BajaNomad

The Chatarra Project: a plastic bottle waste awareness project.

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mexicoliving - 5-10-2013 at 01:02 PM

Hey everyone, you all were a great support last year during the Baja Walk, so we wanted to keep you up to date on this summers project.

Summer is coming on quick here in San Felipe, and the whole place rolls up from the heat. Most of members have migrated north, so Rachel and I are looking for a way to explore Baja and help Baja in some manner.

Last year, while we were walking the Baja, we saw first hand the huge plastic bottle waste problem in Baja. We spent many hours, days and miles, discussing what we could do.

We decided to create the "Baja Chatarra Project", which is a project to bring awareness to the plastic waste making it’s way into the Sea of Cortez and the negative effect it has on the Baja environment and our lives.

We are building a boat, or rather a raft made of various reclaimed or recycled materials and floating it on pontoons of plastic waste, specifically plastic bottles. The raft will be propelled using a 2' diameter paddle-wheel we are having constructed with two direct to axle peddle stations.

Rachel and I are going to paddle or paddle, which ever is most accurate, the finished raft approx. 600 nautical miles from San Felipe to La Paz, Baja California. We plan to stop in many communities to distribute educational information in both Spanish and English on the damage of plastic waste and how to help reduce and or eliminate the problem. Of course, that too will be on recycled paper.

There is a huge volume of plastic trash being thrown into the sea, or littered throughout the Baja, much of it is getting into Sea of Cortez, interrupting the feeding of marine life (birds choke on plastic trash, plankton ingest microscopic particles of plastics, including many other marine life) and plastics release toxins into the water.

Chatarra Project

If You Post Photos

Gypsy Jan - 5-10-2013 at 01:37 PM

You will connect better with the people you are trying to reach.

Good luck to you, you sound like good, well-intentioned people, but you need to "jazz" up your approach.

IMHO, GJ

mexicoliving - 5-10-2013 at 01:50 PM

Thank you for the input. We are starting the jazzy part now. We have had a busy season and haven't put much into the jazz as the raft planning. Now that the construction has started and our season is almost over we will get more focused on the outward look of the project.

DENNIS - 5-10-2013 at 01:58 PM

Who's funding this project?
Who's throwing all the plastic in the water?

mexicoliving - 5-10-2013 at 02:23 PM

We're funding it ourselves, but of course any contributions are helpful, and that means in terms of plastic bottles, dinero, time or anything. We have many members helping and a local metal artist is welding the paddle wheel frame and each week we all get together and de-label and clean all the bottles. We have already collect almost half the needed bottles. Basically 2 pound of upward thrust for each liter bottle. The raft is almost 2000 pounds with crew and supplies. So, our goal is 1000 liters of plastic bottles.

As for the people throwing plastic; many people unfortunately. The biggest problem we have seen is plastic oil bottles and coke bottles thrown from fishing pangas and from truckers. The arroyos all up and down the Baja highway have plastic bottles in them, which wash into the sea ever storm. When we walked the Baja last year the one thing we saw more than anything else were 2 and 3 liter coke bottles filled with urine and thrown from a vehicles.

We know you can't eliminate littering, but we can do what we can to reduce it. For instance when you drive through the State of Sonora (and others) there are signs that state there is a $1500 peso fine for littering. We need those up and down the Baja highways.

DENNIS - 5-10-2013 at 02:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
one thing we saw more than anything else were 2 and 3 liter coke bottles filled with urine and thrown from a vehicles.



That's interesting, and I shouldn't dwell on it, but I've been on Baja roads since before pavement, washing down dust with cold beer as I went, and it never once occurred to me to pee in a bottle when all I had to do was stop the car, get out and go. I'll bet I did just that at least fifty thousand times.

Well....it sounds as though you have a real education challenge on your hands. I wish you luck, and thanks for the quick reply.

sancho - 5-10-2013 at 03:51 PM

Excellent education effort, appalud your noble undertaking,
it wasn't too long ago that
littering was a part of the US landscape, not that is
nonexistant, but awareness , peer pressure does
have an effect. Trash disposal in Mex does not seem
to ahve a high priority. Mex is just a few yrs. back,
and hopefully will catch up. Have seen some documentaries
on the huge area of the Pacific that has a vast area
of swirling plastic debis field, the stuff never breaks
down, I've seen those portable urinals you mentioned,
I suspected that is what they were.
I assume an effort like yours has the best results with
youngsters, not the old geezer borrachos

[Edited on 5-10-2013 by sancho]

Dave - 5-10-2013 at 04:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
I'll bet I did just that at least fifty thousand times.


Same here except it was last night. :rolleyes:

DENNIS - 5-10-2013 at 04:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Dave
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
I'll bet I did just that at least fifty thousand times.


Same here except it was last night. :rolleyes:



oooooooooo.......you gonna havta have that thing checked out.

