Difference between revisions of "Lodging"

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= No Tickets! - How to attend? =
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Ephemerisle is not a festival.  There are no tickets, no gates, and no central authority whatsoever. 
  
Ephemerisle is not a festival.  There are no tickets, no gates, and no central authority whatsoever.  But Ephemerisle is on the water, which makes attending a very non-trivial task.   
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But Ephemerisle is on the water, which makes attending a very non-trivial task.   
  
You are responsible for getting yourself to and from and for everything you'll need to live and survive for your stay.  There are few to no resources adjacent to the event site, and none on the water. Think carefully about what you'll need, and plan ahead!   
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You are responsible for getting yourself to and from and for everything you'll need to live and survive for your stay.  There are few to no resources adjacent to the event site, and none on the water. Plan ahead!   
  
There are three possible ways to attend:
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=Sleep on someone else's boat, barge, or platform=
  
== Find a spot on someone else's island ==
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If you don't own a boat, finding a berth on someone else's craft can be a very convenient option. Some people pitch tents on floating platforms, while others sleep in staterooms or cubbies on sailboats, power boats, or houseboats.  Some boats arrange communal meals for their crews. We use the word berth to name sleeping space for one person. If two people share a bed or a tent, that's two berths. Most captains rent out berths for the whole week, even though some people only join for a few nights. A berth may rent for $400-600 for the week.
  
The most common way to attend Ephemerisle.
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If you camp on a platform, make sure you arrange access to a galley (kitchen) and head (bathroom).
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If you have friends at Ephemerisle, ask them to introduce you to captains who may have space. If not, throw yourself into the community and work on meeting people. Spring is a good time to do this as people organize boats and islands for the summer, but it's never too early.  
  
# Read the survival guide - Start by reading this entire survival guide.  The more informed you are about Ephemerisle, the more likely you'll be welcomed.
 
 
# Post in the [https://www.facebook.com/groups/notephemerisle/ facebook group] introducing yourself.   
 
# Post in the [https://www.facebook.com/groups/notephemerisle/ facebook group] introducing yourself.   
# The more you become a part of the community, the more likely someone will make a spot for you in the limited space on boats.
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# The more you become a part of the community, the more likely someone will make a spot for you.
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= Bring a boat=
  
== Add your boat to an existing Island ==
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You can bring a boat from elsewhere in the delta. You can also bring one from the San Francisco Bay. Head north to reach the Delta. The journey is about 60 miles or 16 hours.  See the "Getting There" page for more information on navigation to make sure your boat's draught will fit in the Delta.
  
What is an [[Island]]?
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== Rent a boat ==
  
# Get a boat - Buy, build or rent a boats/floating object you can sleep on.
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To rent a boat, you could try Craigslist, marinas in the Delta, or marinas in San Francisco Bay. Houseboats are easy to pilot if you can drive a car, but large boats and sailboats require specialized skills. You could hire a captain to put your boat in position and return it, or build a crew from experienced sailors. The nearest marinas are at least three miles from the event.
# Find an island - Unless you make prior arrangements with an island there's a real possibility you'll be stranded as an "island of one".  See [[How to create an island|creating an island]]. Reach out to the leaders of any island you might wish to join. It's a good idea to also post publicly in the [https://www.facebook.com/groups/notephemerisle/ facebook group] introducing yourself and announcing your intentions.
 
# Getting to the event - Make sure that your boat (or other floating thing) is capable of getting to the event. See the transportation section below. Getting to the event is a non-trivial task. It's about 3 miles from the nearest marina. And it's a 60 mile (16 hour) sail from the SF Bay.
 
  
== Create your own Island ==
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== Buy a boat ==
  
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If you can spare the capital, you could buy a boat before the event and plan to sell it afterwards. This could turn out to be cheaper than renting a boat, and you might even make a profit.
  
# Get boat(s) - Buy, build or rent one or more boats/floating objects you can sleep on.
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= BYOL =
# Invite your friends - You may find [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D0X6l7xm2fVGxoR3fJ5ZNI_HpIYxZoKbxaqDkLI9zO0/edit#heading=h.k1nju8uapkti Titan Island's manual] a useful guide.
 
# Get to the event - Make sure that these boats (or other floating things) are capable of getting to the event. See the transportation section below. Getting to the event is a non-trivial task. It's about 3 miles from the nearest marina. And it's a 60 mile (16 hour) sail from the SF Bay.
 
# Anchor safely - Make sure that you're capable of safely [[Anchoring]] your island.
 
#Complete Self-Reliance - Make sure you're capable of being completely self-reliant out there.  (food, medical, toilets, etc.)
 
# Announce Your Island - optional, but it's a good idea to announce it in the facebook group.
 
# Treat Neighbors with Respect - Once you arrive, it's good to talk to your neighbors to make sure you're anchoring a safe distance away from them.  This is just common boating courtesy.
 
  
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Many people built floating platforms, which can be used for dancing, meeting, and camping. The simplest design is plywood over floatation.
  
= Lodging =
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You could also camp on dry land near Ephemerisle. If you do this, make sure you have permission from the landowner, and bring a kayak or canoe to reach the islands.
  
If you want to come to Ephemerisle, you're going to need to arrange a place to sleep. If you do not prearrange a place to sleep, you will be lucky if you are given a ride back to land. If you are unlucky, you will suffer and sleep on a cold, wet deck, shivering while people walk over you.  
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Details on how to [[BYOL]] are here.
  
How do you arrange a place to sleep?
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= Islands =
  
== Join a Crew ==
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The organizational units of Ephemerisle are boats and [[islands]].  While some boats anchor out, most raft up to form islands. Each island has a distinct culture and many islands host events for the community. An island may have rules about safety, noise, media, and photography.
  
