new project

[kinulpture]

Well, i can`t put it in fancy, this is basically called MoonBow Family &/or Fleet



Ahoy Family, This is the UNofficial "Launch"
(@least on "paper") of a relatively new "branch" of
The Rainbow Family of living Light "Tree"

This has come about due to several things & has taken several
yrs

Firstly, there possibly or definitely was a Sunbow Family & Fleet
This to my limited knowledge was Rainbow Family-type Group which
operated on the Ocean sometime in the 1980`s

Now, i`m hoping this group or someone who knew particulars of it
still exists, this way MoonBow could easily integrate with them
(more on this later)

Suffice it to say some forms of travel which some "roadogs" may
be weary of: freight-hopping, hitchiking, to name a few can be
dangerous; now of course some folks may not have problems
w/ these forms of travel & of course this would be slower therefore those who wish can keep on enjoying those forms

Another disadvantage to above forms is cargo carrying capacity
in hitching; rides are easier to get w/ less cargo; & i`m certain the same applies to freight-hopping

Thus, sadly, precious items are occasionally left behind in
pursuit of greener pastures

Then, of course, there are Bicycles & Trailers which i`m hoping
will integrate somewhat w/ MoonBow operations;

The gist being that MoonBow would be primarily smaller watercraft
operating primarily on or in Lakes, Rivers, Bays, Ad Naseum
These would be conveying folks & cargo from gathering-to-gathering

Now, seeing that some individuals have @ their disposal, large
Land vehicles; smaller watercraft could be manipulated w/ their
kynd assistance to next available, suitable watering hole when
current passage deteriorates

Same as a theoretical Sunbow Revival or "hookup"
smaller watercraft could be shuttles as Sunbow craft could be
"motherships"

[tikoo]

i did find a place in the oregon mts where once family had a large camp (c. 1980 ). there they constructed several buildings one of which was called the Boat Lodge . they built a boat in there , hauled it from Green Top down to the sea , then some people sailed south . from the size of the lodge it wasn't a big boat - maybe 35 ft .

for an interesting small boat , try the Folboat . it's a canvas/wood-frame canoe that collapses into two bags . it can be rowed or sailed and optionally a bike trailer is available .

[kinulpture]

i keep hearing snippets of info like this. i saw someone in the 05 rainbow guide who mentioned ocean communities. but, i emailed them & their addy was cancelled.

[KevinH]

I live in Philadelphia on a sailboat.

I have my captains license. Keep me in the loop if anything happens.

KevinH

[BobbinBecca]

I'm confused


traveling by boat from gathering to gathering? sounds impossible


now that guy I met in '97 had a great idea I thought-- a solar-powered blimp that could fly from gathering to gathering! He even had blueprints and said he was coming into an inheritance. He told me to watch the skies for him, and every once in a while, I still do :o

Sailboats are a beautiful thing, though. omg a man with a captain's lisence the places you could go!

[drumminmama]

I'm immediately imagining the decidedly non navigable water at gatherings.
I'm also thinking that as simple travel, this could work, for coastal and river traffic.

[hippiestead]

I know of one sailboat that makes it to many Gatherings...but it doesn't travel by water.

TX'88 would have had far fewer folks had it not been for the Rainbow Navy, but that was comprised of a couple of fishing boats

[kinulpture]

hi, kevin, i have a friend who`s ex-husband lives in philly. i`ll drop him a line. hi becca, i mention on this "manifesto" that we`d of course need help from land from time-to- time. this is why i`m mentioning that we`d use mostly portable craft. which brings me 2 drumminmama, & hello too. & yes, i`ve in mind these in sheltered waterways mostly. this is kinda rough draft as it were & will be embellished. i just didn`t wanna make ne1 bored yet. & besides all this, SunBow may yet still exist, which would of course help quite a bit. @ somepoint i`m tryin 2 recruit the kinetic sculpture community for help in this as some of them may be family. this is where i`m kinda gettin my name from. these are races in pedal powered amphibious vehicles. these are a bit more complicated than "pure" watercraft @least in the fact they are "instantaneous". this rather than "slower" help from bicycles &/or trailers. some folks may even feel the desire to pull a boat on a cart on foot @times. this is done on a regular basis. actually, quite often i carry more on a bicycle & trailer than many do in a car. & i`ve written several embellishments of established threads on www.newmars.com (http://www.newmars.com), on pedal-power on other planets. & some have even had portable internet on pedal powered craft, www.microship.com (http://www.microship.com) .