DENNIS - 5-10-2013 at 04:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by sancho

peer pressure does have an effect.




So do hundred dollar littering tickets and that won't work here while mordida is still happening, which will be like forever.

Dave - 5-10-2013 at 04:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
you gonna havta have that thing checked out.


Nah...probably just needs polishing.

durrelllrobert - 5-10-2013 at 04:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
Hey everyone, you all were a great support last year during the Baja Walk, so we wanted to keep you up to date on this summers project.

Summer is coming on quick here in San Felipe, and the whole place rolls up from the heat. Most of members have migrated north, so Rachel and I are looking for a way to explore Baja and help Baja in some manner.

Last year, while we were walking the Baja, we saw first hand the huge plastic bottle waste problem in Baja. We spent many hours, days and miles, discussing what we could do.

We decided to create the "Baja Chatarra Project", which is a project to bring awareness to the plastic waste making it’s way into the Sea of Cortez and the negative effect it has on the Baja environment and our lives.

We are building a boat, or rather a raft made of various reclaimed or recycled materials and floating it on pontoons of plastic waste, specifically plastic bottles. The raft will be propelled using a 2' diameter paddle-wheel we are having constructed with two direct to axle peddle stations.

Rachel and I are going to paddle or paddle, which ever is most accurate, the finished raft approx. 600 nautical miles from San Felipe to La Paz, Baja California. We plan to stop in many communities to distribute educational information in both Spanish and English on the damage of plastic waste and how to help reduce and or eliminate the problem. Of course, that too will be on recycled paper.

There is a huge volume of plastic trash being thrown into the sea, or littered throughout the Baja, much of it is getting into Sea of Cortez, interrupting the feeding of marine life (birds choke on plastic trash, plankton ingest microscopic particles of plastics, including many other marine life) and plastics release toxins into the water.

Chatarra Project
Teach them how to make and sell these (but don't throw the scraps in the water)

mexicoliving - 5-10-2013 at 04:51 PM

Unfortunately the Baja 1 does not have many truck stops and those that do, are really just a wide spot in the road with no facilities or trash cans...but even those stops are few and far between, so I can only imagine it is easier to toss a bottle than to try and find a place to pull over a big rig.

DENNIS - 5-10-2013 at 04:58 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
Unfortunately the Baja 1 does not have many truck stops and those that do, are really just a wide spot in the road with no facilities or trash cans...but even those stops are few and far between, so I can only imagine it is easier to toss a bottle than to try and find a place to pull over a big rig.


Still....I can't even imagine a Kenworth Cowboy peeing in a bottle....especially when he's whistlin' down One, or anytime for that matter.

I think you're on to some hazardous waste disposal here and you may want to reconsider the theme for your journey.
Yep...this is getting serious. :cool:

mexicoliving - 5-10-2013 at 05:01 PM

Here are a few images of the paddle wheel being constructed.




DENNIS - 5-10-2013 at 05:07 PM

Here's some inspiration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWN-YZOEGcE

monoloco - 5-10-2013 at 05:46 PM

If you get hit by foul weather on your journey, you may end up greatly contributing to the plastic garbage in the sea.

Mulegena - 5-10-2013 at 05:57 PM

You guys are really an inspiration and example of having the moxie to go forth and make a difference.

A couple things, and perhaps in order of importance:
1) I'm concerned about your craft, specifically the paddlewheel you're having built. I'm certainly not an engineer by any stretch of anybody's imagination, but geez, it looks too small and, well, just plain flimsy. (Kinda reminds me of your little red wagon that vexed your last venture). There, I've said it. Don't mean to put a damper on your efforts, but trusting your lives to a plastic paddle-barge out in the Sea of Cortez is a zillion times more dangerous than dodging semis out on Mex-1. At least build a sturdy mechanism of control and propulsion.

2) Many of the folks down here do litter, that's a fact. Its understood that others will come along and pick up the plastic and aluminum cans to sell to the recycling centers. That philosophy works, but clearly only to a very limited point.
For example: My mother-in-law walks every morning and gathers up trash. There's an old man who cleans a portion of the highway just south of Mulege every single day. The meager revenue gleaned from the sale of these recyclables supplements a very, very spartan income for many folks. Unfortunately more trash gets thrown out than recycled, and that's a fact, too, which makes this method of cleanup untenable, imo.

3) The schools are doing their part in educating the young people about recycling. In the elementary schools there are yearly contests of trash pickup. Whoever brings the most in for recycling wins and is crowned the queen and king of Springtime.


It was fun running into you two (figuratively speaking) two times last summer on your trek down the peninsula. I hope you'll stop into the harbour when your craft makes it down to Mulege. Our little town will be a good place to rest up and re-provision.

