Alameda Floating Home Association
News Around the Docks
Summer/Fall 2008
4TH OF JULY PARTY !BEST EVER!"
To say that the annual
Barnhill 4th of July party was a
huge success is almost an understatement! To quote one
resident: “I've lived here 30 years, and this was the best
4th of July party we've ever had!” Not only was there a
Is this a scene from "Mama Mia" or is it the Barnhill 4th of
July Party?? Barbara Chambers, Lela Knox, Darrin
Christie, and Diane Puntenney get down with the
Macarena during the dance contest! Whoo hoo!
More tequila!! Tony and Steve tend the gas-powered
blender while Sandy enjoys the results.
big turnout, but everyone was relaxed and ready to go
wild! Steve and Sandy brought a gas-generated blender
that was a big hit, churning out great Margaritas all
afternoon and into the evening. Plus it added a wacky
“buzz-saw” accompaniment to the patriotic music wafting
from the IPOD station! There were loads of other drinks, a
table laden with every type of great dish, and all kinds of
meats grilling on the barbecues. Speaking of meats, a
friend of Tony and Peg's, John Correia, brought a bunch of
amazingly delicious thick, smoked pork chops that were
out of this world! Wow!
Debby Meyer was in charge of the games and prizes and
did a fantastic job! She wrapped all the donated gifts
herself and then artfully arranged them on top of the
mailboxes where they looked smashing. Both games were
tons of fun! The hula hoop contest brought out the
resident experts. Who knew that Darrin Christie of A
Dock was a professional hula hoop master on a cruise ship
earlier in his career?! And Maggie Clendenin
demonstrated advanced skills by twirling the hoop around
(Continued on next page)
Page 2
News Around the Docks
(Party, from page 1)
her neck! While everyone was hula hooping, Brian
Godchaux provided live fiddle music in the background –
just perfect! And the dance contest had everyone
jumping and jiving! Thanks, Debby, for organizing so
much fun!!
Per tradition, Floyd Hunter brought his cannon and folks
took turns setting off explosions. And it looks like we may
have a new tradition in the works. As dusk began to
descend and a surprisingly big group partied on, Dennis
Martinez brought up the portable fire pit and set it ablaze
near the new flagpole and benches. This created a
convivial gathering place as folks awaited the start of the
fireworks over the estuary.
What a fabulous party! Many thanks to our hosts, Tony &
Peg Fraga, and to Debby Meyer, and to everyone who
donated the fantastic food, drinks and prizes!
Brian Godchaux provides music for a relaxed group including
(l to r) Jeanne Godchaux, Brian's partner, Dennis; Angela
McIntyre & her sister, and Rosemary Reilly.
Fabulous pork chops, donated by
Tony & Peg's friend, John Correia.
Floyd & his cannon, with Anne
DeBardeleben (r) & her
daughter, Anna.
Darrin Christie and Maggie Clendenin
display their advanced hula hooping
skills!
Relaxing after the hula hoop contest (from
left ): Lela Knox, Diane Puntenney & Bill Cox,
Vern Beckwith and Barbara Chambers.
Mr. and Mrs. Barnhill enjoying the
party!
News Around the Docks
Page 3
BIG DOINGS AROUND THE MARINA
The Barnhill Management Team has been super-energized
this Spring and Summer with numerous projects completed
or well underway as of early September.
A New “Park” For Barnhill Marina
One of the most exciting projects has been the installation
of a flagpole, benches, sidewalks and landscaping in the
previously empty shoreline area next to the Gate B entrance.
The impressive flagpole was donated by Phil Freitas of
D-17. According to Phil, Mountain View Cemetery (where
he works) purchased a new flagpole this year, and no
longer needed the old one. They donated it to an
organization that never picked it up, so Phil stepped in and
snapped it up for Barnhill Marina! Thanks, Phil, for this
great contribution! After the flag pole was installed, two
benches were placed on either side, a picturesque anchor
was arranged nearby, gravel and stone arranged around the
benches, and curving concrete sidewalks were added (and
much appreciated!) Then in late August, Mrs. Barnhill
began work on the landscaping for this new area, adding
spanish bayonet, bamboo, plumbago, hibiscus, butterfly
orchids and begonias - WOW! The whole area looks
fantastic! In appreciation, the AFHA contributed toward
fertilizer for the new landscaping. Many thanks to Barney
and Lai for this beautiful new area!
