Short Sightings — A Ditty Drawer Full of Sailing Tidbits
This morning’s Short Sightings includes possible bridge work for the Petaluma River, the International Ocean Film Festival in San Francisco, applications for Chumash Heritage NMS Advisory Council, and a U.K. initiative to “rewrite” women into maritime history.
The California Department of Transportation is seeking approval of a location and plans for the modification of a highway bridge across a navigable waterway of the United States. The proposed work involves the bridge across the Petaluma River at Black Point, mile 1.0 on State Route 37, at the Marin/Sonoma County line, California. The project is described as follows: “The existing timber bridge fender system would be removed and replaced. The proposed fender system would be comprised of approximately 96 piles. The replaced fender system would consist of 24-in steel pipe piles and steel walers with plastic lumber sheathing. Navigation lighting would be upgraded to meet the U.S. Coast Guard requirements. The existing piles would be removed down to three feet below the mudline. The existing, to be removed piles, are located behind the replacement fender system, out of the main navigation span. The proposed replacement pier protection system will reduce the horizontal clearance of the bridge by 12 feet.”
The application has been filed with the Coast Guard and includes reference to various environmental considerations. Mariners are invited to comment on the impacts of “proposed navigation clearances, placement of a bridge protective system and other navigational safety issues, including need for clearance gauges and extent of nighttime navigation to determine the need for bridge lighting.” Interested parties are requested to express their views, in writing, on the proposed bridge project, including its possible impacts to navigation.
The comment period closes on March 31. More details available here: Petaluma River Bridge. The public notice may also be obtained by calling the Eleventh Coast Guard District Bridge Office at (571) 607-5820; by writing to Commander (DPW), Eleventh Coast Guard District, Coast Guard Island, Bldg. 50-2, Alameda, CA 94501-5100; or by email request at [email protected].
The 22nd annual International Ocean Film Festival (IOFF) is on in San Francisco on April 11–13 at the Fort Mason Center’s Cowell Theater. Billed as “the world’s largest ocean-themed film festival,” the IOFF aims to “support efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and create improved conditions for sustainable development of the ocean.”
You can see the list of films here and we will to let you know that tickets are now on sale. In the meantime, for more information, please visit www.oceandecade.org.
Two Days Left! Appy To Join Chumash Heritage NMS Advisory Council
NOAA is accepting applications for seats on the first-ever Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (CHNMS) Advisory Council until Friday, March 7. Thirteen public seats are available to represent a variety of local community interests and experience relevant to the sanctuary — Indigenous Cultural Knowledge; Public-at-Large; San Luis Obispo County; Santa Barbara County; Conservation; Education; Research; Tourism and Recreation; Ports; Harbors; and Maritime Transportation, Offshore Energy and Telecommunications, Commercial Fishing, Recreational Fishing, and Student Leadership.
We do realize that sailing isn’t on the list, but as sailors, we do have an interest in things that affect the ocean.
The advisory council will work together to develop advice and recommendations on the management and protection of sanctuary resources. Council members also serve as liaisons to their communities, building a strong connection between the sanctuary and community partners.
The application deadline is March 7. Apply to be a Sanctuary Advisory Council member today and make your community’s voice heard. To access application materials and learn more, please visit the CHNMS Advisory Council webpage.
Please reach out to Sachiko Lamen at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Applicants do not necessarily need prior first-hand experience within the sanctuary, but they should be very familiar with their constituents’ regional interests and how they relate to, or benefit, the management of Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.
SHE_SEES — Rewriting Women Into Maritime History
SHE_SEES is a project led by portrait photographer Emilie Sandy, and commissioned by Lloyd’s Register Foundation. Its goal is to highlight and celebrate women’s contributions to the maritime industry throughout history, while also capturing the stories of contemporary female professionals. While this project is based in the U.K., we think it’s a great idea. We hope SHE_SEES will bring a sense of pride to our women sailors and also serve as inspiration to keep chasing those sailing and waterfront dreams. Perhaps it will even inspire local creatives to take on a similar project focusing on women in the West Coast’s own rich maritime history.
To date, Emilie Sandy has photographed 23 women working in diverse maritime roles, sharing their stories, visions, and collective experiences through photographs, textiles, maritime objects, and moving images. In bringing to life forgotten voices, the project aims to weave a new chapter showcasing the resilience, strength, and innovation of women in the maritime industry while highlighting the many opportunities presented by a maritime career.
Of course we also aren’t in the right place to view the Portsmouth, U.K., exhibition that opens to the public in August, but if you happen to be going there …. Perhaps it will also become available online at some later stage. Until then, take a look at what we do know and can see.