Strawberry Neptune

Strawberry Neptune is deluxe confabulation of adventurers who will journey together to Ephemerisle on Thursday, June 9th, 2011.

This page is for coordination of the Strawberry Neptune fleet. Contribute what you know and share the ideas you have!

About the name confusion.

Mission Statement

"This is a mishmash gathering of amazing people who, once there, will work their magic and have everything they need or want. It will be bliss!"

Introductions

Let us get to know each other a little before we set sail. Use this thread to introduce yourself: StrawberryNeptune: Ahoy!

How to pay & how much

$140 per person for sleeping aboard a boat. Please pay your captain at the event.
Cash or check accepted.
Tyson may be convinced to accept bitcoin. Paul will gladly accept bitcoin, mostly to tease Enki.

Boats

We have four boats in our fleet, organized by level of exuberance. Feel free to switch places with someone mid-festival if you find you prefer a different boat. Each boat needs to be decorated on the inside and outside, to be easily recognizable.

Let's use this space to brainstorm decorations:

• Carpets and rugs for the roofs
• Fabric tapestries
• Flags
• Poles with cloth streamers
• Reflective metallic ponchos
• Interior: Twister boards on the walls.
• Rope lights on the railing
• Hanging LED lanterns (I'm bringing 6- Megan)
• cushions everywhere
• EL wire spider web

The Mary Ellen Carter (Captain Paul)

diagram and pictures of the boat (beds for miles)

Boisterousness level: Exuberant. If you sleep here, consider bringing earplugs.

Theme: Nautical, sea creatures, garish fashion, subtly piratical, perseverance, singing, tomfoolery

Decorations: Drunken Privateer Paraphernalia
story and song
English-to-Pirate translator

Crew:

1. Chris R.
2. Richard
3. Tammy
4. Roger
5. Megan D.
6. Stanton
7. Stephanie
8. Brian O.
9. Justin
10. Clay
11. Kelly Ramnarine
12. Robert
13. Mary
14. David
15. Megan K. (on the roof)
16. Carsten (on the roof)

Silver Bullet (Captain Paul)

diagram and pictures of the boat (beds for 10)

Boisterousness level: Moderately Shenaniganistic

Quiet hours: Likely 12-7 (or whenever denizens need them)

Decorations: Buying PVC, duct tape, and lots of silver streamers (Let me know if you want to help with decorations, I could probably use it -Max Peto)
I'm pretty sure I have some outdoor lights I could bring - Lisa
I have a crapton of mylar. —Ping
Let's wrap the whole boat in mylar! ~Paul
I can bring a few of those silver space blankets, and 36ft of rope lights - Gerry

Crew:

1. Jon (bottom double bunk in back)
2. Julee (bottom double bunk in back)
3. Ping (top double bunk)
4. Joanna (top double bunk)
5. Gerry
6. Lisa (possibly on the roof)
7. Max (possibly on the roof)
8. Dylan
9. Becca ::paleo eater (fold-out double bed)
10. Helen (fold-out double bed)
11. Kristy (on the roof)
12. Paul (on the roof)

The Lovecraft (Captain Tyson)

diagram and pictures of the boat (beds for 10)

Boisterousness level: Mildly Rambunctious

Decorations: Lovecraftian? :D Sailor Scott is bringing two of his ginormous Venus Fly Trap chairs that easily immobilize/I mean accomodate an amorous couple or a sleeping beauty type with little chance of escape. Each chair comes with 6 beaker or blood vile holders.

Tentacles! Also, Desiree can bring a couple of rugs. But what about hanging-things? (Hanging things are great! ~Tyson)

Possible quiet hours: 11:00pm-7:00am?

Crew: (Some bunk reservations have been made)

1. Anastasia K. :: Omnivorous (Back double with Jeremy)
2. Jeremy :: Omnivorous (Back double with Anastasia)
3. C. J. :: does not eat purple food (central single, top)
4. JZ :: Veggie-*ish* (central single, bottom)
5. Desiree :: Qualitatively Omnivorous (back/quiet bed)
6. Sailor Scott :: Eats only small children
7. Tpot (Tim)
8. Darryl - relocated and omnivorous (top double bunk back)
9. Nadene
10. Clive
11. Tyson (On the roof, so don't count.) :: Omnivorous

Please add yourself to the food list.