More Landscape Upgrades
Meanwhile, the Barnhills also installed weed suppression
fabric to the established landscape areas. The landscape
fabric was then covered with decorative bark. This was a
great improvement as these areas had lost all of their
landscape bark over the years, and weeds were a constant
problem. A white plastic “picket fence” was added along
one side of the walkway to Gate D/E, with future plantings
to come.
Some Nice Touchups!
Finally, the docks, ramps and adjacent areas received some
attention. Mr. Barnhill hired workers who painted the metal
pilings with protective silver paint, and all of the abandoned
propane tanks in the sheds near the entrance gates were
removed. The torn carpeting on B dock ramp was removed
and replaced with non-slip wood, and Dennis Martinez
painted the metal entrance gate doors red and orange – very
(Continued on next page)
Flag pole donated by Phil
Freitas, in our new "Park."
Mrs. Lai Barnhill planting Butterfly Orchids in
the new landscaped area near Gate B.
Bambooo and sculptures in the new garden.
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News Around the Docks
(Doings, continued from page 3)
cheerful!! Rumor is that more colors are coming!
The Marina is looking better and better!
Congratulations to the Barnhill team for these uplifting
improvements.
Installing weed suppression fabric.
Painting the pilings.
Sheds cleared of old propane tanks.
New anti-skid surface on B ramp.
Congratulations,Angela,and wisingyou50more
Lai#s Secret Garden
Mrs. Lai Barnhill shows off one of the many
gorgeous orchids in her private garden.
A veritable jungle of orchids, espcecially
Cymbidiums.
Hidden away behind the Barnhill offices is a magical place. As some residents may know, Mrs. Lai Barnhill is
an avid plant lover and gardener, but she is particularly passionate about orchids! A hint of this passion can be
seen in front of the main office entrance where hundreds of Cymbidium orchids put on a spectacular bloom in
winter and spring. But there are many hundreds more in Lai's special garden area behind the office, and what a
magical place this “secret” garden is! During a special tour in May, the editor (who is also an orchid lover) was
thrilled to see the hundreds of different cymbidium species and other orchid types in bloom. Mrs. Barnhill
(Continued on next page)
News Around the Docks
Page 5
(Garden, continued)
enjoyed showing off the gorgeous flowers and discussing the differences among the different cymbidium species.
Cymbidium orchids are particularly great, because they can live outside and bloom successfully in our Bay Area
climate. Lai also has a small greenhouse where she tends a collection of orchids that require a warmer, more tropical
climate, and there were beauties in bloom here as well, some with fantastic fragrance.
Lai really has an amazing collection, and obviously a real talent for nurturing orchids. If you ever get an invitation to
see this secret gem of a garden, don't hesitate. You're in for a treat!!
Congratulations,Angela,and wisingyou50more
Be! Gets A New Bo"om
By Be! Remenap, D-4
Editor's Note: One of the core objectives of our newsletter is to provide
information and guidance to new and future floating homeowners. Many thanks
to Beth for providing this helpful article about her recent wood/fiberglass hull
repair. THANKS BETH!!
Hi fellow wood & glass hull neighbors. I hope my story is not your fate! If it is,
I hope my recent research and experience will make your life a lot easier!
Prelude
As many of you know, my house traveled to Svendsen’s Boatyard here in
Alameda on May 27th for hull repair. This long journey really began before I
even closed escrow in September, 2000, when I crawled the hull and found
evidence of moisture, past and present. Thanks to a quick education from dear
friend and floating homeowner (and realtor extraordinaire!) David McIntyre, I
was pretty sure starting a hull repair savings account would serve me well sooner
or later. THANK YOU DAVE!
Moving day: inching out into the lagoon
with Phil (rear) and Vern's help.
Since then my hull required on average between one and a half to two “band aid”
fixes per year ranging from $100 to $500. Our top-notch resident carpenter, Vern
Beckwith and Diver, Ted Buhl provided expert assistance during this phase. We
tried various approaches to repair the leaks, including a product called “Splash
Zone.” “Splash Zone” is a 2-part epoxy repair kit, a base in one tin and an
activator in another. Once mixed, it cures underwater. I also hired Blackwater
Diving who did a creative patch, bonding a fiberglassed chunk of wood to the
waterline. Effective but really ugly.
“My House Was Holding Me Hostage”
It started making me crazy (crazier) last summer and fall when I had to arrange
for a neighbor to stand guard while I visited family in Michigan, and then had to
cancel a Thanksgiving trip to So. Cal. when the darn hull developed a leak so
significant I couldn’t let it go for even 24 hours! My house was holding me
hostage! A very large wet-dry vacuum became my new best friend. Many thanks
to Vern, Ted and Bill White for help during this phase!