Your efforts are exceptional, and I thank you and admire you. Please be safe.

mexicoliving - 5-11-2013 at 07:32 AM

The plastic bottle we are using are de-labeled, cleaned, then placed into 3 foot diameter nylon net laundry bags, those bags are sewn shut, then those bags are lined up inside cargo netting. The cargo nets are then sewn shut. It will be nearly impossible for us to lose the bottles.

In an effort to reduce our chances of foul weather, we have detailed charts of the coastline, a small outboard (for emergency only), couple good anchors, and a low profile. There has also only been 10 hurricanes in Baja during the month of July since 1949. And our intention is to peddle nearly non-stop, to reduce the time at sea.

BajaBlanca - 5-11-2013 at 08:52 AM

your timing is spot on. someone told me that they heard on the radio that Mexico plans to implement trash reduction / solution techniques over the next 4 years.

I know this is Mexico and that everything is manana BUT, the fact that the gvt is even considering fixing the problem is huge. just huge.

Here is a link to my own effort to clean our village years ago. And if you ever come and visit us, ask me to tell you the hysterical stories from that project. Even I am amazed that I survived!

http://sites.google.com/site/cleaningupbaja/

and the Spanish version:

http://sites.google.com/site/limpiandolabaja/

Now, regarding the signs for fines, what we did here was have Les's son make us some signs that read

KEEP LA BOCANA CLEAN
A CLEAN LA BOCANA
A CLEANER LA BOCANA

and we put them up around town. Education is everything and what you are doing is to be commended! Have a safe trip.

DENNIS - 5-11-2013 at 09:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
I know this is Mexico and that everything is manana BUT, the fact that the gvt is even considering fixing the problem is huge. just huge.



The younger generation, those schooled in "Green" issues, are coming of age and bringing their more sophisticated world with them.
With the "information age" and better education, even some of us ol' timers may live long enough to see some change for the good, but they'd better hurry up. :lol:



.

[Edited on 5-11-2013 by DENNIS]

monoloco - 5-11-2013 at 10:20 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
The plastic bottle we are using are de-labeled, cleaned, then placed into 3 foot diameter nylon net laundry bags, those bags are sewn shut, then those bags are lined up inside cargo netting. The cargo nets are then sewn shut. It will be nearly impossible for us to lose the bottles.

In an effort to reduce our chances of foul weather, we have detailed charts of the coastline, a small outboard (for emergency only), couple good anchors, and a low profile. There has also only been 10 hurricanes in Baja during the month of July since 1949. And our intention is to peddle nearly non-stop, to reduce the time at sea.
You are not likely to encounter a hurricane but the possibility of high winds and seas can occur anytime of year, if the rest of your craft is as poorly designed and executed as the paddle wheel you posted photos of, I have serious doubts as to the chances of your success.

DENNIS - 5-11-2013 at 10:41 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by monoloco
You are not likely to encounter a hurricane but the possibility of high winds and seas can occur anytime of year,


Not only high, but instantaneous as well. One minute calm...the next, it's blowing your shirt off.
The gulf is no place to plan a learning process. The elements are unforgiving.

Dave - 5-11-2013 at 11:30 AM

Wasn't there a guy several years ago who built a raft out of god-knows-what and was gonna sail to China?

How'd that work out?

mexicoliving - 5-12-2013 at 01:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
your timing is spot on. someone told me that they heard on the radio that Mexico plans to implement trash reduction / solution techniques over the next 4 years.

Education is everything and what you are doing is to be commended! Have a safe trip.


You are do right, education is everything. Growing up I many of us had "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute" and mom telling me, "don't litter it makes the world ugly". Those stuff with me.

I hope we have a chance to talk about both our projects and maybe we can get more people excited. We are adding a list of community cleanup efforts onto the new site we created: http://chatarra.bglclub.com

mexicoliving - 5-12-2013 at 01:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Dave
Wasn't there a guy several years ago who built a raft out of god-knows-what and was gonna sail to China?

How'd that work out?


He broke down in Puertecitos, then rebuilt it and continued. I have heard he made it, but recently passed away.

mexicoliving - 5-12-2013 at 01:29 PM

The Paddle wheel is extremely strong, the wood is sealed in marine epoxy, the the steal, well it's steal and secured in a housing, so no worries about that...Here is the frame:


We have lived on the edge of the Sea of Cortez for 10 years and both my wife Rachel and I are American Sailing Association certified for blue water. We can charter boats anywhere in the world, and although we will not be sailing, but the knowledge of the sea and seamanship, we do have.

Yah, we know it may look a bit on the rough, but it the "Junk" Project after. The only difference between an ordeal and an adventure is attitude.

DENNIS - 5-12-2013 at 02:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
Here are a few images of the paddle wheel being constructed.






OK....I don't know what's on the plans, but it appears the wells between the paddles leave no space for the water to run through. They look like solid pockets.
Won't that be a lot of resistance from the forward side of the paddle wheel?

mexicoliving - 5-12-2013 at 02:24 PM

The wheel has steel sidings and sits in a housing, it's strong and the water flows nicely. Fortunately we be completed with the design and construction two weeks before we launch, so we expect to fine tune.