Tranquility (Captain Paul)

diagram and pictures of the boat (beds for 6)

Boisterousness level: Quiet. At night: Quiet hours from 10 until dawn. In day: Tranquility encouraged. This will be a haven for introverts and people who like to sit and read.

Decoration ideas: Becca has some Indian fabrics she could bring for hanging places, and also some pretty paper lanterns that may be unlikely to be damaged given this is the 'quiet boat'.

Crew:

1. Christine P. (bottom single bunk in back)
2. Andrew
3. Niniane
4. Brian D.
5. Angela

Desiree may come work or read (or hide out) if welcome.

Embarkation

Here's Paradise Point Marina, where Strawberry Neptune will board our houseboats on Thursday morning and set sail around noon: Paradise Point Marina

If you intend to arrive after we've set sail at noon on Thursday, make arrangements with Chris R. or Terry F., who will be running ferry service to the festival for a moderate fee (a $20.00 donation is suggested). They'll pick up and drop off at H&H Marina: H&H Marina. Note that the ski boat is not allowed to be operated after dark.

For ski boat (faster, less cargo) contact Chris Rasch: crasch@gmail.com, 650 773 6419. For patio boat (slower, more cargo) contact Terry Floyd: terry.floyd@gmail.com, (510) 207-442

Here's the spreadsheet for people to make ferry arrangements to and from the festival. Ephemerisle boat ride coordination spreadsheet

The festival location: Ephemerisle We'll anchor there until Sunday afternoon, and then cruise back to Paradise Point to return the boats by 5 p.m.

We'll board the boats at 9:30 a.m., cook breakfast there while still docked, and have a nice little family meal before we set forth between 11 and noon. It will take a few hours to cruise to the festival site and get our boats properly anchored and rafted together.

Early Crew: Paul: I will be arriving at Paradise Point marina at 9:00 to fill out the houseboat paperwork. At 9:30, I'll have a marina employee go through a checklist and do a 30-minute houseboat orientation. If others can be there for that, it would be great. Knowledge is good stuff. Each boat will have an Officer of Welcome, who will be in charge of orienting the newcomers as they arrive. At 10:00, I'm going to send one houseboat ahead with Ratha and her platform building crew, to get started on building the central platform. If everyone is ready before noon, we'll launch early. There will be a lot of work to do building the city: helping with the central platform, anchoring the boats, rafting the boats together. Who will be at Paradise Point at 9:30?

1. Paul
2. Ping
3. Tyson
4. Kristy

Ephemerisle pre-party on Wednesday night in Westley

There will be an Ephemerisle pre-party on Wednesday night in the little town of Westley. (Sweet Westley, with eyes like the sea after a storm.)

We'll stay at:
Econo Lodge <http://goo.gl/maps/wqiK> - $69 for two queen beds. There's a discount for AAA. 7100 McCracken Road Westley, CA 95387 (209) 894-3900

Let's request our rooms be next to each other so we don't disturb the neighbors.

We'll wake up in Westley on Thursday morning and find we're only 44 miles from Paradise Point!

Who will be staying in Westley on Wednesday night?

• Paul
• Kristy
• Enki
• Tyson :: reservation made
  • Anastasia & Jeremy, to arrive at 5:00am Thurs
• Justin
• Gerry
• JZ
• Andrew
• Scott
• Tim
• Clive

Carpools

Driving from Los Angeles:

• Gerry with van and trailer (Wednesday 6 p.m.)
  • Paul
  • Justin
  • JZ
  • Scott
  • Tyson
  • Tim
  • Clive
• Megan D. (Thurs 8am, bringing David, picking up Kelly)
  • Kelly Ram (Thursday early morning)
    
  • David (Thursday early morning)
• Anastasia [& Jeremy] (Wed before midnight, room for two more, call at 626 665 9300 if need a ride)
• C.J. leaving L.A. around 11pm with Jeremy and Anastasia!
• Andrew (going solo)
  
• Brian D. & Angela
  

Driving from the bay area:

• Megan K.
• Chris R.
• Kristy & Enki (leaving Wednesday evening)
• Christine P.
• Desiree + Darryl H + Mark A (Memocracy) - leaving Thurs 7:45am from Newark, possibly room for one more
• Stephanie (Leaving Friday noon)
  • Brian O.
• Joanna (Thursday evening from South Bay -- looking for people to carpool with)
• Dylan (Friday morning)
• Ping (Thursday morning)
• Becca (Thursday morning with Helen)
  • Helen
• Niniane (Saturday morning)
• Max (Wednesday evening?)
• Lisa (Leaving 3-4ish from Sacramento area on Friday afternoon if anyone needs a ride)
• Colin & Ting (Thursday morning)
• Richard + Tammy + one empty spot for you, but not back unless back means Reno to you. (Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.)