What To Do?
It was time to try a more permanent remedy. One method that has been
successful in the past (for instance, Sally Jessie's house at E-4 and the Martinez
house on A dock) is to hire a diver to insert an airbag under the hull, inflate it so
that the area needing repair is elevated out of the water (Ted Buhl provides this
service), and then to hire a skilled marine carpenter to apply Splash Zone or refiberglass the problem area. Our former marina neighbor and skilled carpenter,
Gary Hunter, has lots of experience with this type of repair, but was unavailable.
(Continued next page)
On her way to Svendsen's: Beth
and Walter wave from the balcony!
Cruising down the estuary, City of
Oakland in background.
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News Around the Docks
(Bottom, continued)
So I decided to replace the old wood/fiberglass hull with a concrete hull. I
planned to proceed with Ian Moody, of Aquamaison in Sausalito, at a cost of
around $40,000 just to start. But I had misgivings. I love sitting so close to the
water, something even a demi size cement hull would take away. And then our
wise Harbor Mistress Peg talked me out of it with her good sense and “Why
amputate when a good bandage will do?” THANK YOU PEG!
Barney To The Rescue!
On to our resident expert and why did I take so long to consult with him?!!!!
Barney to the rescue! If I rave about all the time, knowledge, research, care and
concern he gave to this project, he’ll probably deny it and raise my slip fees for
being a nuisance. Oh well, so be it. Barney was incredible! He researched
options including every which way possible to work with foam. After much
searching he found a company that would inject foam into the hull, the same
technique that kept the Martinez home on A dock afloat when the hull
deterioration got so bad you could actually pet a duck from inside the hull! Well,
this guy came up with a quote of somewhere in the $15,000 range. Barney said
that was way over the top and he obviously really didn’t want the job. And, I
wasn’t all that crazy about losing precious storage space anyway, not to mention
dealing with the holding tank and water heater carefully ensconced below my
floor. On to the next idea! I had already talked with Bay Ship about hauling my
house. They are located down next to the Alameda Ferry Landing and have a
large dry dock. They came over to inspect the job, said O.K. and never got back
to me with a price! Barney pursued it with them and they came back to him with
a proposition of doing more than just one house at the same time. Concurrently,
Barney was talking with Svendsen’s. The first answer he got was from Ray, the
boatyard manager. His answer was “No.” Ha! Not so fast, Ray. Barney talked
(or perhaps more appropriately, negotiated) with his long time friend and owner,
Sven who then told Ray,“We haul boats. That’s what we do.” THANK YOU
BARNEY! But wait, there’s more. Barney pre-crunched numbers for the job and
when Svendsen’s came back with an $18,000 to $20,000 estimate, Barney started
(or continued) negotiating on my behalf. I believe to this day Barney is still
beating Sven up on these numbers. So the decision was made! I decided to have
my house hauled and the hull repaired at Svendsen's Boatyard. We scheduled the
job for late May or June. As part of the deal, Sven stipulated that I had to have the
hull cleaned of all the marine growth before they would do the job. What a stinky
mess if that hadn't been done! Ted Buhl did an outstanding job and took care to
schedule the job just before haul out. THANK YOU TED!
Moving Day – Dottie & Putzi Go On a Cruise!
Barney and Tony made arrangements with Larry Dalrymple of Boat Service Co.
to move my house to Svendsen’s on the appointed date. They determined the best
time of day, taking into consideration the tides and winds.
That morning it was all hands on deck. Vern disconnected water, sewer and
electrical and came armed with lots of very long lines. Neighbors Walter Knox
and Phil Freitas, and Michael from A dock lent their brains, skill, strength, backs
and lines. Barney, Tony and Lai spearheaded the maneuver. THANK YOU
“BARNHILL NAVY” (Phil’s reference)! Even Ted Buhl showed up in his wetsuit
and boat to join in the fun. Larry was amazing. He came highly recommended
by Barney and Tony after he moved houses for the Webster Tube repair a few
years ago. His little boat, surrounded by fenders, gently pushed the house down
the estuary as passers-by blinked in disbelief. His calm confidence eased my
fears so much so that Walter, who joined the voyage, and I just hung out, drank
coffee and laughed a lot. Gratefully, Barney and Lai also escorted us in their
boat and Vern road with Larry. What? Us worry? Well, maybe my cats! Dottie
and Putzi hid under the bed during the voyage!
