Barnhill management undertook a major marina improvement project this Spring with installation of new metal pilings, construction of stronger and safer docks and im-proved lighting. As construction got underway, the Privett/Todar house (C8) and the McIntyre house(B18) were both moved to temporary loca-tions at docks D and E.

Mr. Barnhill, Tony Fraga (harbormaster), Vern Beckwith (carpenter extraordinaire) and a crack team of assistants worked very hard for many weeks on the project which mainly centers on upgrades to dock C, including a brand new dock and lighting behind the float-ing homes. New pilings were in-stalled at the end of B dock, and at various spots around C dock. A few old and unstable wooden pilings were also replaced at D and E docks.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone on the Barnhill manage-ment team who are working so hard on this project!

June 2005 Volume 1, Issue 2 Published Quarterly

A LA M EDA FLO A TIN G H O M E A SSO CIA TIO N

New s Ar o u n d t h e Do c k s

Angela McIntyre’s house being moved to a new temporary home at E dock during Construction.

Driving new pilings at B dock.

New dock and pilings next to the Privett house, C dock.

New dock and pilings at the end of B dock.

where salads, corn on the cob, baked beans, ribs, chicken and brownies (Dr. Bob ate at least 3, as did the editor) awaited the ravenous Barnhill mob. Special guests included Mr. and Mrs. Barnhill, and our hardworking harbormaster(s), Tony and Peg Fraga. Many thanks to Floyd Hunter and Roberta Bobba for organiz-ing this fun annual event, and to Mayumi Stroy for the great snap-shots.

*Editor admits to being tipsy and may have imagined certain events!

Barnhill Marina folk gathered for an annual festive Spring "BBQ" at Enci-nal Yacht Club on April 24. 26 "Barnhillers" gathered in the bar just before sunset to receive name tags and to quaff numerous strong spir-its and grog. Bob Schaff reported seeing the fabled "green flash" even though the sunset was not visible from the Club!* We all proceeded to order whatever Bob was drink-ing. Feeling good, our attention was drawn to the buffet tables

P A G E 2 N E W S A R O U N D T H E D O C K S

Floyd Hunter dispensing name tags and good cheer in the EYC bar.

Dan Debardeleben is clearly having a good time! Angela McIntyre in

Diane White is enraptured as Jericho Faurea describes how much she just ate!

Bill Cox, Diane Puntenney, & Robert Shashinda savoring the good food and

Roberta Bobba & Beth Remenap enjoy-ing the view on the EYC porch.

AFHA Board

Currents Officers for

2005—2006:

Chair: Maggie Clendenin

Co-Chair: Sally Campbell

‘Treasurer: Roberta Bobba

Co-Treasurer: Erika Lindquist

Newsletter Staff:

Editor: Diane C. White Layout & Design: Bill White Production: Gail Albin, FBCU

For Advertising information & rates, or to submit ideas or articles for the newslet-ter, contact Diane and Bill at floatinghouse@covad.net.

P A G E 3 A L A M E D A FLO A T I N G H O M E A S S N . N E W S

We would like to welcome aboard new and returning residents who joined our great Barnhill commu-nity this Spring.

Louise Rosen purchased the “Rowing Club” house at E10, and expects to be settled in by mid to late June as remodeling projects are completed. Louise and her husband, Bob, also have homes in Piedmont and Twain Harte, but she has dreamed of living on the water at Barnhill Marina for 30 years! Appropriately, she has re-named her dream home "At Last,” and expects to use it as a peaceful weekend retreat. It looks like Louise will fit right in at Barnhill Marina; she loves to read and started a book club called “Wrinkled Pages” with her child-hood friend ten years ago. Per-haps we will be seeing her at our Barnhill Book Club meetings soon! Welcome Aboard, Louise!

Welcome aboard also to new resi-dents at Dock D6, Barbara Snow and Robert Shashinda, and cats Magic and Miranda. Magic is al-ready famous for his deep voice

and recently had an exciting and noisy encounter with the Marina cat queen, Sasha. Robert keeps a classic Cheoy Lee Bermuda 30 sailboat, the “Emperor Norton”, at Embarcadero Cove Marina, and hopes to relocate it to Barnhill Ma-rina in the near future.

And a big welcome to Scott Gibbs who just moved back to B12 with his beautiful and charming cats Bosco, Ziggy, and Chobe. Scott loves living here and is thrilled to be back. His former partner, Laura Russo, who used to live in B12, purchased the Nyhan house across the dock at B9, which she is currently renovating and will use as her Bay Area office residence. Laura and her lovable dog, Zoe, have a new home up in Chico (with a big yard for Zoe), but she couldn’t bear to leave the marina permanently. We are so glad Laura and Zoe will continue to be a part of our special community!

Scott Gibbs on assignment

Robert Shashinda and Barbara Snow

Louise Rosen and her husband Bob at their favorite place in Cabo

If you have not yet joined the Alameda Floating Home Association (AFHA) and would like to become a member, please contact Roberta Bobba (treasurer) or Erika Lindquist (co-treasurer). Membership is still only $12.00 per year!

Submitted by Diane Puntenney

A group of concerned neighbors met several times this Spring to address and develop emergency preparedness guidelines for Barnhill residents to follow in the event of a natural disaster, fire, personal health emergency or floating home emergency. Initiated by Bill Cox and Diane Puntenney (B3), committee members have been busy brainstorming about specific disaster and emer-gency concerns, skills and equipment that various of our neighbors may be able to share, and practices that are currently in place or that could be developed to make our community a safe one.