Flying to Stockton:

• Nadene

Swimming:

• Nessie
• Kraken
• Charybdis
• Jormungand
• Kelpie & Selkie
• Rusalka
• Jiaolong
• Ondine
• Iara
• Nixie
• Cthulhu
• Squid with elbows
• Morkoth

Personal Kits

Items you might consider bringing for yourself for life on a houseboat.

• Joyful attitude
• Food (some to share)
• Bedding
• Sun protection - Sun glasses, Sun hat, Sunscreen
• Water shoes/socks (The floors can get slippery in bare feat.)
• Swim suit (or not)
• Clothing for hot and cold weather.
• Small flashlight
• Phone charger (assuming you have a phone)
• Earplugs
• Bathroom kit
• Bath towel
• Swimming towel
• Curtain for bunk (not for the breakfast/living area)
• Camera
• Toys!
• Musical instruments
• Art supplies - making signs, etc.
• Utility knife
• Folding chair
• Personal Flotation Device

The filtered water on the boat is fine. I happily drank it for four days straight, and it was delicious. And it's a really big tank. So it's probably a good idea to save space and not bring any extra water, unless you're really addicted to bottles.(Paul)

Take a moment to review the Survival Guide. Further suggestions

Food

Have a look at the kitchen resources available on each boat. There will be a gas range, gas oven, microwave oven, propane BBQ, and a whole lot of cookware. If memory serves, the fridge doesn't get very cold. So it's generally best to use the ice chest as much as possible.

Convenient grocery store: Safeway 2808 Country Club, Stockton, CA 95204

Preferred Food Plan Method

1. The Anastasia Alternative, outlined below.

Everyone picks one favourite dish and brings all the ingredients to feed themselves that meal for the entire duration. That is to say, if your favourite meal is Chinese Chicken Salad, bring enough supplies to make 12 servings [3 meals a day for 4 days]. This ensures that when all is said and done, we all collectively have enough food to feed everyone the entire time, no more and no less. Also, this creates a variety of food available at any one time.

Next step: upon arrival, everyone puts their food on their boat. Each boat then decides who cooks when; as a professional chef, Anastasia volunteers to help out any boats that find themselves shorthanded. Boats can divide up the work so each person cooks one meal, rotating turns, whatever. Make a chart or something.

Coordinate with your own boat to make sure that no-one brings the same thing you do. Try to focus on foods that can be cooked and put in the fridge, things that can be made by one's self, etc. For example, salads [with dressing on the side!], soup, sandwich making materials, et cetera. Feel free to prep stuff at home to save time and hassle on the trip; if your fave meal is a BLT, cook the bacon beforehand and put it in a plastic bag. That way, when someone wants a BLT, all they have to do is put it together, and when it's lunchtime, we can just open the fridge rather that having some poor bastard try to cook for a dozen people.

Alternative Food Plan Methods

1. A designated food official goes shopping on Thursday morning and gets a lot of stuff. Then...
2. Everyone for themselves.
3. Hire a cook for the duration of the event
4. Per boat, each person is responsible for preparing one meal that will feed the whole crew, bringing all supplies necessary. (This automatically shares the cost of food, but assumes a fixed crew.)

