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| − | = No Tickets! - How to attend? =
| + | The Survival Guide has been deprecated. |
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| − | 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.
| + | Check out [[Transportation]], [[Lodging]], [[Safety]], and [[What To Bring]]. |
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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. Think carefully about what you'll need, and plan ahead!
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| − | There are three possible ways to attend:
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| − | == Find a spot on someone else's island ==
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| − | The most common way to attend Ephemerisle.
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| − | # 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.
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| − | # Post in the [https://www.facebook.com/groups/notephemerisle/ facebook group] introducing yourself.
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| − | # 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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| − | == Add your boat to an existing Island ==
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| − | What is an [[Island]]?
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| − | # Get a boat - Buy, build or rent a boats/floating object you can sleep on.
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| − | # 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.
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| − | # 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.
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| − | == Create your own Island ==
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| − | # Get boat(s) - Buy, build or rent one or more boats/floating objects you can sleep on.
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| − | # 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.
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| − | # 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.
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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. (food, medical, toilets, etc.)
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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. This is just common boating courtesy.
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| − | = Transportation =
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| − | Ephemerisle cannot be reached by land. You must arrange for transport and lodging by boat beforehand. While daytrippers are welcome, please make sure that you arrange a means of getting to and from the event beforehand. Most ferries to shore end at dusk and don't start again until dawn. If you miss the last ferry, you could spend a cold, wet, sleepless night.
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| − | [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=38.052957,-121.538486&spn=0.071912,0.139561&msid=100718037888704317369.0004864803082020221ed&source=embed Ephemerisle] is at or around Mandeville Point, about 11 miles from the city of Stockton. Note when calculating travel time that some of the roads are interrupted by bridges that may be raised to allow for boat traffic.
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| − | Elysium Archipelago: [https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1k3ok57fWqDEhbetQ5HmA4R3fg54&usp=sharing map] <br>
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| − | Ephemerisle Locations [https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1eYHOUD8TdKvTJ_-c4HJaYJ--mmo&ll=38.05512019719046%2C-121.47550784999999&z=13 map] <br>
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| − | There are basically three options:
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| − | * bring your own boat
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| − | * go out on the boat/structure you will be staying on
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| − | * catch a ferry
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| − | Volunteer ferries are typically operated by the islands, and depart and return to one of the nearby marinas (which are listed below). Check with the leaders of your island to see if there is a volunteer ferry for your island. Ferry schedules vary depending on the person operating the ferry. Do not expect a ferry to tow your floating land or art unless you explicitly arrange this in advance. Towing home-built structures not designed for the water is very, very slow.
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| − | Distances are miles from the marina/launch point to Mandeville Point.
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| − | ===SHIP Marina===
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| − | <p>
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| − | This marina is owned and operated by Ephemerisle participants and is dedicated to Ephemerisle activities during the event. Ferry pickup will be on the docks behind the gate. Enjoy the accomodations while waiting for the ferry! www.shipmarina.com
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| − | <br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | '''Distance (by boat):''' 8 miles <br>
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| − | '''Address: '''6065 Bethel Island Rd. Bethel Island CA 94511<br>
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| − | '''Marina Map:''' https://goo.gl/maps/u46Q8MYGzZTktsst6<br>
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| − | '''Parking GPS pin:''' https://goo.gl/maps/DRiiks4kYEUxLzAN9<br>
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| − | '''Marina dock location:''' https://goo.gl/maps/1QeY38y3rDxFY3bX8<br>
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| − | '''Parking Fee:''' Payment is a flat fee of $45 for any event duration, reserve at www.shipmarina.com <br>
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| − | ===Delta Bay Marina===
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| − | '''Distance (by boat):''' 7.75 miles <br>
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| − | '''Address:''' [https://www.google.com/maps/place/922+W+Brannan+Island+Rd,+Isleton,+CA+95641/@38.1079028,-121.6038341,16.55z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x809aac9644d3a14d:0x970b1903fc3bb571!8m2!3d38.1083818!4d-121.6026199 922 West Brannan Island Road, Isleton, CA 95641] <br>
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| − | '''Marina Map:''' <br>
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| − | '''Parking GPS pin:''' <br>
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| − | '''Marina dock location:''' <br>
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| − | '''Office Manager:''' <br>
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| − | '''Marina Phone:''' (916) 777-5588 <br>
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| − | '''Parking Lot:''' <br>
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| − | '''Parking Fee:''' <br>
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| − | '''Parking Instructions:''' <br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | ===Paradise Point Marina===
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| − | Distance: (by boat)- 6 miles <br>
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| − | 8095 N Rio Blanco Rd, Stockton, CA 95219 <br>
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| − | (209) 952-1000 <br>
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| − | [Note that their houseboat rental business has shutdown.]
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| − | ===Aurora / SS Mazapeta / H&H Marina'===
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| − | Distance (by boat): 2.6 miles <br>
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| − | H&H Marina / Herman and Helen's Marina <br>
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| − | 15138 W 8 Mile Rd <br>
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| − | Stockton, CA 95219 <br>
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| − | SS Mazapeta launch/return/parking: https://goo.gl/maps/SS8XwQJn1s92 <br>
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| − | If you're on the SS Mazapeta / Aurora, this is where the ship / ferries will launch from / return to, and is where the ferries will run from. Note that the marina itself is closed, boat launch overgrown with weeds, and the parking area locked off. It's still possible to park nearby and launch small vessels (kayaks, etc.) from a small launch a mile or so further down the road.
