Things are changing in the marina.

If you weren’t from around here, or hadn’t been here in a while, you’d never know. There’s  construction of new, lovely docks, there’s a new fuel and pumpout dock, new shower and laundry facility, and some pretty good stuff in the impromptu library in the laundry room.

It’s subtler than that. Little stuff. Like, the guys who think it’s funny to take a dump in the toilets and not flush. Like the person who was so enraged that I’d taken their dry clothes out of the dryer to make room for my own stuff, that they opened both my dryers and threw my wet stuff out onto the floor. Like the people who don’t believe their dogs should be on leashes, so they let them run, and don’t understand how hard it is to really clean dogshit off the docks, so they just sort of leave it there. Like the neighbor of mine who is slowly losing his mind, probably due to too many drugs, and has taken to verbally attacking everyone around him for everything and nothing.

My neighbor Beverly, who’s been here longer than me, and I, were talking about it this morning. And we decided that the answer was elephants.

See, if juvenile elephants are left alone, they start engaging in thuggery. They rip up trees, they stomp on houses, they generally create havoc. And if you put just one mature male elephant in their territory, they suddenly mellow out, as if someone was there holding them accountable.

There are a lot of fabulous characters here, don’t get me wrong. But all of the larger-than-life, alpha-male types have moved on. The guys who would charge in and set things right, the guys who knew everyone, the guys who were capable of sitting on the troublesome, the guys who knew when to call the cops, and when to call the hospital. They’ve all gone, leaving us with a lot of very quiet, but not very dominating, guys. And that’s leaving a vacuum socially, that’s allowing the mice to act like rats.

I’m sure a new social order will reassert itself. I’m just hoping that it’s cordial. And, y’know, involves elephants.

Tags: living aboard, marina

• RT @BPOilNews: Express.co.uk: BP set to make $5bn profits despite spill http://ow.ly/2cXT9 #corporategreed #
• Trying to figure out if, when we sail away, it's best to remain CA "residents", or NV. Thoughts? #
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• YAY! Have lined up Spanish immersion school for kids in Ensenada, and help with Mexico paperwork for us! Muy bien! #cruisingprep #
• positive attitudes, friendly neighbors, fabulous free internet, escape velocity, and writers' block #Gratitude List #
• Weather report says we won't be seeing the sun for a few days. I feel like we've become a small slice of the Southern Hemisphere… #
• Oregon requires standardized testing for homeschoolers. No Oregon residency for us. Sorry, Nana! NV, here we come! #boatschooling #
• RT @CaptPaulWatson: Please visit http://tinyurl.com/2by23kb //be prepared to be sick. Freaking barbaric. #seashepherd #whenthevirustakesus #
• RT @Grist: http://tinyurl.com/26w78n4 BP photoshops clean-up command center picture//it'd be funny if it wasn't so horrible. #
• Hey SeaShepherd; who profits from the Whale Wars stuff in the Discovery Channel store? http://tinyurl .com/2b2pl6f #seashepherd #
• You know… I can't help but think this is a fair response. http://tinyurl.com/2d2vdps #collapse #
• The latest musing: : Best Family… http://theexcellentadventure.com/elementalmom/2010/07/best-family-blog-ever/ #parenting #family #
• Trying to figure out how to fill out Italian passport forms. Another country's rules in their language. I can do this, right? #
• Oh boy. Apparently, we're now under a different consular jurisdiction. Looks like I'll be heading down to LA. A lot. #
• We can afford war, but not space. Tragic. http://bit.ly/ckkADP #getofftherock #
• RT @codepinkalert: Oops they did it again…BP photoshop disaster http://bit.ly/cz7585 //if they had nothing to hide, why this? #oilspill #
• The latest musing: : Family at… http://bit.ly/bIxGC1 #courage #deathathome #compassion #
• Twitter mood maps reveal emotional states of America – tech – 21 July 2010 – New Scientist: http://bit.ly/9bCeyX //so cool!!! #
• The latest musing: : Rowan's Eight — A Lego Birthday http://theexcellentadventure.com/elementalmom/2010/07/rowans-eight-a-lego-birthday/ #

