Living at Shilshole
As "liveaboards" at Shilshole Bay Marina, we have been hoping to find a sense of community and a place we can call "home." This is Gail's first experience with living aboard a boat, let alone tryng to find a sense of community when you don't meet your neighbors over the fence or at the mailbox. Dwight has lived aboard before, even at Shilshole, but the names and faces change over time, so he has been starting over as well. This part of the website has been set aside for our reflections, rants, and observations relating to our life at Shilshole Bay Marina.
Summer 2007
Progress. That's the best way I can summarize conditions at Shilshole Bay Marina. We continue to be frustrated by the complete lack of guest parking within, oh, a quarter mile of our slip, but we are heartened by such things as 100 amp. power at our slip (but see
what it took to get that), the new "Pick Your Slip" program (we'll let you know how that turns out), and forward momentum with the Washington Liveaboard Association. In the latter respect, we are moving forward with a website (
www.washingtonliveaboard.com) that will be linked to the long-established blog (
www.shilsholecommunity.org).
I am on the WLA (Washington Liveaboard Association) Board of Directors. One of two women on the Board. Need I say more? If you're a sailboating man (one faction would have it), you're okay. If you're simply a man over the age of 40, that would be okay, too. If you're a female with opinions, well, that's another story.... I am willing to concede that I am not the most diplomatic person, but my intentions are positive, and I'm in it for the long haul....
Frustrations over our lack of communication with our constituent community may yet be resolved. My thanks to fellow communication committee members Fulvio Casali and Al Hughes, but even more to level-headed board leaders Sonny Solstig (and, no, it's not [just] about Margie's baking acumen), and Curtis [Lead by Example] Wood. The Board agreed to sponsor the Sustainable Ballard Festival, approved an informational flyer, and approved establishment of the aforementioned website. It's so very exciting! There has also been signifigant progress on bicycle parking and storage.
We are also at a point where SBM has agreed to install 30 bike lockers, establish a "bike corral" (secure bike parking at no cost to users), and organize bike parking in ways that better serve marina tenants - liveaboards and non-liveaboards. This happened to dovetail with the Port of Seattle's ongoing desire to be viewed as a "green" organization, and we'd like to support that goal. It's all good....
Spring 2007 Construction
If you have followed our site in the past, you will know that we are in the midst of a major "renovation and replacement" project at the Marina. This is shorthand for "we live in a construction zone." Nonetheless, management saw fit to raise our moorage rate 5% last year, after reducing the amenities available to us (including the periodic elimination of all nearby guest parking). Stand by for another round, as it's getting close to the time we learn what new rate increases will befall us this year.
Liveaboard Association. After nearly three years, we are finally finding ways to become involved with our neighbors. We recently learned that there was a "Liveaboard Association" at Shilshole. Its legal status is "active," even if the processes by which it operates are unclear. In a recent meeting of our "membership," we made positive progress toward resolving the latter question, and we remain committed to following through on the transition of the Association into a relevant, viable entity.
Many of you also know that, as a result of Marina construction, existing bicycle storage is being eliminated on all docks (we didn't have any to start with). Storage was planned as part of the replacement of existing washroom/shower facilities throughout the marina, but when that was cut from the scope of the current project no replacement bicycle storage was planned. A small group of Marina residents took it upon themselves to push management for a solution, and an open meeting was held on March 4, 2007. When they asked for volunteers for a Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP), Dwight whispered to Gail: "Raise your hand!" Gail did. *sigh* It is an important step toward improving conditions for those of us who use our bicycles for recreation and transportation, so she's looking forward to being a part of the solution.