Shilshole Blog

Sorry for the delayed update on this issue. I finally received a reply from the Port (dated April 22 and postmarked April 28). It’s been added to our webpage (link: http://www.mvinfinity.com/moorage.htm). In short, they raised moorage rates because they could, they feel absolutely no remorse for their decision, and won’t things be wonderful once the construction is complete(?!). It seems to be their mantra. Let me know if you want the “data” they provided; it’s not really worth much.

While I anticipated that my rabble-rousing could lead to frosty treatment from those in the marina office, I am experiencing the same level of courtesy and cooperation as I received previously. Deep down, I think they all agree with us.

Anyway, Infinity has been on the hard for some warranty work and biannual maintenance at Delta Marine since the 9th of May (hence, the delay with this post). We’ve had some success sub-leasing our slip, so if you’ve come by for a visit and found someone else, now you know why. We will return on June 11th from TrawlerFest in Poulsbo (http://trawlerfest.com/poulsbo.asp). See you then. ~Gail

I’m a new member, so forgive me if I’m out of line.

All my life I dreamed of living aboard, and with my kids in Seattle & my body showing signs of age, I decided it was now or never.

I started withe the brokers at Shilshole, looking at boats for sale I’d obsessed over on the web all winter. Turned out, they were all sold. But the Cal 34 Mark III I looked at (that turned out had a contract on it) really felt right. So when I found one advertised by a private owner, I bought it. But it’s in Gig Harbor & beginning 6/1 I’ll be working in downtown Seattle.

Now I think I should have waited & bought a boat in a slip, because I’ve run into waiting lists of 2-3 YEARS for liveaboard slips within an hours’ commute of Seattle.

What’s going on? Isn’t this the time we’ve worked for all our lives? Are we all being forced into houses made of ticky-tacky all in a row? Can the bureaucrats really deny us our place in the sun? All kinds of people want to live on a boat. Rich people; poor people. Single people; people with families; politically connected people; people who distrust politics.

The sea is our frontier. The horizon from the deck of a boat is the promise of the unknown many of us have craved all our lives.

We’ve put in our time. i’ve worked since I was 12. I’m not alone. I don’t have as much money as i perhaps should–took a beating in the dot com bust. Missed the real estate bubble.

But I can buy a boat–my dream boat. I just can’t find anywhere to live on it.

I won’t pollute. In the marina I’ll pump out–even tho research doesn’t really support the need for such individual heroism in the face of apparently uncontrollable anonymous industrial & commercial effluent. My personal crap lacks the political power of municipal crap. OK. It makes some public servant feel good. I like making people feel good.

So, in exchange, let me feel good. I’ll keep my crap in a holding tank & pay to pump out as needed. 

 I need a liveaboard slip. What’s so outrageous about that? I’m an early Boomer. I can live in 150 sq ft of space & am willing to consume very little energy. Let me live out my dream. I can’t wait 2-3 years.

There are lots of Boomers behind me with the same dream. Do we have to start a generational war to get what we want? I hope not.

I don’t want just a liveaboard slip. I want to build a “silver co-housing community on the water”. Are you really going to stand in my way, Mr or Ms Bureaocrat? I’ve helped build this country to what it is. Imperfect; myopic; insensitive; energy rapacious. But it’s a country of unparalled personal freedom. So don’t be petty.

Be proactive. Be generous. Think of freedom and think of the joy of the smell of saltwater in the early morning. Don’t think of liveaboards as people trying to “live cheap”. Living on a boat isn’t cheap. It’s joyful. Maybe it’s our birthright. If it comes down to it, we’re smarter, better educated, and more connected than you are. We just don’t want to fight if we don’t have to.

Can’t we just all get along?

Ted

It’s been a while since I reported to your blog. Lots of things have been happening, some good, some not so good. Queensland, in Australia, is an enormous state. I entered it way back in Southport, in early April. Back then the only wind was either no wind or too much wind from the NE. At least now its too much wind from the SE. I’m anchored in Mourilyan, a little harbour on Queensland’s tropical coast that’s used to export sugar. I’m in a very shallow river that’s known to have crocs. Haven’t seen one yet but I’m not going swimming! I’m now about 1000 miles North of Sydney so I’m making good progress. Hope to get to the Thursday Island and the top of Queensland by the end of the month. However, there are some things that will probably slow me down, especially the need to see a dentist again. I think problems with one’s teeth are about the worst health problems to befall a sailor. You have no health insurance in the country you’re visiting and you don’t know who to see. I went to a dentist back in Mackay who could find no reason for my persistent toothache and suggested I had a “bruised” tooth. Maybe I do but after getting a little better while I was taking the antibiotics he prescribed, the tooth is getting worse again. That means I’ll have to find another dentist in Cairns. I’ve hardly seen the sun in days.

We’ve had high wind warnings for the last five days or so. The forecast has been 20-30 knots out of the SE with isolated rain showers. We’ve been getting 25-30 knots of wind and that darn isolated rain shower has been following me all over Queensland! Since I broke my whisker pole, I’ve been forced to sail with just the main, usually reefed. With the windvane steering it makes for a swervy ride at best. Can’t wait to get the pole fixed in Cairns. After Cairns there are few major towns so we’ll be pretty much on our own until Darwin. I’ll have to do a lot of provisioning in Cairns.

Harry

Today between 2:00 and 2:45 p.m. in the M-4 laundry the panty bandit stole panties out of the dryer.   This is a recurring problem and no one seems to be able to combat it.

 Does anyone have any ideas on a solution or similar experience to share?

 The Port’s position is that you should be watching your clothes and they have no responsibility to make sure that the only people who have keys are entitled to them.  And you can bet your bottom dollar they aren’t going to re-key anything until the re-construction is done sooooo.  .  . ladies, keep an eye on your panties.

thom

Hi,

 I just found this site and it’s great!  We are a family of 4 who liveaboard Ghost on G-dock.  If you see two little munchkins running around in really well worn life jackets, it’s probably us.  We’ve been here for 2 years and we’ve lived aboard for about 7.  We love the lifestyle and our neighborhood.  I would love to get more involved in our liveaboard community, but never knew how.  Any help would be appreciated.

Hope to get to know more of our neighbors.  Best wishes,

Angela, S/V Ghost

www.ghostsailors.com

The proposal by Port of Seattle staff of new rules at Friday’s meeting of the Fishermen’s Terminal Advisory Committee fell flat. Thanks to all who expressed outrage, and helped defeat Mark Knudsen’s (the port’s deputy managing director of seaport operations) hare-brained ideas.

• Proposed ban on boat dwellers rejected — Seattle PI (4/29/06)
• Port Of Seattle: Live-aboard logic — Seattle PI Editorial (5/1/06)