Arrival at Svendsen’s got a little bit interesting. Consensus was to have Larry
push me into the marina where I would side tie to "Carolina", on old Grand Banks
in for repair, until the tide came in and I could be line hauled onto the boat
(Continued next page)
Arriving at Svendsen's Boat Yard;
elevator with blocks in foreground.
Maneuvering into the elevator.
High and dry; Barney worked with
Sven's crew to set the blocks just so.
Assessing the damage; Beth and
Barney confer with Sven Svendsen (l)
& Yard Manager, Ray Ronquillo.
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News Around the Docks
(Bottom, continued)
elevator. The wind picked up and I was on a collision course with one of Sven’s
docks lined with boats! Vern jumped off Larry’s boat to fend off. Larry jumped
into action, turned my house, put his boat in reverse and dragged me in with
complete control. Wow!
High and Dry
Later that day, at high tide, Sven’s crew flung two lines for hauling with such
precision even this ‘girl’ could catch them. I can’t tie a knot to save my soul and
was saved a great deal of embarrassment when Vern retied everything - thank
you, Vern! Maneuvering the house onto the elevator was tricky, especially
because there was an intermittent gusty headwind to deal with, and they had to
make sure the house landed on a series of blocks that were built and arranged to
hold my house off the deck to do the bottom repair. Barney had a made a number
of trips in preceding days to instruct Sven's crew in how to arrange and set up
these blocks; the configuration of this “cradle” was the subject of much
discussion. Sven had one idea. Barney had another. As it turned out, Barney's
set up worked perfectly! My house gently floated into perfect position on the
blocks as the elevator lifted me out of the water! Thank you Barney and the
terrific Svendsen's crew! Even Mrs. Barnhill helped with the lines at one point –
thank you Lai!
A view of the extensive damage from
marine growth and sea life.
Life “on the hard”
Not so bad. Clean toilets and showers, electricity and hose water for minimal
use. They even supplied an 8 foot ladder to oh-so-gracefully get in and out of my
house. Svens’ people are nice, friendly and very professional craftsmen. And my
cats did great! Putzi really loved watching the marina activity and would run to
the window to watch whenever a boat pulled in or out of the slips.
I was quite an anomaly and got my biggest laugh when asked by a couple of
people repairing their boats in the yard “Which boat is yours?” When I told them
I am the floating home in the elevator they came back with “The one with the
flowers!” Well, being the only floating home within miles, I wanted to say “No,
the other one,” but thought that would have been a little mean. The second
biggest laugh happened when I went into the harbor master’s office to pick up a
head key the week before haul out. He wanted to know the name of my boat. I
said it’s a bright blue floating home with purple trim that will be sitting in Sven’s
elevator. That didn’t seem to register in his brain for a moment so I relented and
said “Oh, O.K., her name is Tastefully Understated.” I then got my key.
The Repair
Extensive. The condition of the hull was serious, especially the back, the flower
box end. Years of sun exposure I suspect. That was the only place that the
plywood had to be replaced. The rest of the original pontoons were in good
enough shape to be repaired with fill (including the worm tracks), re-fiberglassed,
and then a couple coats of bottom paint. My house also has two boxes that were
added in the center sometime after the house was built in the mid 70s. These
weren't in terrible shape, but did require some repair.
Close-up of damage caused by seaworms.
Center box removed in preparation for
work to begin.
Barney visited almost daily. I know his presence kept the crew focused on the
fact they were repairing a floating home and NOT a million dollar racing yacht.
I’ll bet he saved me tons of money by that action alone! THANK YOU
BARNEY. One evening Lai brought over some gorgeous flowers from her
amazing garden. That sure helped overcome feeling quite homesick for Barnhill
Marina. THANK YOU LAI!
How Much Did It Cost?
Yikes. When all was said and done, the bill came to $27,757.83. Ray Ronquillo,
Sven’s yard manager, was great to work with. He called me every time we leaped
above the estimate, explained why and listened to me whine. We are all aware
there is always the “don’t know what we’ll find until we get there” quotient. The
(Continued next page)
Svendsen's excellent crew working on
the center box.
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News Around the Docks
(Bottom, continued)
invoice looked like a Fortune 500 balance sheet! I
can tell you every rag, glove, paint brush and tshirt, et. al. that was used. It’s all itemized in great
detail. I paid cheerfully knowing “no cash, no
splash” and longing to get home.
The Voyage Home 15 Days Later
Blissfully uneventful. Lai joined me for the return
trip. We were greeted by many of the same
talented, gracious, strong hands who helped with
the departure, including Peg Fraga this time. Peg
presented me with a welcome home bottle of
champagne! Now there’s a thoughtful person!