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You gotta hand it to Baykeeper; they keep swinging. Notice how insanely long this is? That’s a lot of lawsuits in the last three years, and a whole lot, I mean OMG, a whole lot, of sewage in the Bay. Some of these I knew about, some I didn’t. They all add up to a problem that no one wants to deal with or spend money on. Who cares about shit in the Bay, right? ::headdesk::

Baykeeper’s Legal Action to End Sewage Spills

Baykeeper Secures Agreement from Millbrae to Reduce Sewage Spills

July 2010 – San Francisco Baykeeper has successfully secured an agreement with the City of Millbrae to dramatically reduce the number sewage spills from Millbrae’s sewer lines. Baykeeper sued the City in December 2009 after the City’s records revealed that thousands of gallons of raw sewage had been spilled into creeks and the Bay in violation of the Clean Water Act.

Under our agreement, the City of Millbrae will make substantial improvements to its aging infrastructure over the next six years and perform regular maintenance to reduce sewage spills. The City has also agreed to invest $525,000 in projects to help restore the health of the Bay watershed, including offering financial support for property owners to replace broken private sewer lines and to implement low impact development features – such as collecting rainwater for reuse and replacing concrete with permeable surfaces – in order to reduce the flow of storm water runoff to storm drains and sewer pipes.

We’re pleased to have reached a strong settlement that will significantly reduce sewage contamination to the Bay. Read the press release here (pdf).

San Carlos Agrees to Reduce Sewage Spills Under Baykeeper Settlement

February 2010 – Baykeeper successfully settled our lawsuit against the City of San Carlos for its thousands of gallons of raw sewage spills in violation of the Clean Water Act. The City has agreed to spend tens of millions of dollars to make collection system improvements and undertake a study to identify capacity problems. The City will also invest $200,000 in funding for projects to help restore the water quality of the San Francisco Bay watershed. Read the press release here (pdf).

Above: Kayaks at Bair Island, a popular recreational area for kayakers paddling Corkscrew Slough.

Baykeeper’s Recent Legal Actions to Cut Sewage Spills in San Mateo County

Beginning in December 2009, Baykeeper filed a new series of lawsuits in San Mateo County, the latest in our ten-year effort to clean up sewage contamination in the Bay.

Baykeeper filed suit to prevent sewage spills from the Cities of Millbrae and San Carlos and the West Bay sanitary district, three areas with dilapidated sewage collection systems that have spilled thousands of gallons of sewage over the past five years – threatening the health of the Bay and its wildlife, as well as recreational users of popular South Bay spots like Bair Island and Corkscrew Slough. Read the press release (pdf) and the notices of violations and intent to file suit under the federal Clean Water Act for Millbrae, San Carlos and West Bay (pdfs).

In February 2010, Baykeeper brought suit against the City of San Bruno for its significant sewage spill problem. The Regional Water Quality Control Board recently issued a significant penalty to San Bruno for its violations but sought no repairs or upgrades to the City’s sewage system. We intend to compel the City to undertake aggressive repairs to reduce sewage spills to local neighborhoods and the Bay. Read the press release (pdf).

In March, Baykeeper also filed suit against the City of South San Francisco for its high sewage spill rate. We are in productive talks with the City and are optimistic that the City will agree to take critical improvements to its sewer systems, including replacing its many sewage lines constructed from cardboard and tarpaper.

Baykeeper Joins EPA Legal Action Against Seven East Bay Polluters

In January 2010, Baykeeper moved to intervene in the Environmental Protection Agency’s action against seven satellite facilities of the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). The cities of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont and the Stege Sanitary District suffer from high rates of sewage spills and contribute to EBMUD’s sewage overflows during rainy months. Baykeeper intends to play a substantive role in future negotiations between these satellite facilities and EPA. Read the press release (pdf).

Baykeeper’s Previous Victories to Prevent Sewage Spills in San Mateo County

In 2008 and 2009, Baykeeper successfully settled lawsuits against the City of Burlingame and its satellite cities of Hillsborough and Burlingame Hills for sewage spills in violation of the Clean Water Act.

Baykeeper filed suit against Burlingame In February 2008 after discovering that the City had a very high sewage spill rate and during large storms was illegally discharging wastewater at Coyote Point, a popular windsurfing area.