Here are some other creative ideas:
Rafting Race

This is similar to what we want to do next year as part of a Baja Clean...is to have a raft race with all rafts built from recycled materials and floated on plastic bottles. So, start think of what you can recycle for your seaworthy raft.

woody with a view - 5-12-2013 at 02:34 PM

july in Baja doesn't give brownie points for torturing yourselves in the heat. what's wrong with december?

mexicoliving - 5-12-2013 at 02:46 PM

We run the our club during "the season" from Oct-Apr and only have the summer to do other activities such as this...that is why we walked the Baja in June and July last year. It gets hot sure, but some like it hot :fire:

805gregg - 5-12-2013 at 07:25 PM

Get good life insurance, and lots of rescue/ditch gear, Spot, epirb, portable GPS and VHF the best life jackets you can buy and maybe survival suits, you will need it, the ocean doesn't care if you are trying to save the planet, all are treated equal, some unprepared, more equal than the prepared

[Edited on 5-13-2013 by 805gregg]

durrelllrobert - 5-12-2013 at 07:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
We run the our club during "the season" from Oct-Apr and only have the summer to do other activities such as this...that is why we walked the Baja in June and July last year. It gets hot sure, but some like it hot :fire:

Like guys that leave San Diego to go work in Yuma :lol:

Bajatripper - 5-12-2013 at 11:50 PM

Fernando Jordan and a friend sailed a leaky, ancient 20 foot open sail boat from La Paz to San Felipe during the summer back in the early 1950s. If you read Spanish, you might want to pick up a copy of the resulting book (Mar Roxo de Cortes. In addition to being a good read, it might provide some clues as to what you might expect.

wilderone - 5-13-2013 at 07:21 AM

Who's throwing all the plastic ? bottles filled with urine and thrown from a vehicles
".. it is easier to toss a bottle than to try and find a place to pull over a big rig. "

IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO THROW THE BOTTLE OUT THE WINDOW ONTO THE HIGHWAY. YOU CAN'T KEEP IT IN YOUR TRUCK OR CAR UNTIL YOU CAN DISPOSE OF IT? MEN. RILLY.

DENNIS - 5-13-2013 at 07:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by wilderone

IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO THROW THE BOTTLE OUT THE WINDOW ONTO THE HIGHWAY. YOU CAN'T KEEP IT IN YOUR TRUCK OR CAR UNTIL YOU CAN DISPOSE OF IT? MEN. RILLY.


Yeah!! Rilly!!!................just don't get that pee bottle too close to the Pacifico bottle you're workin' on. You won't like it. :lol:


OK...let's have a show of hands....How many out there use a bottle to pee in when headin' down ONE?

Lesseeee......I count none.
I think this whole pee bottle idea is a bunch of nonsense.

dtbushpilot - 5-13-2013 at 09:12 AM

I do sometimes but I always dispose of it properly.

monoloco - 5-13-2013 at 12:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
The wheel has steel sidings and sits in a housing, it's strong and the water flows nicely. Fortunately we be completed with the design and construction two weeks before we launch, so we expect to fine tune.



Here are some other creative ideas:
Rafting Race

This is similar to what we want to do next year as part of a Baja Clean...is to have a raft race with all rafts built from recycled materials and floated on plastic bottles. So, start think of what you can recycle for your seaworthy raft.
It appears to be that the materials you are using are unlikely to stand up to a marine environment.

[Edited on 5-13-2013 by monoloco]

motoged - 5-13-2013 at 01:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by wilderone
Who's throwing all the plastic ? bottles filled with urine and thrown from a vehicles
/quote]




Well, I was going to suggest that it is only guys with a tiny one that will fit inside a Coke bottle....but DT chimed in and admits to at least filling the bottle (not sure what that implies :lol: ), and then disposing of it appropriately.

David, as someone asked, " How do ya do it when driving along #1? ".

Your confession leaves me in a quandry....point and squirt....in the vehicle or behind a cactus???

:biggrin:

[Edited on 5-13-2013 by motoged]

been there, done that

mtgoat666 - 5-13-2013 at 01:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
We're funding it ourselves, but of course any contributions are helpful, and that means in terms of plastic bottles, dinero, time or anything. We have many members helping and a local metal artist is welding the paddle wheel frame and each week we all get together and de-label and clean all the bottles. We have already collect almost half the needed bottles. Basically 2 pound of upward thrust for each liter bottle. The raft is almost 2000 pounds with crew and supplies. So, our goal is 1000 liters of plastic bottles.