THANK YOU PEG!
The whole project was well worth it, and I now
have peace of mind. My house is no longer
holding me hostage! Thanks to everyone here at
the marina who helped in so many ways during
the whole process. Your moral support, advice
and encouragement was so appreciated! I couldn't
ask for better neighbors! And if you need any
advice or would like more information about this
repair job, please give me a call or stop by
anytime. Champagne awaits!
Applying epoxy over new
fiberglass.
Like New!! Svendsen's is well
known for their quality work.
Almost home! The "Barnhill Navy"
welcomes Beth back to D-4!
Congratulations,Angela,and wisingyou50more
Home Improvements
The Steve Meckfessel house at B-12
has been remodeled, including new
shingles, a naturally rusted metal
roof and elegant new deck railings.
Looks great!!
Jericho Faurea, D-15, spent the
month of June painting the new
wood railings on her roof deck a
really pretty shade of lavender.
Looks wonderful, Jericho!
Beth Remenap planted a windowbox
with these amazing hand-crafted
wood flowers created by Jericho
Faurea! Beth loves them (we all
do!) and says "Thanks, Jericho!"
Jodi & Marvin Bushnell, E-11,
spent Labor Day weekend
painting their trim a new
color. Jodi calls it "melon"
and Marvin calls it
"sunburst". It looks
smashing, Jodi & Marv!
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News Around the Docks
Dr. Bob: A Remembrance
Our neighbor and friend on Dock B-5, Dr. Bob Butts, passed away on July 18 after a long and valiant battle with pancreatic
cancer. Much has already been written about this dear man in the local newspapers and on the Caringbridge.org web site. So
suffice it to say that he was a brilliant, funny, eccentric man who was totally devoted to his work as one of the Bay Area's best
pediatricians. He had a razor-sharp wit, was a great story teller, loved to talk politics and read voluminously. And he dearly
loved his two dogs, both of whom were rescues: Sam (“Samuel P. de la Cruz”) and Maddy (“Madeleine Rene de la Fontaine”,
who was a rescue from Hurricane Katrina).
We will all remember Bob in so many ways, but I will always cherish the many times we met and talked while he was on his
way with Sam and Maddy up to the “happy pooping grounds”, usually dressed in some delightfully eccentric outfit and ready
to make us laugh about the latest political outrage going on in Washington. When he learned that one of the Barnhill rescue
cats was named Hortense, he delighted all of us at Book Club with his fond childhood memories of Hortense Mayberry at the
YMCA back in his hometown of Galesburg, Illinois. And he was always ready to provide his assistance and expertise
whenever a neighbor was in need of medical help here in the marina.
Sam and Maddy are now living with Bob's sister, Betsy, in Plymouth, Mass. where they have a yard to romp in and a beach
nearby for walks. And Bob is with them too! Betsy brought Bob's ashes back home to Plymouth where they reside in an
exquisite urn handcrafted by his Cousin Jay. The urn is decorated with many personal and symbolic images from Dr. Bob's
life, including the little floating house here at Barnhill Marina that he loved so much. It was a privilege to know you, Bob.
We will never forget you.
BARNHILL MARINA JOINS IN RELAY FOR LIFE
Kudos to Floyd Hunter of Dock C-2, who organized a
Barnhill contingent this summer for the annual American
Cancer Society Relay for Life. In addition to participating
in the all day and all night relay around the track at
Alameda's Encinal High School, Barnhill neighbors raised
almost $900 for the American Cancer Society, in honor of
our neighbor, Dr. Bob Butts.
Floyd singlehandedly initiated the Barnhill effort: posting
announcements and sign-up sheets, leading the volunteers,
and arranging for Long's Drugs to donate ice cream and
candy for the Barnhillers to sell at the venue in order to raise
additional money! Jericho Faurea of D-15 assisted Floyd
with the organizational work and announcements. Way to
(Continued next page)
Floyd Hunter awaits the start of the Relay for Life
at Alameda's Encinal High School on June 19.
Page 10
News Around the Docks
(Relay, continued)
go, Floyd and Jericho!!
Jericho and Floyd both said that it was especially beautiful and poignant as
evening fell and commemorative paper lanterns with lit candles inside were
placed all around the track, and Dr. Bob arrived with his family to take a lap
around the track in his wheelchair.
Congratulations and thanks to the following dedicated Barnhill neighbors who
participated in the Relay for Life: Jericho Faurea, Bob Knop, Mayumi Stroy
and Erika Lindquist. Special kudos to Mayumi and Erika who volunteered to
do the all night duty – great work, you guys! And many thanks to Bob Knop
Barnhill volunteers (l to r): Bill Butts (Dr.
for the great photos and everyone who donated to this worthy cause.
