docks in 1985, which included a diaphragm pumpout station on the fuel dock. The pumpout line was hooked directly to the city sewers. Later that service expanded with the addition of a Keco portable toilet dump station in 1990, which cost $400. In 1991 the main pumpout was replaced with a Johnny Trap progressing cavity-type pump system, which cost $2,450.

"At first we charged everybody $5.00 per pumpout, but in 1989 made it free for customers and $5 for others," said Carl Wolf. "Over the years, the number of pumpouts increased dramatically as more and more boaters decided to not discharge overboard. Boat holding tanks range in size from 3 gallons, many with 20 gallons, up to 50-gallon capacity. We now range between 50 to 100 pumpouts per week in season. In 1995 we did over 1,000 pumpouts with an estimated 10,000 gallons of sewage going for treatment-not into the lake."

"The annual maintenance cost in 1995 was $20 and generated an income of $1,500 from other boats visiting our dock," Wolf added. The city charges Battery Park no extra fee for the added boat sewage.

"Most customers are willing to pump fuel, but not their sewage. Our dock staff do all the pumpouts and like the job. Boaters are so happy with our staffed service that they tip very well. Using that as an incentive to summer staff, I offer the pumpout station job only to the returning dock hand with the best work record from the previous year." Imagine getting pumped out by the best employee of the marina!

"Customers want one stop for both fuel and pumpout. Pumping out at fuel dock does increase our fuel sales volume an estimated 4% in 1995, or $11,000 more," said Wolf. "Our policy about Y-valves is simple: no pumping over the side, period!"

Portable toilet dump station at the fuel dock. (photo by Battery Park Marina)

In 1996 a second Johnny Trap pumpout station will be added to the fuel dock, which will cost $6,000, including design, permit, and installation. That cost will be subsidized with a $4,350 CVA pumpout grant from the State of Ohio. Marina manager Philip Doller explained, "Our fuel dock is 15 feet wide by 150 feet long and we can service up to 20 boats on both sides. The second Johnny Trap will mean we can pump out every boat without having to relocate it near the original pump. On average it takes about 7 minutes to pump out and rinse a typical 20-gallon holding tank."

Other improvements and benefit

Lake Erie had become so polluted that 20 years ago it was widely called "a dead lake." Sandusky Harbor was once so dirty that "we could not see more than a foot deep into the water," said Wolf. "But by 1995 it had become clear enough for me to see 6 feet down to the bottom for the first time in my life." He credits the significantly improved clarity to three factors: widespread pollution abatement around the lake, clean marina practices, and zebra mussels (great filterers). Today both commercial fishing and sportfishing are doing very well. Lake Erie is truly a national success story of pollution abatement.

Another Lake Erie environmental success story is Battery Park Marina. When the Pheiffers leased the property in 1984, the marina was in such bad repair that waterway guidebooks actually advised mariners to stay away. The marina was totally rebuilt with new docks and landscaping, and it reopened in 1986. It quickly became very popular and economically successful, and eventually spawned a number of other marinas on the bay.

"Being as open as we are in the public view, we decided to start cleaning things up and lead the way on the environmental front," said Wolf. "Every year, we try to make improvements and update our policies to protect the waterfront." Much of the clean marina success was the achievement of manager Carl Wolf. He worked with the Rhode Island-based International Marina Institute (IMI) to create a standardized marina operations manual for industry use, including the evolving best management practices.

Clean appearance has always been a top priority for Battery Park Marina management. "I make a point of insisting that all staff pick up any litter they see. If I am walking with one of them and see some paper on the ground, I rush to pick it up before the employee does. And if I get there first there is a mild reproach given. Believe me, with so many young dock staff, they keep me on my toes trying to keep the place clean. Our 'Rat Patrol' walks around the marina daily picking up floating debris with swimming pool nets," Wolf added.

"Oil spills are not a big problem at Battery Park Marina, where a large spill is about four tablespoons," stated Wolf. "We only had one spill like that in 1995, but we still immediately called the Coast Guard, as is our policy."

"Some of our other efforts toward environmentalism are oil pads on fuel dispensers, oil booms strategically placed in case of spills, grass clippings used for weed control, and a waste oil and used battery drop-off point," said Doller. "These are just a few of our efforts. For example, in 1994 we began to place an oil boom where the fuel line joins our floating dock, in case the connection leaks. It is also there to capture any liquids or debris that floats from either the east or west basins. The booms last about 6 months and cost $25 each."

"In 1995 we started placing oil-absorbent pads on all of our fuel dispensers to try to reduce the amount of fuel spilling in the water during fueling of boats." Staff cut absorption pads (also called mats and diapers) into squares, then cut an X-shaped hole in the center for the fuel nozzle to pass through. Any backsplash at the filler pipe gets absorbed instead of splashing on the deck, on a customer, or into the water. Doller explained, "We used about 55 pads last summer, with each lasting 1 to 2 weeks. The boaters like the pads and visually see the water is cleaner." With a bag of 100 mats costing $88 from New Pig, Battery Park Marina spent about $48 to prevent the common source of fuel spill in most marinas-a very cost-effective practice.

"For several years we have offered a place to deposit used oil and batteries at no cost to the customer. The local battery company doesn't charge us for pickup, and the local oil company charges $40 a season for pickups. Before we started recycling, the waste oil and batteries ended up in the trash receptacle and created a huge mess," said Wolf.

"Most of these environmental improvements are cost-generating for our marina. But cleanliness and safety are extremely important goals we strive for at Battery Park Marina," said Doller. "We hope this encourages customers to continue docking their boats at our facility." And it obviously has done that.

With the City of Sandusky their landlord, Battery Park Marina has always tried to cooperate with the city administrators and commissioners as much as possible. The marina runs a series of special public events, including a fishing derby for kids, a "Fishing Has No Boundaries" program for handicapped persons, two boat shows, and four concerts. "If we were not a clean marina, these events would not be here," Wolf stated. Apparently, this has worked because "the city uses photos of our marina in its downtown promotional efforts and seldom blocks our marina plans." Battery Park Marina has a fish-cleaning station available for customer use-a testimony to the improved fishery and water quality of Lake Erie.

Every year before the boating season begins, all marina employees participate in an in-service training program. Run by Wolf, it includes operational, emergency, and environmental basics. In addition, each employee has a written job description plus a copy of the marina's operational manual of practices. Everyone knows what is expected. And the positive and professional attitude of the staff encourages customers to keep the marina clean. Battery Park newsletters and signs educate boaters on proper disposal of garbage, recyclables, and contaminants.

Because there are no boat maintenance services offered at Battery Park Marina, it has not needed an NPDES storm water permit.

Battery Park Marina decided to recycle its lawn clippings as a mulch around its many planting beds to help control weeds, add natural fertilizer, and help retain moisture. "The old way had been fine, but we can no longer take trimmings to the landfill," Wolf said. "As mulch, it looks a lot better than weeds."

"With the economy tight, customers are looking at price, but they are willing to pay a bit more at Battery Park because we are a clean marina." That proactive position earned industry-wide recognition when the marina was nominated for the National Marine Manufacturers Association's Environmental Responsibility Award for 1994, and received coverage in several national boating trade magazines and local newspapers.

Equipment sources

• Pumpout station, progressing cavity-type pump: Johnny Trap; Far Products, Inc., P.O. Box 561, Fremont, OH 43420-0561.

• Portable toilet dump station: Keco, Inc., P.O. Box 80308, San Diego, CA 92138.

• Oil absorption mats and spill boom: Pig Mats; New Pig, One Pork Avenue, P.O. Box 304, Tipton, PA 16684-0304.