As for the people throwing plastic; many people unfortunately. The biggest problem we have seen is plastic oil bottles and coke bottles thrown from fishing pangas and from truckers. The arroyos all up and down the Baja highway have plastic bottles in them, which wash into the sea ever storm. When we walked the Baja last year the one thing we saw more than anything else were 2 and 3 liter coke bottles filled with urine and thrown from a vehicles.


In 2010, environmentalist David de Rothschild sailed from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia—on a boat made from 12,500 plastic bottles and cashew-nut glue.

re driving and urinating in bottles,... i did that a few times when a teenager. teenagers will do any dumb thing. i recall learning that 12 oz bottles were insufficient volume, and no matter what you do you dribbble all over yourself :lol::lol::lol::lol: as an adult, have done that in small planes...

i know many women that wont get out of tent at night and so pee in containers.

[Edited on 5-13-2013 by mtgoat666]

dtbushpilot - 5-13-2013 at 08:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by motoged
Quote:
Originally posted by wilderone
Who's throwing all the plastic ? bottles filled with urine and thrown from a vehicles
/quote]




Well, I was going to suggest that it is only guys with a tiny one that will fit inside a Coke bottle....but DT chimed in and admits to at least filling the bottle (not sure what that implies :lol: ), and then disposing of it appropriately.

David, as someone asked, " How do ya do it when driving along #1? ".

Your confession leaves me in a quandry....point and squirt....in the vehicle or behind a cactus???

:biggrin:

[Edited on 5-13-2013 by motoged]



Well ged, Dennis asked how many of us used a "bottle" to pee in, I guess I should have made myself a little clearer: I use a 2 quart mayonnaise jar. I guess it doesn't apply as plastic trash on the side of the road but then again I was replying only to Dennis's question and I did say that I dispose of it properly.

motoged - 5-13-2013 at 10:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dtbushpilot
Well ged, Dennis asked how many of us used a "bottle" to pee in, I guess I should have made myself a little clearer: I use a 2 quart mayonnaise jar. I guess it doesn't apply as plastic trash on the side of the road but then again I was replying only to Dennis's question and I did say that I dispose of it properly.


Dilemma solved....gotta eat more mayonnaise :cool:

mexicoliving - 5-14-2013 at 06:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 805gregg
Get good life insurance, and lots of rescue/ditch gear, Spot, epirb, portable GPS and VHF the best life jackets you can buy and maybe survival suits, you will need it, the ocean doesn't care if you are trying to save the planet, all are treated equal, some unprepared, more equal than the prepared

[Edited on 5-13-2013 by 805gregg]


Yes, yes and yes. We have all you have listed. If it was going to easy and safe, what would be the point.

mexicoliving - 5-14-2013 at 07:04 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajatripper
Fernando Jordan and a friend sailed a leaky, ancient 20 foot open sail boat from La Paz to San Felipe during the summer back in the early 1950s. If you read Spanish, you might want to pick up a copy of the resulting book (Mar Roxo de Cortes. In addition to being a good read, it might provide some clues as to what you might expect.


Baja Tripper, this is terrific, thank you. Leí español un poco de buenaMar Roxo de Cortes. Any information you can provide that is useful is much appreciated. We are excited to see what he saw, and in many places it is as unspoiled now as then...

mexicoliving - 5-14-2013 at 07:21 AM

Quote:
I think this whole pee bottle idea is a bunch of nonsense.


You are wrong. THE BOTTLES ARE ON THE HIGHWAY and a lot of them. My wife and I walked 850 miles of Baja roads last year from May to July and we saw hundreds of pee bottles; not a couple, or 25, but sadly hundreds. You see a lot more walking then when you're not driving by at 65.

I'm sure it's all nonsense.

How can someone think spray painting their name on the beautiful rocks at Catavina, will make it more beautiful - But they do.

Why would someone throw all their trash over their fence, or down the arroyo in their own neighborhood? - But they do.

Why would a fisherman that lives off the sea, empty an oil can into his outboard, then throw the can into the sea. - But they do.

None of it is nonsense.

mexicoliving - 5-14-2013 at 07:27 AM

Quote:
Quote:
It appears to be that the materials you are using are unlikely to stand up to a marine environment. [Edited on 5-13-2013 by monoloco]
.

The entire trip is less than 30 days and most parts are being covered in either marine epoxy or marine hull paint. I think it will be fine. Boats are made of wood, steel, aluminum, cement, so we are not using anything not used before. Even the plastic bottles have been used before:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastiki

mexicoliving - 5-14-2013 at 08:00 AM

Quote:
It was fun running into you two (figuratively speaking) two times last summer on your trek down the peninsula. I hope you'll stop into the harbour when your craft makes it down to Mulege. Our little town will be a good place to rest up and re-provision.

Your efforts are exceptional, and I thank you and admire you. Please be safe.