Bob's brother), Erika Lindquist, Bob Knop,
Jericho Faurea and Floyd Hunter.
Jericho and Mayumi Stroy prepare to
sell lots of ice cream and M&M's!
Thanks to Floyd and Long's Drugs, ice
cream & candy sales contributed to
the fund-raising effort.
Congratulations,Angela,and wisingyou50more
IF BARNHILL MARINA HAS A GARAGE SALE...
WILL THEY COME?
Bill Cox describes his
wares on a chilly and
grey day at the first
ever Barnhill Marina
garage sale, July 20,
2008. Bill said he
sold most of his
larger items.
Barnhill Marina held its first ever community-wide garage sale
on Sunday, July 20. Organized by Sally Campbell of B-2 and
approved by Mr. Barnhill, many residents signed up to sell their
unwanted stuff and worked hard early Sunday morning setting up
their wares in the parking lot near the flagpole. Sally worked
very hard to get the word out about our sale, advertising in the
local papers and on Craigslist, and putting up signs on Mariner
Square Drive and at the intersection with Marina Village
Parkway.
The results were mixed. Unfortunately, the weather was pretty
awful! There was heavy overcast, a little drizzle, and a very cold
wind all morning, making it unpleasant for both shoppers and
sellers. Everyone said it felt like a winter day! And while a
number of residents had pretty good luck (Dennis Martinez sold
everything he put out, and Bill Cox reported that he and Diane
sold most of their larger items), the majority opinion seemed to
be that this first ever sale was not as successful as hoped. One
(Continued next page)
Shoppers browse
through the various
displays set up by
Barnhill residents.
Everyone worked hard
and the displays
looked great!
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News Around the Docks
(Sale, continued)
Barnhiller noticed that we weren't getting the folks who regularly
scout out garage sales looking for items to resell in antique stores
or the big flea markets. So what happened?
There were various opinions as to why the customer turnout was
so low. Aside from the bad weather, some folks suggested the
parking lot location was too hard to find, and it might work better
if we moved a future garage sale out to the sidewalk on Mariner
Square Drive. But some feel that even Mariner Square Drive is
too out of the way, particularly for snagging casual passers-by.
Sally Campbell reports that she heard from people who said that
they couldn't find us even with Mapquest's help. Marvin
Bushnell of E-11 provided some interesting advice. He and his
partner Jodi have an established site at the Laney College flea
market that is held every Sunday. Marvin suggested that we
should have held the sale on Saturday, because that is the day that
folks like himself scour yard and garage sales for items to resell
at the big Sunday flea markets at Laney College, the Coliseum
and San Jose. He was sure we would have had a better buyer
turnout on Saturday.
Whether it was the weather, the location, or the day, most sellers
seemed to feel that this was a worthwhile experiment that didn't
work as well as hoped. But it was worth a try, and a good
community effort! To quote Sally, “Hey, it was great to visit with
the Marina bunch, even had a glass or two of champagne...” Our
thanks to Sally Campbell and all the sellers for the great effort!
Jill Van de Wege and Diane Puntenney
bundle up against the cold wind while
waiting for customers.
High-pressure sales people ready to
pounce on a browsing shopper!
Congratulations,Angela,and wisingyou50more
BARNHILLERS ATTEND TOWN COUNCIL MEETING TO
PROTEST POSSIBLE MARINA FEES
There was a flurry of concern and excitement at Barnhill Marina in early June, when a neighbor sent out word about a possible
new marina fee that might be up for discussion during the Alameda town council meeting on June 5, 2008. Her understanding
was that the City, in anticipation of significant revenue shortages, wanted to tax boat owners in order to pay for EMT and
ambulance services to Alameda marinas. Walter Knox got on the phone and immediately began calling neighbors to suggest
we attend the meeting to learn more about this possible new tax and to protest if necessary.
So a number of us got online to research the City's various “revenue enhancement” proposals, and a contingent – including Mr.
Barnhill – dashed off to attend the meeting. According to the City's May 27, 2008 “Report on Revenue Raising
Opportunities...” and “Revenue Enhancement Team Matrix” (both available on the City of Alameda's web site), a number of
new or increased taxes and measures requiring voter approval were under consideration., such as increasing the transient
occupancy tax, increasing the property transfer tax and the utility users tax, etc. The City's revenue team also proposed
establishing Marina slip fees “to support special services provided to marina users, e.g., police and fire boats.” EMT service
was not specifically mentioned, but is also a fire department service.