[Olympic-Bullshitter]

. New Address for Ab & DP: Lisa Ahne, POB 181, Alsea, OR 97324 A friend is setting up a blogspot for Dwelling Portably. But even internetters say: they prefer DP on paper. Paper can be read where internetting isn't practical: at remote camps, riding buses, laying in bed, ect. So, the info they put on, may be mostly to attract new readers.These zines are a pioneering attempt to gather the information needed for independent thinking and living, a goal dear to my heart. Though not mathematically geodesic according to Bucky's Synergetic Geometry, this boat is close enough.

[BobbinBecca]

So are you talking something like this? http://www.foldingkayaks.org/

[kinulpture]

i`ve heard of this device called 3d stereo lithography. this was invented approx 25 yrs ago. it was supposed to be a big hit. the price was supposed to go down @ some point, kinda like personal computer computers, digital watches, or calculators,etc.. but, i think it`s way ahead of it`s time or something. anyhow it takes molten plastic & shapes it into any form you like. no need for molds. i heard of a trimaran made this way. & i believe it was made from recycled soda bottles. if anyone is interested, there is a website called www.woodenboatrescue.org (http://www.woodenboatrescue.org) .free boats, unfortunately they are mostly all larger craft. the smaller ones get taken quick. & often they need extensive repair. i had a chance once to get 30 padleboats for $300. unfortunately they were way out in the desert, too may have been in disrepair. not to mention hauling them to water would`ve been costly.

[Olympic-Bullshitter]

A boat is no longer worth fixing up when the cost to do so exceeds its resale value. But old wood, steel, ferro-cement, fiberglass boats that are ready for the landfill are free. Like a punky deck, it can be repaired, but if the basic value of the boat isn't there, forget it. You won't own it forever, and when the day comes to sell, you'll thank yourself that you chose a decent boat with a decent reputation and decent resale value.

[kinulpture]

that`s quite correct. boats vcan often be more of a "money pit" than houses or vehicles. when they fall apart, they don`t sink.

[kinulpture]

& for the most part, in my situation namely a smaller craft is a smaller "money pit". i don`t have much experience @ this time w/ larger ones. i`ll leave that mostly to a "revived" SunBow expert.

[Olympic-Bullshitter]

The St. Johns River winds down to Lake George and Silver Glen Springs Run or Juniper Creek. Its deep and easy to cruise but if sailing it will test your patience with fickle winds, semidiurnal tides, silty shoals and the redoubtable crab pots. You'll also need to be able to pass under the Shands Bridge (45'-foot overhead clearance) at Green Cove Springs. With a good outboard-powered dinghy you can get to hundreds of creeks and small rivers that flow into the big river. If the Ocala gathering is in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness you could be on the hook.

[zencoyote]

Sailboats are great for deep water but if you're gonna navigate rivers the keel is a problem. Even a 28 footer has a substantial keel. (I'm too lazy to figure out the length-beam-mast-keel ratios at the moment.)
Having been a boatbuilder IMHO one of the best sea and river worthy craft would be a small plywood trimaran. Little draft, great stability, enough room for crew and lots of storage. It's also superior to a simple catamaran as a center structure allows for a small motor. The doldrums can be a real bitch!

If anybelly is interested I'd be more than happy to lend my experience.

KevinH...something tells me I may know you. Ever work in boatyards on the East Coast?

Zen:D

[KevinH]

Sailboats are great for deep water but if you're gonna navigate rivers the keel is a problem. Even a 28 footer has a substantial keel. (I'm too lazy to figure out the length-beam-mast-keel ratios at the moment.)
Having been a boatbuilder IMHO one of the best sea and river worthy craft would be a small plywood trimaran. Little draft, great stability, enough room for crew and lots of storage. It's also superior to a simple catamaran as a center structure allows for a small motor. The doldrums can be a real bitch!