Out of our discussions have come plans for a *Floating Home Owner's Manual* that might include:

• Neighbors’ names and phone numbers so that a resi-dent requiring emergency assistance, technical advice or equipment will have someone they can contact quickly (participation will be voluntary),

• Emergency contact list including volunteers for each dock area who may have special training (CPR, Red Cross, etc.) ,

• Useful knowledge that long-time residents have learned the hard way and new floating home residents need to know (like what to do when the holding tank overflows or the macerator pump stops working!) ,

• A compendium of publicly available disaster informa-tion tailored to our specific floating home lifestyle .

The Manual will be sponsored by the Alameda Floating Home Association (AFHA) and will be available to all marina residents. All interested residents who would like to participate are encouraged to attend the regular monthly meetings at Diane and Bill's house, Dock B3. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 14th at 8:00 pm. If you cannot attend meetings, but would like to submit ideas or tips, or assist as a volunteer, please contact Diane or Bill via email at diane@pomonavisions.com.

Your neighbors and the AFHA would like to remind residents to close and lock the Gates whenever you arrive or leave. We all agree our community is a safe and secure place to live; but let's ensure it remains this way! Lock the Gates!

Also, your neighbors would appreciate it if you would return the carts to the top of the ramps (INSIDE the gate!) whenever, and as soon as, you are done. Please do not de-posit the cart in front of your neighbors' homes (a particular problem at D dock!). Con-tractors or vendors may use the carts to haul light equipment, but advise them that the carts belong to the homeowners and should never be kept at the worksite for long stretches of time. Thanks, everybody!

A L A M E D A FLO A T I N G H O M E A S S N . N E W S P A G E 4

THE VILLAGE OF LITTLE BRIDGES by Peg Fraga

[Editor’s Note: To commemorate our revitalized newsletter, and to cele-brate our special community, we are honored to publish the following poem by Peg Fraga]

We live in a village Of little bridges Where swallows swoop From silent silos Touching wings to Poplar and palms, Returning to high nests Burrowed in corners Overlooking the sea.

Geraniums and Marigolds Bloom on boarded docks. Masts bend and sway Where one can sit Dangling toes In the water Next to a ray.

Seagulls sing To crows on pilings, Joined by birds Nested in cactus, Above porches, As winds blow to cool The sun’s golden scorches.

Under the bridges, Tiny fish weave Patterns in silver. Tides rise and fall On lanterned pilings. Ebbs guide uprooted logs Outward to the Peace of the sea.

Our Village of Little Bridges Where the silence Roars across water, Dipping to whisper Near rocks on the shore, Hidings secrets in Seashells and stored.

Has everyone noticed that the Barnhill sign at the entrance to Barney Way was recently painted? We can thank Roberta Bobba who quietly and surreptitiously freshened the famil-iar Barnhill logo a few weeks ago. Thank you, Roberta! You are one of the many reasons our marina is such a wonderful place to live!

P A G E 5 A L A M E D A FLO A T I N G H O M E A S S N . N E W S

Louise Rosen’s home at E10 sports a new coat of paint and a new spiral staircase.

P A G E 6

SADLER & Co.,

Insurance Brokers, Inc.

We specialize in houseboat/floating home insurance. Fire and Liability coverage is available at competitive rates.

Call for a free quote! Telephone 415-457-2400 - Fax 415-457-2520 Email:jay@sadlerinc.com

Over 60% of houseboat owners in Marin County can’t be wrong.

the same as now exists.

4.Your debt ratio and credit score must meet FBCU lending requirements.

5. The total loan to value ratio of the floating home must not exceed 80% of the value of the home.

If that doesn't work for you and you want a new 15 year term on the new loan amount, then we would have to refinance the loan just like a new loan. Our policy has been to charge the 1 point on the new loan. As a special for

AFHA members only we will offer this total refinance with a new term at a flat fee of $500.00.

There is no minimum requirement and your loan is re-amortized to adjust the payments to the new term. In some cases this may even result in lower monthly payments depending on the length of time the old loan has been in existence.

Call 510-433-9200 for more informa-tion. We are also offering loans to new borrowers. Talk to us about your needs.

Do you know that with FBCU you can add on to your floating home loan to buy a car, boat, or do home improve-ments or for any other purpose and not have to pay any points or fees as long as the following terms are met.

1 You must draw a minimum of $15,000. new dollars.

2. You must have had your floating home loan for a minimum of 12 months with good repayment history.

3. The loan maturity date will remain

N E W S A R O U N D T H E D O C K S

LO T T ERY G AME

FIN A N C IA L B EN EFIT S Fl o a t i n g H o m e Lo a n o p t i o n s

A d d O n t o y o u r EX IST IN G l o a n w i t h N o P o i n t s o r Fe e s O R

R E- f i n a n c e – w i t h N o P o i n t s

C LASSIFIED S

Looking to buy or sell? Need to down-size? Thinking of real estate investment? Please let me assist you with your real estate needs — call me at 510-377-7733

For the second quarter in a row, FBCU has sponsored a random drawing to encourage participation in the AFHA! Our winning member last time around was Beth Remenap. This quarter, the $50 prize winner is...