We Pay Taxes Too!
As it turned out, the marina fee proposal received little discussion at the council meeting, but Barnhillers in attendance were
dismayed to discover that the town council members and Mayor barely knew of the existence of our floating home community,
and also didn't think we paid any kind of taxes!! Yikes! The last thing we want the City to mistakenly believe during an
economic downturn is that we floating home and recreational boat owners don't contribute to the tax base, and thus receive
Page 12
News Around the Docks
City/County services for free!
Educating the City's leaders, thus, was an immediate priority, and an email letter-writing campaign got underway. Rosemary
Reilly in her email of June 6, 2008 to the Mayor and Council members, advised that “floating home owners pay taxes just as
you would if you were to buy a home on land. We get NO breaks! As it should be. It seems unfair to me that we would have an
additional fee for necessary services. It is no more difficult to reach our doorstep as it is to reach a condo or apartment. I know
first hand with Meals on Wheels.” The Editor also wrote along the same lines and included a copy of the tax bills for both our
floating home and our sailboat. Council member Frank Matarrese responded saying “I can think of fireboat service as a
justification for slip fees, but otherwise the transfer tax or fire or landscaping assessment district are more likely tax options to
put before the voters.” Whew!
As it turned out, the City has indeed decided to increase the real estate transfer tax and this proposed tax increase will be put
before the voters in November.
Many thanks to our neighbors for their vigilance, especially to Rosemary Reilly and Bill Cox (who filed a report to the
Editor “live” via cell phone from City Hall!) for the reporting and letter-writing campaign. A great rally and last-minute effort
by all!
Ge!ing Ecological in Slip B3 - "e Second Stage
By Bi# Cox and Diane Pun$nney
A few months ago we wrote about converting our home to
electric on-demand hot water heating. At the end of the last
article, it seemed that we'd need solar preheating to get the
downstairs shower water hot enough. We were showering
upstairs, which was hot enough, while we thought about
alternatives.
We called a small company in Berkeley about solar pre-heat.
Two guys came out to survey the place. They would have
preferred, I think, to bypass the on-demand heaters entirely.
"We can get you 150 degree water from the sun alone", they
said.
They said pre-heating only would involve complex feed-back
loops to measure the temperature into the on-demand system
and keep it from getting too hot. The on-demand heaters we
bought have a fixed temperature increase; if the input
temperature gets too high, they are designed to shut off
automatically, to prevent steam from coming from the output.
Not all heaters have a fixed temperature increase; some are
designed to be used with pre-heat; we just chose some that
weren't.
Bill did some experiments in the downstairs shower. By
cutting the flow back to about 1/3 of full force, he was able to
get the temperature up to an acceptable level; we even need
to mix in a little cold water sometimes. This experiment
wasn't hard because the required heater installation already
has a valve on both the outlet and the inlet, so you can totally
isolate the heater to remove or repair it. He just kept closing
the outlet valve slowly until the water got hot enough.
So, we're fine for now, unless we decide we need more
forceful water flow in the shower.
A friend at work suggested another alternative: replumb the
pipes so that the smaller heater (probably turned down quite a
bit) acts as a pre-heater for the larger one. This would mean
feeding the whole house from the larger heater rather than
splitting up the outlets in the house between the two heaters.
I'm as sure as I can be, without experimenting, that this
would work just fine and provide hotter water in all locations.
It might mean that we couldn't shower and run a lot of
laundry in hot water at the same time, but we consider being
able to do that a great luxury that we're lucky to have, so we
could get along without it. The change-over wouldn't be
cheap, however. It would probably cost as much again as the
original plumbing cost, which was about $1900.
Another issue was that their standard solar installation would
put not only the collector panel but also a sizable hot-water
tank up on the roof. This made us nervous about the possibility
of tipping the house over.
It's cheaper to tolerate a limited flow of shower water, we
think. The dishwasher, upstairs shower, and washing machine
The guys made notes, talked to each other, and said they'd get all seem to work quite well, meaning that we don't detect any
back to us. And then they didn't.
difference since we changed from the old tank-type heater.
And we're happy to be using both less electricity and less
While we were waiting, we started reading the heater manuals. water in our showers. We only wish we could offer hard
It turns out that once you've turned up the temperature control evidence of the electricity savings, but since our electric bill
on the heaters all the way, the next step in getting hotter water includes heating and cooling, the monthly weather
is to restrict the flow of water out of the heater, so it stays in
fluctuations are drowning out the differences so far.
the hot coils longer.
