Topband: Beverages near the ocean

[Mike Fatchett W0MU]

I was reading ON4UN's Low Band DXing Book and ran across a comment he 
made about beverages not working near the ocean and the Heard Is folks 
could never get one working.  I know we used one from V47 and it worked 
great.  It was located probably no more than 300 ft from the water.

This is the first time I have read or heard of this phenomenon.  Have 
others had issues with beverages near the ocean?