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| − | ===Holland Riverside Marina===
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| − | Distance (by boat): 12 miles <br>
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| − | 7000 Holland Tract Rd <br>
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| − | (925) 628-7557 <br>
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| − | Where the Elysium barge is normally docked. <br>
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| − | ===King Island Resort===
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| − | Distance (by boat): 5.6 miles (a few miles down the road from H&H marina) <br>
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| − | 11530 W Eight Mile Rd Stockton, CA 95219 <br>
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| − | (209) 951-2188 <br>
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| − | Have gas, ice, a boat launch, and a small convenience store.
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| − | === Other marinas ===
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| − | * Riverboat Marina - 4.6 miles - Maybe free parking <br>
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| − | * Lighthouse Marina - 4.6 miles - Boat ramp. Apparently a new business who may be willing to make deals to attract customers. <br>
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| − | === From the SF Bay ===
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| − | Ephemerisle can be reached by water from the SF Bay.
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| − | It's about a 60 mile trip (16 hours by sailboat) from Berkeley. It tends to be a lovely two day sail there with the wind at your back all of the way out there. And it tends to be something of a nightmare trip back with pounding waves directly into the wind the entire way back.
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| − | Make sure you've got a depth sounder! Everyone runs aground in the delta.
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| − | Make sure you've got a good working engine. The trip back is very, very difficult without an engine.
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| − | = Lodging =
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| − | 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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| − | How do you arrange a place to sleep?
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| − | == Join a Crew ==
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| − | 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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| − | == Bring your own boat ==
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| − | 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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| − | == Rent a boat ==
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| − | 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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| − | 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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| − | == Other ==
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| − | 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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| − | = Cell Coverage =
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| − | == T-mobile ==
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| − | Romeo - Spotty. In the places where it worked internet was slow enough I only used it for email.
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| − | Sean F. - Worked fine most of the time, but can be patchy at various times of the day.
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| − | == Verizon ==
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| − | Terry - Wasn't much good for voice, but texting worked fine.
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| − | Chris - Data was spotty. Voice and text worked fine.
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| − | == Sprint ==
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| − | Felix - According to Sprint's map, Mandeville is a dead zone.
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| − | = Packing List =
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| − | There's a list of [[What To Bring]] here.
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| − | = Safety =
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| − | Anytime spent on the water is dangerous! The following is just a partial list of ways to die:
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| − | * slip and fall while jumping from boat to boat
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| − | * get run over by a boat propeller
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| − | * get crushed between two boats rocked by the wake of a passing boat
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| − | * get caught in a strong current while swimming and drown
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| − | * pass out drunk, fall into water, and drown
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| − | * falling in the water wearing heavy absorbant clothes you can't get out of.
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| − | It only takes 5 minutes in the water to drown. Never forget that you're living on the water, which requires higher personal vigilance than usual. Most boating fatalities happen during mundane tasks: when disembarking, when going for a short ride on a dinghy, moving between boats. Basically, when doing things that seem so safe that you don't bother wearing a life vest.
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| − | Ephemerisle takes those dangers, and adds in sleep deprivation, heat, late summer sun, swimming, other boaters, substance use, crowds, loud music, bright lights, etc. If you get in trouble, things may escalate faster than anyone is able to notice or help.
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| − | Ephemerisle is a bottom-up driven gathering. There are no central organizers responsible ensuring your safety or fun. There is no insurance covering you. Each participant is responsible for themselves. Each captain or boat owner is responsible for the safety of their vessel, crew, and passengers.
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| − | What this means is that you are free to do what you want, at least in the confines of your own vessel. If you are staying on or visiting someone else's vessel, you have to conform to its captain's rules. Likewise, if you stay or visit a group of boats tied up together (an island), you have to conform to the island commodore's rules.
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| − | While some people who attend Ephemerisle may have EMT or Ranger training, there are no medical personnel or Rangers on duty. Ephemerisle is several miles away from the closest marina, and all of the marinas are closed at night. Boating at night, even with lights, is hazardous and slow going. If you need non-life threatening medical care, it's a slow boat ride to shore (expect that it will take at least 45-60 minutes at least) followed by ambulance to the hospital in Stockton.
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| − | If you see someone in distress, please help them and enlist others to help them as well.
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| − | == Safety Requirements ==
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| − | As long as we're on the public waterways, we're required to follow all federal, state and local regulations. Learn about the relevant operational laws and water-based [https://cld.bz/Mnkxg1i regulations]. Here's a few of them:
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| − | * Every boat must have enough Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) for every person on the boat.
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| − | * The rental boats have enough PFD's for their nominal carrying capacity, but if your boat will have more people than that, then you will need to purchase/borrow more PFD's.
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| − | * Children under 12 must be WEARING a PFD unless in an enclosed cabin.
