M&R Log 2022

This year finally saw the end of major repairs and improvements to Grace. Mostly, I kept up with annual maintenance, such as servicing the outboard, bedding deck hardware, servicing the winches, and keeping up with the brightwork. I am continuing to use a natural linseed oil varnish, called Le Tonkinois Linseed Oil Varnish No.1, which is a pleasure to work with and is durable enough. I did some minor fixes to hairline cracks in the gelcoat here and there, and I rewired the bow bi-color navigation light, which had been removed to be repaired by Weems & Plath. I also picked up a spare 3-gallon fuel tank with a direct hose attachment to the outboard, which will be used for extended motoring when coastal cruising. Filling up the outboard’s tank every few hours gets old fast! … Continue readingM&R Log 2022

Berkeley – September 2022

This first day of sailing ended up being a trial run. Conditions from shore seemed mild. I had packed lightly having just returned from a three-week work trip. A friend, William, accompanied me. After some delays in organizing our belongings, we got a late start around 1:30pm. The sun was shining and the winds were calm inside the Monterey Bay. We sailed comfortably until just past Steamer’s Lane, at which point northwesterly winds picked up dramatically. … Continue readingBerkeley – September 2022

San Francisco Bay – June 2022

With mild but sufficient winds until Davenport, I sailed with the genoa. At this point, the northwesterly winds picked up and I switched to the class jib. Fog was also pretty thick such that I relied on my instruments for orientation. Arriving wet from the fog and upwind sailing, I anchored in darkness close to the beach at Año Nuevo, my only company the lights of two fishing vessels nearby. The rocking was less than the last time I visited Año Nuevo. I woke up a few times during the night to check the hold of the anchor, but otherwise slept soundly. … Continue readingSan Francisco Bay – June 2022

Año Nuevo – March 2022

Originally, my plan was to sail to Half Moon Bay and then onward to the San Francisco Bay. I got an early start at 7:12am given predictions of some coastal wind. However, it was largely non-existent. After a little while bobbing about near the Santa Cruz Wharf, I decided to motor at about 3 knots for about two hours until 9:12am. I could have gone faster, but wanted to conserve my gas reserves. Strong northerly winds were encountered once clear of the Monterey Bay. I sailed upwind for a while with my genoa until it became just too difficult to manage. On a tack near shore, I swapped out my genoa for the class jib. Eventually as winds picked up, I would also reef the main. The sea conditions had lots of swell and it was a wet ride. I started to get the hang of how to avoid slamming the boat over the swell without deviating too much from my course. … Continue readingAño Nuevo – March 2022

Monterey – March 2022

Consistent southwesterly winds prevailed throughout. I sailed with my genoa and full mainsail close reach to close hauled on a starboard tack for the entire trip. About halfway to Monterey, I spotted perhaps five boats flying spinnakers in my path. They seemed odd bunched up in the middle of the Monterey Bay until I realized they must have been sailing together out of Moss Landing. One of them in particular never seemed to change direction relative to me, and sure enough came pretty close when crossing paths. Right around then, I also passed a half-deflated balloon floating floating on the ocean’s surface. Always up for a chance to practice man-overboard procedures, I quickly came about and managed to pick up the balloon before continuing on to Monterey. Around 5pm (Lat: 36.670431 Lon: -121.907301) winds picked up, at which point I switched from the genoa to the class jib and reefed the main. It was an invigorating last hour or so approaching the scenic Monterey area. … Continue readingMonterey – March 2022

M&R Log 2021

The year 2021 marked the end of extensive repair projects that had started in 2020. Once I had removed the headliner from the cabin’s ceiling, I sanded the interior of the hull and paint several fresh coats of gelcoat wherever I could reach! I also built shelves below the v-berth to hold a 100Ah Battleborn LiFePO4 battery and simple head made from a 5-gallon bucket and toilet cover. … Continue readingM&R Log 2021

Community seed network in an era of climate change

A study analyzed maize diversity in Yucatán, Mexico, tracking changes amid climatic shifts. It revealed community-level conservation and farmers’ agrobiodiversity management strategies played crucial roles in recovery and resilience to climate change disturbances, particularly high rainfall events. … Continue readingCommunity seed network in an era of climate change

M&R Log 2020

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and work transitions, I spent most of 2020 camping out on my sailboat and outside my family home in the Santa Cruz Mountains. My online teaching at a community college afforded me the time and flexibility to become very familiar with all the issues with Grace. I didn’t really have a master plan for restoring Grace, and tackled whatever issue seemed most pressing. … Continue readingM&R Log 2020

Holistic pedagogies for social change

The Bay Area Farmer Training (BAFT) trained aspiring urban farming practitioners in agroecology, using a pedagogy rooted in humanistic values, social justice, popular education, liberatory experiences, and decolonial and feminist frameworks. This chapter outlines the contra-hegemonic and participatory pedagogical philosophies and practices implemented within the program while providing examples of how the curriculum manifested in praxis. … Continue readingHolistic pedagogies for social change

M&R Log 2019

In October 2019, I broke my arm playing a late night game of roller hockey. My inability to do much physical activity for a month got me thinking more seriously about buying a sailboat. I purchased Grace November 2019. She was previously owned by a couple with a slip directly across from my father’s sailboat. I had admired Grace for some time, and when she was posted for sale, I jumped at the opportunity. … Continue readingM&R Log 2019

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