In August 2008, Baykeeper reached a successful settlement with the City of Burlingame to reduce sewage spills to the Bay. Burlingame agreed to substantially improve its sewage infrastructure over the next ten years, including stopping all spills during normal storm events, spending tens of millions of dollars to make collection system improvements and undertaking a study to identify capacity problems and eliminate near-shore discharges. The City will also invest $250,000 to fund projects that will help restore the San Mateo County watershed. Read the press release (pdf).

At the same time, Baykeeper brought suit against Hillsborough and Burlingame Hills for sewage spills that violate the Clean Water Act. Hillsborough and Burlingame Hills are “satellite” sewage collection systems that send sewage to the City of Burlingame for treatment. The poor maintenance of the satellite systems contributes to problems downstream at the Burlingame plant.

Baykeeper successfully settled with Hillsborough and Burlingame Hills in July 2009. Under our settlement agreements, Hillsborough and Burlingame Hills will dramatically curb sewage spills by 2014. Hillsborough will also contribute $50,000 to projects that help protect the San Francisco Bay and its watershed, including a program to provide low-cost loans for residents to replace failing sewer pipes; Burlingame Hills will invest $15,000 in watershed protection projects, including efforts to educate residents about how they can help reduce sewage spills.

Our citizen enforcement actions against Burlingame, Hillsborough and Burlingame Hills will help bring about a comprehensive solution for sewage pollution from the San Mateo Peninsula.

Tags: Baykeeper, Environment, pollution, San Francisco Bay, sewage

Considering our family’s Italian dual citizenship, this entry from Sea Shepherd made me quite happy:

The Steve Irwin Visits Italy

The Steve Irwin arrived today in La Spezia, Italy, for a brief visit and a fundraising event.  The crew were greeted with a huge welcoming banner.

This marks the first time that a Sea Shepherd ship has docked in Italy. Our Italian support base is growing and Sea Shepherd welcomes this opportunity to meet our supporters and to introduce the ship and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to Italy.

The Steve Irwin is scheduled to depart from La Spezia on July 19th for Monaco and will sail on to Barcelona, Spain, on July 23rd.

Tags: sea shepherd, Steve Irwin, Viva Italia!

One of the things that fascinates me about climate change is the concept that humanity evolved in conjunction with everything else, and has developed habits and settlements that should keep them safe from dangerous things. For example, human settlement in Africa often happened at altitudes that did not support malaria-bearing mosquitos, but as things heat up, the mosquitos’ range increases, putting cities at risk that never were before.

So here’s one marine expression of this; Great Whites on the Jersey Shore:

Summer of sharks at Jersey Shore likely due to warm water

U.S. Coast Guard has issued warning for Northeast after great white caught earlier this year

‘Sharks at New Jersey beaches’ rings of a sensational headline meant to scare. Florida, California, Australia maybe, but here… no way, right? Wrong — after sharks were sighted at the Jersey Shore for the third time this week, the public was left baffled.

Those enormous, mystical creatures that roam sleekly through the ocean and breathe through multiple gill slits have been hovering near our coastline likely because of the soaring temperatures and profusion of fish.

Nice, huh? Get ready to get flexible. It’s all changing.

Tags: climate change, great white shark

I absolutely adore Nicholas Kristof. I’m still working my way through his book “Half the Sky”, and I read his column almost compulsively. He is a journalist of stature, in a world of mere reporters, and worthy of all the support the rest of us can throw at him. He’s taken on incredibly difficult assignments in incredibly difficult places in the world, and handled them with nothing short of astronomical grace and sensitivity.

So when Kristof addresses climate change, I listen. (Course, I listen about it anyway, but Kristof is so far beyond reproach…). And this article was utterly chilling. Just the image at the top of the article is worth the clickthrough.

Our Beaker is Starting to Boil

Some research in social psychology suggests that our brains are not well adapted to protect ourselves from gradually encroaching harms. We evolved to be wary of saber-toothed tigers and blizzards, but not of climate change — and maybe that’s also why we in the news media tend to cover weather but not climate. The upshot is that we’re horrifyingly nonchalant at the prospect that rising carbon emissions may devastate our favorite planet.

And there you have it. Go read.

