In the pre-dawn hours, we (West Pier residents Court Mast and Stefan Krug) slowly motored our 17-foot Boston Whaler away from my floating home and into Richardson Bay. With two spotlights focused on the dark water in front of us, we headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge under the light...
West Pier dock rep Tristan Thomas passes along a reminder that humans feeding geese and other waterfowl can have unintended negative consequences. Says Tristan: “Before reaching for that loaf of bread and soaking in that joy and excitement of feeding the fowl, remember that over feeding results in more poop...
Joe Novitski, chair of the Floating Homes Association’s Legislative Action Committee has crafted a series of quizzes to help you test your knowledge of your rights has a floating homeowner. We’ll be running one a week for the next few weeks. Here’s multiple choice question number one: You’re selling your...
The pandemic was tough on live theater, with actors and directors needing to become overnight filmmakers—Zoommakers, in order to practice their craft and reach an audience. Because without an audience, what’s the point? The audience makes the circle complete. We houseboaters are lucky. No need to cross a bridge to...
In late December, floating homes on both East and West Piers were flooded due to plumbing problems. A burst water pipe flooded the barge of #15 East Pier at low tide. When the tide came in, the house wouldn’t float, so the bay water came in the windows and rose...
West Pier resident Julie Durbin has agreed to take on the dual roles of Public Relations and Marketing Manager for the Floating Homes Association. Julie has long been an active member of our community, having volunteered the first time at the 2003 Floating Homes Tour and all subsequent tours. She...
The day after the Floating Times announced the production of Qaddafi’s Cook, a play by Lance Belville, the Marin IJ ran a major feature on the production. The article tells the story of a chance encounter between the late Lance of West Pier, and a young hotelier in Todos Santos...
Art Saves Lives is a button I wear. My mantra. In our floating kingdom, the photographers, painters, potters, glassmakers, musicians, writers and filmmakers, my fellow artists, don’t just wear that line. We live it. Right before the pandemic, my husband, playwright Lance Belville, died of heart failure. His play Qaddafi’s...
FHA Emergency Services Chair Flo Hoylman passes along these tips for kitchen safety, especially during the busy holiday season. According to the National Fire Protection Association®, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Almost half (44%) of reported home fires started...
The recent apartment fire on West Pier turned out to be a valuable learning experience for residents and firefighters alike. On October 8, firefighters from Southern Marin, Marin County and Tiburon, plus Sheriff units, were dispatched to a structure fire at an apartment building known as ‘The Whale’ at 28...