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| − | * All vessels must be legally registered unless they're only human-propelled.
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| − | * Boats must have navigation lights if boating at night.
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| − | * No discharging waste into the water.
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| − | == Safety Recommendations ==
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| − | * Read the article and watch the video [http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/ Drowning does not look like drowning.]
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| − | * Learn how [http://ephemerisle.org/index.php/Anchoring how to anchor].
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| − | * Learn about [http://ephemerisle.org/index.php/Fire how to handle fire onboard a boat].
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| − | * Each boat should have at least one sober, competent person per night in case of a boating emergency.
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| − | * Each captain should have an acting captain who is in charge in case of emergency or incapacitation.
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| − | * Everyone should wear waterproof personal illumination at night.
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| − | * Each boat should have a VHF handheld marine radio. Channel 69 is usually the primary Ephemerisle-wide channel. Channel 16 is the emergency channel.
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| − | * The California Department of Boating and Waterways has published a free booklet titled [http://dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28731 "ABCs of the California Boating Law"] that we encourage all participants to obtain and review. Delta waterways are crowded in the summer, and anyone operating a vessel should be familiar with the "inland rules of the road", rules about navigation aids (what different buoys mean), rules for boating in congested areas, and rules for registration of watercraft. More information is available at http://www.dbw.ca.gov or by calling 1-888-326-2822.
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| − | * The waters of the Delta can be deceptively gentle. Strong winds and tidal currents can and have overpowered even experienced, strong swimmers. We recommend that you have a swim buddy at all times, especially when swimming between islands. Night swimming is _not_ recommended.
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| − | * Think about what your boat will do. Boats not properly secured will drift and become hazards. Anything that goes into the water will end up in a different place than it started.
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| − | * Know where you are before you dive! Visibility is limited to 16-18". Water depths in this area range from 8-32'.
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| − | * Ephemerisle is a particularly dangerous environment for children (although several well-supervised children have attended in the past). If you bring your child, plan to be highly vigilant at all times. Minors (those under 18) should only attend if accompanied by a parent or guardian. As noted above, children under 12 must wear a PFD at all times when not in an enclosed cabin. You can find special child-sized life jackets online.
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| − | * For obvious reasons, sleeping on an open platform introduces an additional element of danger. We strongly encourage anyone building a platform to construct a safety railing around the platform perimeter, and to add swim ladders to make it easier for people to climb out of the water.
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| − | == Drugs and Alcohol ==
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| − | "Boating Under the Influence" causes many boating accidents in the Delta, and is a major enforcement focus for the Coast Guard and San Joaquin Country Sheriff's Office. No one is allowed to operate a vessel while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs; a blood level as low as .05% may be used to indicate BUI.
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| − | You'll have plenty of chance to party once stationary at the event site – please WAIT to begin your celebration until you're safely docked or anchored.
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| − | Ephemerisle is not the place to experiment with recreational drugs.
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| − | Both the Coast Guard and the police have jurisdiction at Ephemerisle. Unlike when you are on land, the Coast Guard '''does not''' need probable cause to board and search your vessel.
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| − | == Emergencies ==
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| − | Here’s how to report an emergency (channel 16):
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| − | <pre>
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| − | May Day, May Day, May Day
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| − | This is rented houseboat [boat name here].
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| − | We are anchored to the East of Mandeville County park.
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| − | [State the type of the emergency.]
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| − | </pre>
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| − | Here’s how to report a non-emergency safety problem, e.g., if platform parts drift into the shipping channel:
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| − | <pre>
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| − | Security (pronounced securiTAY), Security, Security
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| − | This is rented houseboat [boat name here].
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| − | We are anchored to the East of Mandeville County park.
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| − | [State the type of the problem.]
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| − | [State that it’s in the process of being dealt with.]
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| − | </pre>
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| − | Do *not* jokingly say the words "May Day" over a radio.
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| − | == Law Enforcement ==
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| − | The Coast Guard and the sheriff have come out every year. Usually this consists of slowly circling the event in their gray/black boats. They may also be called out in the event of an emergency. Historically, they have been very professional; nice, even. Please treat them respectfully and carefully, and please do not talk to them if you are under the influence of anything. Obviously, never do anything illegal within their view.
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| − | = Leave No Trace =
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| − | Whatever you pack in, you must pack out.
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| − | The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refuse_Act Federal Refuse Act] prohibits discharging or depositing any refuse of any kind into United States waters. It's also just sucky behavior.
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| − | Refuse includes: garbage, trash, oil, and other liquid pollutants.
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| − | This rule includes human waste. Violation (and the appearance of violation) of these regulations create probable cause for a state or local peace officer or Coast Guard representative to board your vessel. Make plans to minimize and control your waste to ensure it doesn't blow or fall into the water.
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| − | If you bring an art project, you must make arrangements for bringing it back. Make sure that your crew knows that they must stay as long as it takes to dismantle your art, pack it up, and pack it out, no matter how tired or hungover they are.
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| − | = Learn =
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| − | * [[knots]]
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| − | * [[anchoring]]
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| − | * [[docking]]
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| − | = Links =
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| − | * Related and interesting [[links]]
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