Tags: climate change, Environment, Nicholas Kristof, water

• The latest musing: : Velveeta of Grief http://theexcellentadventure.com/elementalmom/2010/07/11/velveeta-of-grief/ #grief #amwriting #
• The latest musing: : Missing Charlie http://theexcellentadventure.com/elementalmom/2010/07/13/missing-charlie/ #
• Just had to ask Unemployment to fix a huge error of theirs, again. Pray for me, folks. #unemployment #edd #
• RT @DaddyFiles: Wife lost baby at 16 wks. Went for surgery & was screamed at by protesters. I confronted them on video. http://bit.ly/98yJiE #
• Probably got ten pounds of weight off the boat in dead batteries. HazWaste, here we come! #boatcleaning #
• Some days, the tabs just can't load fast enough. #
• Kestrel would not go down for his nap. The afternoon will be ugly. And not televised. #
• Had a spectacularly inspirational lunch with @MissAdventuring, and because of her, #amwriting THANK YOU Carla! You freaking rock! #
• #GratitudeList nudges from my past, calls from my future, and the perspective to keep them both where they belong. #
• The latest musing: : Stretching Wings http://theexcellentadventure.com/elementalmom/2010/07/stretching-wings/ #
• I have stalled in every responsible way possible, short of cleaning my room. So now, #amwriting #

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Thank you, Freecycle, for saving my friend’s life.

The story goes like this. A year or so ago, someone on Freecycle was giving away a windsurf board. Board, booms, sail, harness, the works. It’s a beginner’s board, so it’s huge and flat and stable and not at all sexy, but totally functional. We keep it in the water in front of our boat, due to lack of space. I have a friend who puts containers of vegetables on his, so I was thinking of doing that, eventually.

A bunch of our marina neighbors keep their kayaks up there too. It’s a really convenient place to launch from, and a place to keep the boats that the marina doesn’t mind, that makes for super easy launching (because you’re already in the water). It’s a little tricky getting from the dock into the boat and then back out again, but totally doable.

The other night, one of my neighbors got really drunk. This is not a surprise; a fairly large number of my neighbors should probably consider rehab, but that’s another discussion entirely. This neighbor decided, while utterly inebriated, that going kayaking, at night, was a great idea, and so into his boat he went.

Apparently the paddle itself went fine. The problem was in exiting the craft. His boat is super tippy and wide, and in overcorrecting, he sloshed the opening of the boat into the water, and the boat filled in seconds, leaving him submerged to the waist, and utterly unable to get out of the boat onto the dock.

This is San Francisco Bay. Sitting in Bay water is not only grotty, it’s really, really cold. If your bloodstream is already seriously full of alcohol, your chances of becoming dangerously hypothermic skyrocket.

And our marina does not have exit ladders. You are either large and strong enough to pull yourself onto the dock, or you’re screwed. A few boats (like ours) have steps that you can use to get yourself out, but when you’re really drunk, you don’t exactly remember that.

Our friend ended up hauling himself onto the windsurf board, and then onto the dock from there. I have no idea how we didn’t hear any of this in the echo chamber that is our boat, but we didn’t.

He’s OK. He’s learned a lesson about being an idiot, that hopefully will stick. And God forgive me for being selfish, but because that board was there, my children did not have to wake up to seeing the dead body of someone they really like floating in front of our boat.

It is astonishing to me how little things change the course of lives. So thank you, Freecycle Benefactress, for the board. Bet you never knew it was a piece of lifesaving equipment, did you?

And oh yeah, we’re going to start agitating for dock ladders.

Tags: kayaks, living aboard, marina, serendipity

I still can’t talk about this. But here’s Sea Shepherd’s Steve Roest’s commentary on his recent flyover of the devastation.