So very nice to hear from you. Yes, we absolutely remember, the road side snacks where awesome! You were heading home from a shopping trip in La Paz. Seems we saw you again in San Bartolo. Thank you for the nice comments, we appreciate it very much and you can count on us catching our breath in Mulege. Send me an email and I can let you know as we get closer. We are going to have two way satellite communication the whole trip. We will also need some help in Mulege locally, so if you want to help let us know.

Check out this great picture of two Baja Angels:



[Edited on 5-17-2013 by mexicoliving]

similar bottles along US highways

akshadow - 5-14-2013 at 08:24 AM

I believe I see similar bottles along US highways. plastic bottles with light yellow contents.

this post should have been earlier in the listing where the contents of some bottles was discussed, and assumed to be truckers disposing of liquids instead of stopping for a pee break

[Edited on 5-14-2013 by akshadow]

akshadow - 5-14-2013 at 08:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by akshadow
I believe I see similar bottles along US highways. plastic bottles with light yellow contents.

this post should have been earlier in the listing where the contents of some bottles was discussed, and assumed to be truckers disposing of liquids instead of stopping for a pee break

[Edited on 5-14-2013 by akshadow]

look at this and assume use of a pop bottle?
http://www.strangenewproducts.com/2006/03/portable-urinal-fo...

mexicoliving - 5-14-2013 at 08:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajatripper
(Mar Roxo de Cortes. In addition to being a good read, it might provide some clues as to what you might expect.


Thank you again, I think this book is great. Here it is online:
http://www.kilibro.com/book/preview/51945_mar-roxo-de-cortes

Also, you can get a print version at Amazon, which is what I am going to do, to add it to the my Baja book collection.


DENNIS - 5-14-2013 at 09:23 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
Quote:
I think this whole pee bottle idea is a bunch of nonsense.


You are wrong. THE BOTTLES ARE ON THE HIGHWAY and a lot of them.


I'm sure there are, but I question what you say about enough discarded bottles of urine to pose an ecological dilemma.
I just don't believe it. Form any scenario you see as supportive of your endeavors, but this is implausible. In order for this to be fact, I would postulate that your trek along Highway-One would have been knee deep in beer cans. Was that the case?
That may be an inaccurate assessment as I'm full aware you can't litter aluminum, and that's for the same reason your efforts should be directed......more financial reward for recycling. Give a Peso for an empty and you won't see any on the roadside......especially full of urine.

What is your message...your method to alleviate the plastic problem anyway? is it a "just say no" approach? Just stop littering?
Trash is trash. What are the rural inhabitants, the fish camps, supposed to do with their trash? Save it?
They're doing what they've always done with the stuff. They toss it away. Technology forced upon an isolated community is the problem here. Not so much the people of the land who are brought into a consumer market full of non-biodegradable containers. They have very few choices in the procedure.
I'm looking forward to a trash free world, but I believe that has to start with manufacturers....not consumers.

chuckie - 5-14-2013 at 09:31 AM

I am totally in agreement with that last statement..not likely to happen tho..

Bajatripper - 5-15-2013 at 06:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
Quote:
Originally posted by Bajatripper
Fernando Jordan and a friend sailed a leaky, ancient 20 foot open sail boat from La Paz to San Felipe during the summer back in the early 1950s. If you read Spanish, you might want to pick up a copy of the resulting book (Mar Roxo de Cortes. In addition to being a good read, it might provide some clues as to what you might expect.


Baja Tripper, this is terrific, thank you. Leí español un poco de buenaMar Roxo de Cortes. Any information you can provide that is useful is much appreciated. We are excited to see what he saw, and in many places it is as unspoiled now as then...


Jordan is my favorite Baja author--too bad he died so young. If you make it that far, I'd recommend you make a stop at Pardito Island--it continues to be an interesting place to visit (if you make it there, tell them "les manda saludos el Esteban"). It's located between San Jose and San Francisquito Islands in the northern Bay of La Paz and is well worth a stop. Can't say I know much about the rest of the trip he made as I'm more of a land lubber myself.

If you haven't already, you'd probably do well to read up on his passage of Punta San Francisquito up by El Barril in the northern Gulf. The people Jordan spoke to seemed to think that was a pretty scary passage and required some before thought. But I'm sure a bunch of boaters will probably say it's a piece of cake they don't know what Jordan was talking about.

Good luck with your trip

DENNIS - 5-15-2013 at 06:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajatripper
[
Jordan is my favorite Baja author--



I'm unfamiliar with Jordan, but curious.

I'm also unfamiliar with this word, "ROXO" and in spite of my best efforts, am unable to find it anywhere.
Initially, I assumed a root that would indicate the color "RED."

Any help??

"Mar Roxo de Cortes"

Bajatripper - 5-16-2013 at 06:40 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
july in Baja doesn't give brownie points for torturing yourselves in the heat. what's wrong with december?


Noroestes, that's what. No fun to be out on the sea when one of those blows down the Gulf.

