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In Marin / CURRENTS
A TALL ORDER The scent
of fresh sawdust emanates from
inside a huge nondescript tent in
Sausalito. The project underway?
That would be the Matthew Turner,
the first schooner
to be built in the
San Francisco
Bay Area in more than 100 years.
“When it’s time to put her in the
water,” says Alan Olson, director of Educational Tall Ship, “she’ll
weigh 150 tons, including 45 tons
of lead ballast,” which raises some
logistical concerns. The white tent
where the Turner is being built lies
almost 600 feet inland from Richardson Bay. But Olson isn’t worried. “We’ll remove the tent, get a
crane to lift her up and put her on
two pods of wheels,” he calmly
says. “Then, after we remove a
few fences, a tractor will push her
along a level roadbed to the Army
Corps of Engineers launch ramp
near the Bay Model.” Slated for
completion in 2016, the ship will
sail along the California coast and
serve as a floating classroom for
kids. Here are some other relevant
numbers. educationaltallship.org K.P.
It’s a prominent feature that’s synonymous with Marin as well as a beacon that marks home. As with
many monikers in the county, it is said that the name Mount Tamalpais comes from a Coast Miwok term,
in this case for the landmass támal pájis, which translates to “west hill.” However,
the mountain has been spawning legends and groups have been trying to lay claim
to the name ever since the designation first appeared in 1845. One myth contends
that Tamalpais is Coast Miwok for “sleeping maiden,” a native folktale of the same name. Another asser-
tion has Asian and Siberian roots, and on top of all that, there’s folklore that points to the mountain being
haunted. The Coast Miwok warned of a wicked witch who lived atop the mountain, though it’s believed
they only said so to keep settlers away from the hallowed peak. K. P.
BY THE
NUMBERS
7,100-SQUARE-FOOT SAIL AREA
132 FEET LONG
$6.2 MILLION PROJECT
100-FOOT MAIN MAST
38 BUNKS FOR VOYAGING
32,000 volunteer hours
ISLAND LIFE Two floating islands were built last month in the
Civic Center lagoon, but if you’re getting images of Dubai in your
mind we recommend shaking those thoughts. The islands are actually
placed there to act as biofilters, with plantings on the surface and
roots in the water to provide natural water filtration and wildlife
habitat. The project was launched during the 2014 Bioneers
conference. “We are so pleased to be demonstrating this
innovative, completely green approach to improving the water
quality in our most local watershed here at the Civic Center,”
says Marin District 1 Supervisor Damon Connolly. While the
idea isn’t novel — similar projects have been launched in Walnut
Creek and Marysville — it’s had favorable outcomes. K. P.
Mighty Mountain
WHAT’S IN
A NAME
Left to right: Alex
Kahl, ranger Kirk
Schroeder and
biofilter expert
Ed Correa.