Specific Meal Schemes

Mildly Rambunctious:

• Anastasia - salad supplies, and possibly some meaty things to keep separate but which can be added to said salad for omnivores. Also, hella salad dressings. She will also be making vegetable stock soup with udon noodles, mushrooms, and other yummy things. The soup will contain egg, sorry vegans, but it will be cage free ethical egg. :)
• Desiree - suggests: hella oatmeal for healthy win breakfast? Also will bring for meal: Aidell's precooked artichoke-garlic or habanero chicken sausages (still taste better fried), lentil-soup, Amy's awesome canned tofu-chili & vegetable barley soup for emergencies. Magic Bullet blender for A's hummus. Also requested peppers, blue and raspberries from JZ on his Costco trip since we all want fruit & veggies.
• Cj - fixings for tacos-- beanie or chicken.
• Sailor Scott - I'm bringing cans of Steaz Tea, Lundberg Brown Rice Chips, Imagine Soap (no one wanted to correct me-so I guess it's bubble blowing in between bites)or Imagine Butternut Squash Soup and Apple Lentil Soup(whichever you prefer), Brown Rice. Would love to help make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Anyone interested in Veggie Patties? A trip to Costco to pick up fruit with someone or farmer's market. What cooking pots or untensils are needed? I will bring pots or other implements to cook...just let me know. Plus seasonings. I have an excellent cook book for grilling and vegan meals too!
• Tyson - Breakfast of Champions, AKA Brunch. - Scrambled eggs and omelets with various fillings. A 24 egg pallet should be adequate for one breakfast. Also, pineapple and cantaloupe make nice additions. Who will bring the champagne? Sailor Scott has a bottle of Sparkling Wine aka champagne already packed.
• JZ - Grilled Cheez Sammiches, along with tomato bisque soup. Will include pickles & mustard. Also snacks such as tortilla chips and fresh fruit.
• Darryl - Rotisserie Chicken. Also bringing tea, crackers, trail mix and some drinks of some sort.

Meal Ideas Unclaimed

• Kababs - Make use of that grill and the propane
• Pizza - Bring pizza dough, sauce and toppings (Suggestion: you can get uncooked pizza pies from Whole Foods)
• General snacks are always a good idea. (Smores!!!)

Moderately Shenaniganistic:

• Paul: Exotic waffles. (By the way, I'm bored with oatmeal. If someone brings oats, I'll protest by baking them into a waffle with cheddar cheese and curry powder.) Chocolate, beer.
• Kristy: The best soup in the world! Cinnamon cookies with extra cinnamon. (Sailor Scott will trade for cinnamon cookies)
• Ping: French toast, maple syrup, veggie bacon. For twelve. Yum!

Exuberant:

• Stephanie: I'm bringing the oatmeal. Also SUPERFOODS!
• Chris R: Salad fixings! Lot's of salad fixings. (Requests welcome.)

Learn Something Before

• Knots
  • Cleat Hitch - If you only learn one knot before you go, it should be this one. Useful for tying your boat up to cleats on the dock, or tying two boats together at their cleats.
  • Other potentially useful knots include Figure Eight, Bowline, Sheet Bend, Square Knot, & Clove Hitch.

Activities

Tempera Body Painting

Become an Ephemeral Canvas, or a Nautical Aborigine - and when you're all done, fling yourself into the cleansing waters!
When: Friday morning, and until such time that the last of it has been washed away to join the sea.
Interested: Colin, Ting, Paul, Megan

The Inevitable Jamboree

Bring musical instruments!

• Paul: kazoos
• Ping: guitar
• Sailor Scott: drum
• Tyson: kitchen pot
• Colin: Guitar (Th/Fr)
• Tim: Didgeridoo (Bring my spare?) Paul: Bring your spare! I want to learn.

Blues dancing

Interested people: Tyson, Darryl, Desiree, Paul, Lisa, Sailor Scott, Chris R., Kristy, Kelly

Fire spinning

Tyson: Spinning fire sells itself, but the main concern would be fire safety. I would organize several people as fire safety officers to protect the boats as well as the people.

Richard & Tammy - have fire poi to spin, any one have plentiful fuel supply to share?

Interested: Ping, Kristy (both are happy to perform + give some beginner lessons), Tyson, Tammy, maybe Desiree (to learn?), Anastasia, Jeremy, Darryl, Megan (to learn)

Yoga

Willing Leads: Desiree, Tammy

Interested: Kristy, Tyson, Sailor Scott, Richard, Paul, Lisa, Christine P., Becca, JZ, Anastasia, Darryl, Colin, Megan

Beginner/Restorative: Curious about yoga, but don't know where to start? Confused by that "new age fluff"? Join us for an energizing morning warmup (or evening release) and an introduction to gentle yet truly invigorating stretches that even the most reductionistic among us can explore and enjoy.