Tags: activism, BPSucks, Environment, oil drilling, pollution, sea shepherd

• My mother is teaching herself to play the Nintendo DS, so that she can engage with her grandkids better. Her idea. I am so freaking lucky. #
• "Did I ever tell you that the thing I love about dreams is how easily they grow up to be plans … ?" — David Royall #inspiration #
• The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do. — Sarah Ban Breathnach #
• Outline? Finished. Chapters? Organized. Intro? Just the way I want it. The rest? Sheer terror, but I'm swinging. #amwriting #
• Resume newly rejiggered, thanks to the amazing @behan, who freaking rocks. Now, to find people who can pay me for what I can do for them. #
• Just for the record, India Palace restaurant in Alameda, CA sucks royally. #
• RT @drgrist need 12 more followers to clear 5,000! All you people who aren't following me & thus aren't reading this … follow me! #
• RT @spill_updates: nope, hasn't stopped yet // if you aren't following @spill_updates, you're missing excellent black (HA) humor. #
• Mehserle verdict in. Looks like we'll be hunkering down small for the next few days. #Oakland #
• Damn the media. They are repeating "Things are heating up!" with unholy glee. No out of town rioters? No out of town media!!! #Oakland #
• via @huffingtonpost: Why the Idiocy about Unemployment? http://huff.to/au7BCr #
• It is cold and windy and foggy out there. No paddle for me. Until I get my Talon, that is. Get busy, @SCKayaks! http://tinyurl.com/25mese7 #
• RT @PJA64X: Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for truth. — Benjamin Disraeli #
• #FF @spill_updates. Best gallows humor on Twitter, bar none. #
• The latest musing: : Adult Privilege http://theexcellentadventure.com/elementalmom/2010/07/10/adult-privilege/ #

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I’ve been doing a lot of musing lately.

Things are wrapping up on the family drama front. Mom’s recovering from the Bear’s death, and getting herself straightened out. And it’s looking like things are going to wrap up soonish on the financial drama front; my social media consulting biz is coming along well, and Jason’s gig at the rigging shop is both rewarding and challenging.

Which leaves us with the “when the heck are we getting out of here?” front.

And as my pal Anji says… there is always a reason to stay, but never a reason to go.

It’s intimidating. There. I said it. When you don’t really know what you’re doing, it is tough to wrap everything and everyone you love in a thin fiberglass shell and throw them out on an open ocean.

I know that it’s doable. I know that we can do it. But sometimes, it feels like just another day/month/year of preparation will make us that much more knowledgable/secure/solvent, and therefore, we should hang on just a little longer…

Madness. If you never leave, well, you never left, and what’s the point of that? If we never leave, then we’re just in a big old floating trailer park forever, and what was the good of that?

I caught Rowan laying on the transom the other day, staring moodily into the water.

“What’s up, pal?”

“I hate it here. I want to swim. I want to be warm. Can we leave yet?”

Wince. He’s only seven, he doesn’t understand that there’s more to leaving than just… leaving. But sitting there with him, I could envision a time and a place where we both just dove on in, and swam around together for a few hours. Where we weren’t freezing our asses off in the umteenth freezing cold day in a row, in July. Where the water wasn’t poisoned and the fish weren’t toxic and the hypothermia wouldn’t kill you if e.coli didn’t first.

My buddy Scott reminded me that another of our marina compatriots has gone from here to Mexico six times in the last two years. And he’s a disabled singlehanded sailor.

That puts it into perspective. What, exactly are we waiting for?

Tags: cruising, musings

This just in!

We did it. “The Cove” opened in six theaters in Japan over the weekend! And while we are still under constant attack from extremist whose goal is to shut down theaters, the film actually sold out many showings.

A huge thank you to each one of you. There were countless times over the last year when I feared we’d never see the film open in Japan. It’s your support that made it possible. At almost every turn in this campaign we’ve come up against incredible obstacles, but you all got us through it. Many of you came forward – donating time, money and creative expertise. You shared your thoughts and spread the word. At absolutely every turn people not only did what they were asked, they went above and beyond.

We still have a lot to do, but together we have reached a major milestone and I can’t thank you enough for getting us there.

- Ric O’Barry, Save Japan Dolphins, “The Cove”

Only in my wildest dreams did I believe “The Cove” would be screened in Japan. And I certainly never thought it would spark a nationwide debate over free speech.

Now, the film is selling out theaters there and nearly everyone seems to know about it. I’m hopeful that once people in Japan see the movie they will understand that it is not just about saving dolphins but also humans, because all dolphin meat is toxic from what we humans are dumping into the oceans. This is not just a Japanese problem, but a worldwide problem. The bigger issue is that we are poisoning the oceans not only for the wild, but for ourselves and future generations.