If anybelly is interested I'd be more than happy to lend my experience.

KevinH...something tells me I may know you. Ever work in boatyards on the East Coast?

Zen:D

No-haven't done any work in boatyards-I live in Philadelphia-I've had my boat out of the water in Delaware City.

[kinulpture]

i like these replies folks, this is the most interaction i`ve had about it. yes trimarans can be good. some of them have completly removable pontoons, where the "fuselage" could navigate narrows. &/or some can fold the pontoons, where they`re "towed" behind. the hobie mirage is great, except is a sitop, which is exposed to weather. mirage can be pedaled, paddled, or sailed when it becomes "adventure island" trimaran. but they`re expensive too. plywood or similar cheap, decked craft like this would work.

[Olympic-Bullshitter]

Boatowner's Mechanical Electrical Manual by Nigel Calder (third edition). This book will give you a good working knowledge of all systems aboard, the ability to keep up with maintence, and the means to troubleshoot and repair a broad range of breakdowns on midsized boats. Happy Boating.

[zencoyote]

Chasing holes, Zen? Nah....I'm happily married!!!!

[zencoyote]

Never been a sailor. I loved building sailing vessels and I'll take em out to water test them but sailing never really thrilled me. You see, I'm deathly afraid of the water. I used to surf, (old school-6-9 single skeg board) can swim well and love living near the ocean.
Could be my near drowning when my Hobiecat sunk about 2 mi. out and I had no life jacket. Or maybe that encounter with tiger sharks while kayaking off Maui. Or....

....well, anyway...I'll build em, somebody else can sail them.

Zen:D

[Olympic-Bullshitter]

Talked all night to a deep-hulled trimaran sailor at rainbow who had eyes of a zen. Please tell us what type of craft you've built. The fear of collision and falling overboard is with me too. Solar-powered ferry. Forty-eight foot long with 27 panels on its roof. www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2006-07-18-solar-ferry_x.htm?esp=34

[zencoyote]

Scales, huh? Sounds a little fishy to me. Anybelly remember the banner A-Camp flew at the Montana annual?

WELCOME FISHERMEN!!!! we smell you....

...the mind wanders. (and wonders)

Let's see...a basic rundown.

Built interior furniture for Hatteras and Uniflite.
Worked for a company called Sunward Yachts in N.C. Did everything from lofting, to moldmaking, to hand laying miles of glass, building interiors and installing engines.
I've built 2 trimarans. One a 48' ultra high-speed tri, the other a 30' bopping down the coast and ICW (though ocean worthy) tri.
Some of my work had been featured in a couple of sailing mags but that was long ago in another life.

Zen

[zencoyote]

OBS SEZ:
Hey listen, I don't mean any disrespect by this. None taken.
Your my skipper and if you say it's like this, then it's like this for me. HUH???
I'd like info on the 30. What would you like to know? I offer what info sits between the ears but it was a long time ago.

Zen:D

[inlakesh]

I love you, and i'm just throwing this out there. I would love to sail to the international rainbow gathering in New Zealand. who thinks this is a feasible idea. let me know your thoughts and possible scenarios to make it happen. blessings family.

Inlakech

[kinulpture]

that`s an excellent idea, what we need is a full store or section on watercraft here. this thread is kinda difficult to find.

[kinulpture]

yes, i was thinking same thing. ocala`s just a bit too far south for me @ this time. & the further south one goes, the further back north one must go when it`s gettin hot in that region. you see one of my original plans was go from shawnee gathering to acola (apalachiola), then somehow back either to taladega or other points N if they`re easier. there`s a pretty good site called: www.watertribe.com (http://www.watertribe.com) . I`ve been on there a few yrs. i`ve learned quite a bit. i was even thinking too of riding the AutoTrain N to Lorton Va, then up to the Ohio R. thus being on the great loop. www.greatloop.com (http://www.greatloop.com) i`ve even to convince Amtrak to let us put boats on a cart on AutoTrain. but no dice there. i`m just trying to quit the need for a land vehicle as much as possible. there`s actually a courier service in lorton Va. i`ve been tryin to convince them to have an office in Sanford fl too. there`s a kinda cool electric van startup co near sanford fl. these don`t go over 30 mph. if there were a slow path between their co & sanford we`d be in business. & they`d probably go for it cuz it would promote their vans. i saw this van on ebay. i`ll see if i can hunt it down on my ebay. just an idea. this copuld be done every year. & another thing which was kinda weird a few yrs ago. amtrak has a section called weekly specials. & for awhile they a deal to ride on Autotrain. i tried my best to promote most of this back then, no takers. maybe they`ll have the special again.