Hatha Playground: So you know where your hands and feet go in downward facing dog... you think. Ok, it's alright if you still don't know what Parivritta-parshvakona-asana means. You're willing to try it, and you like how it feels. If you're digging this stretch and balance thing, come play with us. We'll start with a warm up, invigorating flow, and end with extensive open play and sharing of different poses and variations.

Bring: comfy clothes that don't catch, water, a washcloth/small towel, mat if you have it. If not: don't worry! We'll improvise as needed. =) 1hr, but come and go as you like.

Piratical Folk Singing

Interested People: Richard, Paul, Anastasia, Lisa, Darryl, Kelly
Song ideas:

1. Blow the Man Down
2. Drunken Sailor
3. buncha songs

Ephemerisle census

Interested people: Paul, Becca, Ping

Culinary Showdown

Interested in organizing an event for other boats to compete: Paul, Richard, Tyson
Possible theme: Ghetto Chef - secret ingredients are convenience store items.

It's not a knot workshop

Instructors: Brian, Stephanie,.... We'll teach you what you need to know for your whippings and lashings. Anyone interested in homemade marlinspikes?
Yes please: Tyson, Cj

Workshop: Introduction to Fire Staff

Instructors: Tyson, ?? We'll teach you the basics of staff spinning. Foreward/Reverse spin, side weave, hand rolls, behind the back, and the full Moonie. Limited number of staffs available for instruction.

Cabaret Show-Boat Theme Song Competition

Interested people: Sailor Scott, Tyson

Sending postcards to people who didn't come this year

If there's a mailbox at H&H marina, we can pay Chris and Terry to drop off our mail there.
Paul: I'll bring big unruly notecards, and postage stamps. And a printer!

Crafting Session

Paul: Pipe cleaners, pens and paper, tape
trebor: i'll bring PCL (aka shapelock or instamorph) and a heat gun*. this stuff is great for ad-hock connectors, to hang stuff, for random repairs to costumes or whatever. i've gotten pretty good at fabricating stuff and love a challenge. * - the heat gun requires power which may be in short supply. any source of heat will do, we'll see what works in the environment.

Minor Acts of Piracy

1. Surreptitiously affixing googley eyes to the unattended fruits and vegetables on other boats.
2. Hoisting purloined undies up the mainmast

Structured Conversations

Efficiently moderated by stern-yet-loving stuffed animals, so each person gets to talk.

Proposed topics:

1. Emotional vulnerability and resilience
2. Seasteading
3. How to know what you want
4. Intentional communities
5. Regrets
6. Dinosaurs

And miniworkshops by Christine Peterson requested to central platform, potential topics including:

1. Life Extension
2. Finding Love and a Life Partner
3. Moving Your Career Toward Nanotech
4. Protecting Yourself Financially From Government Screwups

Osculation Appreciation Hour

A party for people who like kissing. Get permission before actually smooching anyone. Hosted by the Mary Ellen Carter, in the play tunnel.
Interested: Paul, Tyson (smooch),

Cardgame Lessons

Paul and Kristy will teach you how to play their favorite cardgame, Magic: The Gathering. Who wants to learn?

1. Rusalka
2. Nixie
3. Squid with elbows

Seaweed Eating Contest

We'd need a prize for this. We'll divide the contestants into multiple heats. The first person to eat a whole package of seaweed snacks and then whistle, wins the heat. The winner of each heat competes in the final round.
Bringing the weed: Paul
Will help organize: Paul
What to use as a prize?

DDR Possibility

Max: PS2, DDR, and two DDR mats
Someone else: A SP2 compatible TV
Tyson: Power strips, extension cord.
Paul: I don't like this activity so much, because TV's are bulky. But it would be amusing to see people actually playing DDR out on a floating wooden platform. Perhaps if there's a projector and screen in the works already, we could use that. Also, Strawberry Neptune doesn't have a platform, so we'd have to make arrangements with someone else.

Disco Inferno Possibility

funky disco lights and a smoke machine. (Stanton?) That's affirmative! Kind of recession style on the lights and smoke, but Jaime and I will be DJ'ing! -Stanton

Water Polo Game

(Perhaps with Innertubes) improvised helmets optional???