The biggest benefit of “The Cove” may be that it opened up doors for other points of view that could not be heard up until now. In that way, the film is already a great success. And for that, I can’t thank you enough. Every one of you has helped to make my dreams come true.

- Louie Psihoyos, Oceanic Preservation Society/Director, “The Cove”

Read more about “The Cove” opening here:
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/news/20100703p2g00m0et072000c.html

Tags: dolphin slaughter, Louie Psihoyos, Oceanic Preservation Society, Ric O’Barry, Save Japan Dolphins, “The Cove”

• Spent the weekend teaching myself CSS. Still a lot to learn, but it's a start. Thanks for the kick in the butt, @quennessa and @Barkissimo #
• "No one should be allowed to make poison for which there is no antidote" Listening BP? http://tinyurl.com/25vu8gg #oilspill #
• Orphaned, Raped and Ignored – http://nyti.ms/alxJws //the opening line is so sad. We really are short attention span creatures. #
• Gotta blog. Gotta write. Gotta keep the kids entertained. I need like… six more of me. #
• winding down from an awesome swim session thanks to the best (boat) neighbor evah! #
• RT @OceanChampions: Bold Bid to Ban Plastic Bags Advances in California http://bit.ly/9nnKKi #ocean #plastic #green #
• Must catch up on the blogs today. Must. #
• There is nothing more exquisite than kisses from your children, "just because, Mama". #
• The latest musing: : Walking in the Park http://theexcellentadventure.com/elementalmom/2010/06/30/walking-in-the-park/ #
• Voting for Whale Wars in the 2010 Do Something Awards http://bit.ly/acz59q #
• OK, how incredibly spiffy is this, my photographer peeps? http://tinyurl.com/y8u8ewk #photography #
• Just contacted Lundberg about removing the little plastic window in their pasta packaging. #nomoreplastic #
• OMG. Todayshow.com wants to interview me about homeschooling from a boat. Cool! #boatschooling #
• Lying does not become us, BP. RT @BP_America: Restricted media access is an urban myth… #oilspill #corporateBS #
• RT @FarmDaughter: Animals killed by BP oil spill, updated daily. http://www.dailydeadbirds.com/ #oilspill #
• The latest musing: : Musings on Oakland http://theexcellentadventure.com/elementalmom/2010/07/02/musings-on-oakland/ Oakland #
• Hunt Press author Monica Marier (@lil_monmon)'s short story was dubbed story of the month for June! http://tinyurl.com/2dqa8a7 #writing #
• Most writers face sheer panic at some point in the process, don't they? #amwriting #
• RT @SarahStewart: Feeling vindicated. Top academic at maternity conference agreeing with me that we must take heed of social media//WAHOO!!! #
• Yesterday, I woke up before the wind for a gorgeous paddle to the end of Berkeley Pier and back. Today? No such luck. #kayaking #

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What I love about this, and why I’m posting it here, is because Captain Moore is the person who discovered the garbage patches.

But not really.

I find it hard to believe that he’s the first person to cruise over that hunk of the sea. More likely, he’s just the first person to raise a stink about it, to call for action, to do something about it.

I think when we cruise, it’s nice to be tourists, but it’s better to be citizens. What are you going to do with what you learn?

Tags: activism, Captain Charles Moore, Charles Moore, consciousness, Environment, Pacific Garbage Patch, plastic waste, pollution, social responsibility, TED Talks

• The latest musing: : Learning to… http://bit.ly/9xS9NR #learningtosee #naturalvision #
• Heading to Petaluma to pick up seeds, plants, and food. My dehydrator isn't going to stop for the next few weeks…#sufficiency #
• RT @OmarTodd: Wow just heard IWC will uphold the ban on commercial whaling!!!!!! // YEAH!!! #whaling #
• Anyone doing this? http://www.handsacrossthesand.com/ #endoildrilling #
• RT @Whedonette: Happy Birthday Joss!!! Since it's his birthday and all, how about a little birthday Trending Topics action! #JossWhedon #
• RT @alecmuffett: My Father, Me, and my 1973 Kindergarden Application http://tinyurl.com/23eprhk //may we all support our kids this well. #

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