[Olympic-Bullshitter]

But I think it's a Westwalkruiser, Jacktwerf Volendam, Holland. LOA 29'6, LWL 24'6, Beam 8'8, Draft 4'0, Ballest 3,000 lbs, 10HP diesel engine (Sabb), 5 berths Galley, 6'2 headroom, enclosed toilet. An efficient and comfortable sailing boat. I'd guess 1970? The winning bid happens in the last hour. www.ebaymotors.com

[KevinH]

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/startups/magazine/17-02/mf_seasteading

The purpose of the Seasteading Institute—and of this gathering—is to figure out how to make aquatic homesteads a reality. But Friedman doesn't just want to create huge floating platforms that people can live on. He's also hoping to create a platform in the sense that Linux is a platform: a base upon which people can build their own innovative forms of governance.

[KevinH]

http://ecoble.com/2008/05/12/update-new-floating-man-made-island-about-to-be-open-to-the-public/

http://www.spiralislanders.com/

[Olympic-Bullshitter]

For a anchored boat with modest and simple electrical needs it's about 100Ah per day. That doesn't include inverter based loads of boats with larger and more complex needs. Power consumption will vary enormously according to the boats intended cruising area. Large items of occasional and short-term use, such as an electric anchor windlass, can in most intances be ignored, since they have little impact on the overall picture. On the rare occasions when sustained use is required, as when breaking out a deeply embedded anchor, the engine can be run during operation to provide a charging backup. For liveaboard cruisers golf-cart batteries are the best value for the money. Analyzing the DC system, and setting the DC house in order, should be one of the first priorities on any boater. But good-quality deep-cycle batteries, high-output alternator's with multistep voltage regulators, and accurate monitoring devices are expensive.

[Olympic-Bullshitter]

Maybe a compass light, a tri-pole running light at the masthead (with kersene running lights for back up) and a masthead strobe. The depth sounder or a transmitter would be the type that causes only small and intermitten battery drain. No electrical or mechanical refrigeration, lighting with kerosene farmhouse lamps, a garden sprayer for bathing, a simple bucket head, water would be moved with two large foot pumps (one salt and one fresh) and with at least two folks in the crew an anchor windlass would'nt be required.

[soaringeagle]

i heard much about this in the 80's the idea was a fleet of sailing ships (theoreticaly they were talking abouytr frigates barquentines ships of that size) that would be used to convey family to international gatherings worldwide
they planned on living abourd the boats year round (well i dunno if planned is the right word, mused about is better i guess)
as a way of close to the earth travel
internationaly wouldf be the only practicle application there are no intercoastal rivers navigastable coast to coast one could go theoreticly a few states away (2-3) but to cross the country would require goiung the long way around

i raced sailboats all my life till i was 26 (starting around 5) even a racing sailboat is painfully slowa 300 mile trip could take weeks or longer

at gatherings alot of wild ideasd flow aeround
ive seen people post sings "i want to hitch a ride on a pirate ship to austraila gathering" and such
the blimp idea is about as likely as the 1 guy i talkked to who wanted to make a flying saucer, complete with beam up technology so he could fly across thye country beamming up riders without having to even slow down

maybe a good idea when tripping, but practicle? hardly


on the other hand my dream is to fly in in a motorglider land in a meadow setup a bungy launch (so wont bother ppl with thye motor) and give glider rides over the site
wont happen tho cause cant afford a motorglider
but we all have ourr dreams..cant blame ya for that

[kinulpture]

bump