Bajatripper - 5-16-2013 at 07:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by Bajatripper
[
Jordan is my favorite Baja author--



I'm unfamiliar with Jordan, but curious.

I'm also unfamiliar with this word, "ROXO" and in spite of my best efforts, am unable to find it anywhere.
Initially, I assumed a root that would indicate the color "RED."

Any help??

"Mar Roxo de Cortes"


Fernando Jordan was a young man from Mexico City who studied anthropology and thought it would be cool to make it more accessible to the general public and so went into writing for newspapers and magazines with a heavy emphasis on the people he encountered in his travels. At some point the magazine he worked for sent him out to Baja and he fell in love with the place, buying a ranch at San Juan de la Costa just north of La Paz.

He's best known for writing El Otro Mexico, which was a book about Baja written in the late 1940s and based on his trip down the peninsula in a surplus WWII Jeep he bought. The book was originally a series of articles that were incorporated into book form. It won several awards in Mexico and became an instant classic, although, to my knowledge, it has yet to be translated into English.

Unfortunately, Jordan was a deeply troubled man and is said to have taken his life one rainy night while staying at the house of friends in La Paz, I think that was in 1956. I say "said" because some believe he was killed by enemies who didn't want his next book to be published.

As for the origin of "Roxo," I believe I've seen that spelling of "rojo" in early Jesuit accounts of the peninsula, but I don't have an exact reference for you at the moment. If it's important, I can get to looking it up.

DENNIS - 5-16-2013 at 07:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajatripper
As for the origin of "Roxo," I believe I've seen that spelling of "rojo" in early Jesuit accounts of the peninsula, but I don't have an exact reference for you at the moment. If it's important, I can get to looking it up.


Thanks, Steve. It's not important. My assumption goes right along with your explanation, so I'll keep on assuming it's correct.

mexicoliving - 5-16-2013 at 09:14 PM

Rachel gets fitted for the tiller and pedal station:


John and Steve inspecting the wheel:


One side of the pedal bar that is connected to the wheel:


Reinforced steel tubing:


Tiller control:

805gregg - 5-17-2013 at 05:49 PM

You need some welding classes or experienced welder, if you are going to risk your life on this venture

[Edited on 5-18-2013 by 805gregg]

[Edited on 5-18-2013 by 805gregg]

[Edited on 5-18-2013 by 805gregg]

Terry28 - 5-18-2013 at 09:35 AM

Ignore the critics here...some of these folks have nothing better to do than tear other folks down...most of them could not find Mexico on a map!!
Push on you are an inspiration to lots of people....

monoloco - 5-18-2013 at 10:35 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Terry28
Ignore the critics here...some of these folks have nothing better to do than tear other folks down...most of them could not find Mexico on a map!!
Push on you are an inspiration to lots of people....
And some of us have been around Baja long enough to have had to risk our own lives rescuing people who didn't respect the ocean enough to make sure their boats were seaworthy.

805gregg - 5-18-2013 at 06:28 PM

We don't need plastic awareness, we need dumb a$$ awareness, this qualifies

805gregg - 5-18-2013 at 06:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Terry28
Ignore the critics here...some of these folks have nothing better to do than tear other folks down...most of them could not find Mexico on a map!!
Push on you are an inspiration to lots of people.... [/quote

I've been going to Baja since 1957, over 100 times. how about you, I've been by car, jeep, motorcycle, boat, RV, truck and camper, truck towing boat, and air almost every single town, road and interesting place. I don't even need a map anymore. This is not an inspiration it's a travesty, Baja has done 1000 percent better than in the past to eleminate waste and litter and recycling is doing good. I'm also a boater , having fished Albacore on the west coast up to Washingtion, and delivered a boat from So Cal to Cabo, and delivered a boat across the Pacific Ocean from San Pedro to Nelson on the So island of New Zealand. This nothing more than a poor effort to gain self notoriety and will not promote anything, and at some point they will need rescueing, wasteing valuable time and resourses.

[Edited on 5-19-2013 by 805gregg]

Mulegena - 5-18-2013 at 10:54 PM

Yes, in the 30 years I've been coming down here I, too, notice that the people of Baja are improving their community trash management and are incorporating recycling when its available and feasible.

Young people are receiving education on ecology in the public school system.

I'm looking forward to seeing the faces of the children when they see The Chatarra Project paddle up the Mulege River and dock under the bridge at the foot of town. Two foreigners manning a paddlewheel barge. That is an image that will stay with them and stimulate their imaginations about repurposing our environmental disposables.

I wish MexicoLiving good luck. They're trying something amazing and worthwhile, imo. We'll help them as much as we can.