News Around The Docks
Page 13
How " Make your Floa#ng Home Float Higher in $e Wa%r &and What You Can Do
wi$ $e Stu' You Couldn(t Se! at $e Marina Garage Sale)
By Bi! Cox
Probably most of you don't have this problem, but at the Cox boat, we have two pack rats. Between the books, the tools, and the fabric
pets, we are always having to look for ways to lighten the load.
We've discovered a great resource, 'Alameda Freecycle.' It's a local branch of a national organization that uses the Web to provide a way
for people to locally and directly exchange stuff that one person doesn't want and another person needs.
Freecycle is organized as lots of local Yahoo groups, on the web. The local characteristic is an important part of the concept because the
idea is to keep stuff in use in an environmentally
responsible way, so they don't want people traveling long distances to pick up the stuff.
All you need to do to get involved is join the local Yahoo group at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlamedaFreecycle/
or send an e-mail to
[email protected]
To post a request or offer, send mail to:
[email protected]
There are four types of e-mail you can send; here are example Subject lines:
OFFER: old couch (West End)
TAKEN: old couch (West End)
WANTED: old couch, (West End)
RECEIVED: old couch (West End)
In the message body you can describe the item more extensively and if you want, put a phone number.
There's a slightly less local group for the whole East Bay here:
[email protected]
For that one, you would want to say, (Alameda West End) so you don't have to tell 10 folks from Danville where you are and have them
say, "Oh darn!"
You can choose to receive email or to read the group on Yahoo. I usually watch Yahoo except when I've posted something and then I
switch to getting mail. That way I 'm less likely to bring home more than I give away.
You'll get two or three e-mails per day, typically, unless you have posted something that people are really interested in.
Freecycle is a great way to find homes for stuff that people can use but that didn't find their forever home at the garage sale. Maybe the
person that wanted those 1975 sleeping bags didn't make it over here, but when he sees them on Freecycle, he'll call you!
Reminder: No Compu%rs in $e Dumps%rs!
Recently a vigilant neighbor noticed that someone had dumped 2 computer monitors and a CPU in one of the dumpsters.
Observing that it is illegal to dump computers in the regular trash, he heroically (it wasn't easy!) wrestled them out of the
dumpster and put them out for recycling!
Many of us may be unaware that computers and other electronic equipment and appliances are considered electronic waste
(E-waste) and cannot be disposed of like regular household trash because they contain toxic materials. The City of
Alameda's web site, planetalameda.com says that “until recently, households and some small businesses were allowed to put
common batteries, electronic devices, and fluorescent light bulbs in the trash. After February 8, 2006, however, these items
must be treated like the hazardous waste they are.”
Electronic devices – TV's, computers, cell phones, printers, microwave ovens, fax machines, etc – often contain heavy metals
like lead, cadmium, copper, chromium and mercury. These chemicals can harm people and the environment, contaminating
Page 14
News Around The Docks
(Reminder, continued)
groundwater supplies and the air we breathe if not disposed of correctly.
It is illegal to dispose of hazardous waste in the regular garbage (CA Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003). If your
electronic equipment is still operable, see Bill Cox's article on Alameda Freecycle. For guidance on disposing E-waste, the
City of Alameda has a help line at 916-322-7676 or 1-877-STOPWASTE. Also, the California Integrated Waste Management
Board (CIWMB) has a great web site (ciwmb.ca.gov) that provides detailed definitions and guidance on E-Waste, and links to
local companies that accept and recycle electronic waste.
The City also holds regular E-Waste events, such as the one this summer at Alameda Town Centre. The next free E-Waste
recycling event is on Saturday, September 27 at Alameda Point (51 West Trident). For more info., see the announcment on the
bulletin board near the mailboxes or watch the local papers.
Fun Times Around $e Marina
The Spring gathering at EYC: Maggie,
Tony, Peg and Barney enjoying dinner.
Phil Freitas, Art England, Bob Knop,
Laura Bowers & Scotti England
sharing a moment on a beautiful day
at the Todar birthday bash.
At Steve Todar's 70th Birthday Party:
Ali & Bob Schaff, Roberta Bobba and
Steve Todar. HAPPY B-DAY, STEVE!
On the barge at the Todar party: Barb
Chambers, Peg Fraga, Sandy Privett,
Lela & Walter Knox.
Lai Barnhill whoops it
up at the July 4th
party!
Froggy basks amidst newly
planted begonias near Gate B.
Now what dance is this? Maggie
groovin, at the July 4th party.