The easiest thing to do is join a crew for a boat or island.  Typical cost for a berth for the week is between $400 - $600.
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If you're bringing your own boat or BYOL, you might want to join an existing island or create a new island with other boats.   
  
== Bring your own boat ==
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# Anchor safely - Make sure that you're capable of safely [[anchoring]] your island.
 
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# Complete Self-Reliance - Make sure you're capable of being completely self-reliant out there.
Anchor by yourself or join an island! Contact an island commodore about adding your boat to the island. If you join an island, you should speak to commodores well in advance of the event, as they will have requirements you'll need to prepare for, and they'll need to factor you into their anchoring plans ahead of time.
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# Announce Your Island - optional, but it's a good idea to announce it in the Facebook group.
 
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# Treat Neighbors with Respect - Once you arrive, it's good to talk to your neighbors to make sure you're anchoring a safe distance away from them.
== Rent a boat ==
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# Bring a radio - optional, but smart to have if you need help or just want to communicate with other islands. Cell service can be spotty at best.
  
You may be able to rent a boat from a private person either in Stockton or in the Bay Area. If you're not already capable of handling a boat (certified, typically), you may need to hire the owner or someone else to captain your boat. Then contact an Island Commodore to add your boat to their island (if you rent a private owner's boat, you probably will not be permitted to raft up to an island). 
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= Toilets =
  
Watch for events where people are building art projects, the Break Water Makerspace or fundraising and get involved - and make connections.  
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Where will you poop? is another critical question.  If you join someone's island make sure they have toilets for you to use or arrange for some other toilet solution.  Never use a boat's toilet without permission as the holding tanks tend to be very small, expensive to pump out, and very messy if they overflow.
  
== Other ==
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Women might want to consider bringing a pee funnel. 
  
There are many creative solutions making a place to sleep. Many of the attempts to build land and sleep on it fail because the conditions in the delta are windy with a strong current and waves. Consider speaking with someone who has successfully done this in the past: (intentionally left blank.) If you plan to build land at Ephemerisle, be sure to organize a means to transport your materials to the event (speak with a captain ahead of time) and be sure to have a back up plan for a place to sleep. (I recommend having a captain who is okay with you sleeping on their roof.) Also, make an arrangement for other facilities as well, like bathroom use and a kitchen. Learn more at: [[BYOL]].
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[[Toilets|Full details on toilets]]

Latest revision as of 21:39, 30 September 2021

Ephemerisle is not a festival. There are no tickets, no gates, and no central authority whatsoever.

But Ephemerisle is on the water, which makes attending a very non-trivial task.

You are responsible for getting yourself to and from and for everything you'll need to live and survive for your stay. There are few to no resources adjacent to the event site, and none on the water. Plan ahead!

Sleep on someone else's boat, barge, or platform

If you don't own a boat, finding a berth on someone else's craft can be a very convenient option. Some people pitch tents on floating platforms, while others sleep in staterooms or cubbies on sailboats, power boats, or houseboats. Some boats arrange communal meals for their crews. We use the word berth to name sleeping space for one person. If two people share a bed or a tent, that's two berths. Most captains rent out berths for the whole week, even though some people only join for a few nights. A berth may rent for $400-600 for the week.

If you camp on a platform, make sure you arrange access to a galley (kitchen) and head (bathroom).

If you have friends at Ephemerisle, ask them to introduce you to captains who may have space. If not, throw yourself into the community and work on meeting people. Spring is a good time to do this as people organize boats and islands for the summer, but it's never too early.

  1. Post in the facebook group introducing yourself.
  2. The more you become a part of the community, the more likely someone will make a spot for you.

Bring a boat

You can bring a boat from elsewhere in the delta. You can also bring one from the San Francisco Bay. Head north to reach the Delta. The journey is about 60 miles or 16 hours. See the "Getting There" page for more information on navigation to make sure your boat's draught will fit in the Delta.

Rent a boat

To rent a boat, you could try Craigslist, marinas in the Delta, or marinas in San Francisco Bay. Houseboats are easy to pilot if you can drive a car, but large boats and sailboats require specialized skills. You could hire a captain to put your boat in position and return it, or build a crew from experienced sailors. The nearest marinas are at least three miles from the event.

Buy a boat

If you can spare the capital, you could buy a boat before the event and plan to sell it afterwards. This could turn out to be cheaper than renting a boat, and you might even make a profit.

BYOL

Many people built floating platforms, which can be used for dancing, meeting, and camping. The simplest design is plywood over floatation.

You could also camp on dry land near Ephemerisle. If you do this, make sure you have permission from the landowner, and bring a kayak or canoe to reach the islands.

Details on how to BYOL are here.

Islands

The organizational units of Ephemerisle are boats and islands. While some boats anchor out, most raft up to form islands. Each island has a distinct culture and many islands host events for the community. An island may have rules about safety, noise, media, and photography.

If you're bringing your own boat or BYOL, you might want to join an existing island or create a new island with other boats.

  1. Anchor safely - Make sure that you're capable of safely anchoring your island.
  2. Complete Self-Reliance - Make sure you're capable of being completely self-reliant out there.
  3. Announce Your Island - optional, but it's a good idea to announce it in the Facebook group.
  4. Treat Neighbors with Respect - Once you arrive, it's good to talk to your neighbors to make sure you're anchoring a safe distance away from them.
  5. Bring a radio - optional, but smart to have if you need help or just want to communicate with other islands. Cell service can be spotty at best.

Toilets

Where will you poop? is another critical question. If you join someone's island make sure they have toilets for you to use or arrange for some other toilet solution. Never use a boat's toilet without permission as the holding tanks tend to be very small, expensive to pump out, and very messy if they overflow.

Women might want to consider bringing a pee funnel.

Full details on toilets