Terry28 - 5-19-2013 at 10:33 AM

Greg, I am not going to get into a urinating contest with you..no point. But just for info sake..I have been going to Mexico since the early 60's surfing, sailing, etc. I owned a home south of Mulege for 10 years, off the gird, and still have a house south of Rosarito. I have been all over Baja and various parts of the mainland..I drive, not fly in order to meet people and see the real Baja...ANYTHING people can do to raise awareness of plastic pollution and environmental damage is a good thing..Yes, things a getting better but continued education is one of the keys..If you don't like these folks just don't help them...enough folks will...me included...
By the way, I grew up in Ojai and graduated from Nordhoff!
[Edited on 5-19-2013 by Terry28]

[Edited on 5-19-2013 by Terry28]

grizzlyfsh95 - 5-19-2013 at 11:55 AM

I am all for you. It is a little theatrical, but may increase awareness. I clean as 3-4 mile stretch of beach, and have found that most of the trash in the East Cape is coming from the local pescaderos, be they commercial or charter. Additionally the shrimpers dump more than their share and it winds up on the beach. After a chubasco of course it is carried down the arroyos and winds up on the beach. The kids are getting better about discarding trash, but for the most part...I don't think they even see it.

DENNIS - 5-19-2013 at 12:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by grizzlyfsh95
I am all for you. It is a little theatrical, but may increase awareness.


I'm not belittling their efforts, [all are appreciated] but how will this even begin to influence the awareness of those who don't get it? I asked earlier what the message might be, but I probably should have asked how that message will be conveyed. How will a floating pile of trash that has been put to good use send a message to stop littering? Is there going to be an information campaign to coincide with the passage of the plastic boat?
At any rate, there was no answer to my first question.



.

[Edited on 5-19-2013 by DENNIS]

jeans - 5-19-2013 at 07:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS

That's interesting, and I shouldn't dwell on it, but I've been on Baja roads since before pavement, washing down dust with cold beer as I went, and it never once occurred to me to pee in a bottle when all I had to do was stop the car, get out and go. I'll bet I did just that at least fifty thousand times.

Well....it sounds as though you have a real education challenge on your hands. I wish you luck, and thanks for the quick reply.


A few years ago I was traveling the peninsula and I pulled over at a wide spot off the pavement to eat lunch and take in the view, but....It reeked of urine so much I got back in my truck and kept on going.

DENNIS - 5-19-2013 at 07:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jeans

A few years ago I was traveling the peninsula and I pulled over at a wide spot off the pavement to eat lunch and take in the view, but....It reeked of urine so much I got back in my truck and kept on going.


Who can resist a urinal with a view? Were you tripping over countless plastic bottles of the malodorous liquid?

mexicoliving - 5-20-2013 at 07:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jeans
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS

That's interesting, and I shouldn't dwell on it, but I've been on Baja roads since before pavement, washing down dust with cold beer as I went, and it never once occurred to me to pee in a bottle when all I had to do was stop the car, get out and go. I'll bet I did just that at least fifty thousand times.

Well....it sounds as though you have a real education challenge on your hands. I wish you luck, and thanks for the quick reply.


A few years ago I was traveling the peninsula and I pulled over at a wide spot off the pavement to eat lunch and take in the view, but....It reeked of urine so much I got back in my truck and kept on going.


Yes. We will be providing Spanish literature on waste management, recycling, reusing and reducing. Our long term goal is to provide continued educational information and to support the local, state and federal efforts. The problem with Baja sometimes is enforcement or caring, but that is changing and many major brands have recycling messages on their product packing, and I think Mexicans in larger cities are being exposed more to the no littering message than in rural Baja, but it will make its way here too, and hopefully we can help.

We love Baja, and although we haven't live here 30 years, we have been here a while and this is home. We just want to enjoy the wilds of Baja, see the Baja amazing and help in any way we can to improve the place that gives us so much.

BTW, I was a commercial urchin diver, a surfer, and my wife a swim instructor and we are both ASA certified blue water sailors. We understand the dangers, respect the sea, and weigh the risk. We think we can do it, we know once we get started it might help, so why not?

Today we moved Chatarra to our patio (needed shade) to start building the decking and other items:

Chatarra Moved

[Edited on 5-21-2013 by mexicoliving]

DENNIS - 5-20-2013 at 08:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
hopefully we can help.





You will. Thanks.

chuckie - 5-20-2013 at 08:21 PM

It all helps...Thanks....AND it is getting better

SwissFrank - 5-20-2013 at 08:21 PM

I too have began building a boat (barge) but I call it an arc. It's made of used toilet paper, discarded platic bottles of urine, and ciggy butts. I plan on confronting a hurricane head on in the sea so that when the waves and wind destroy my flotilla, it will be recycled back to garbage on the beach.

DENNIS - 5-20-2013 at 08:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SwissFrank
I too have began building a boat (barge) but I call it an arc. It's made of used toilet paper,


If you got your building material from behind a taco shop, your craft will be as solid as ferro-cement...maybe heavier.
Bon voyage. :lol:

chuckie - 5-20-2013 at 08:29 PM

Swiss Frank? You are a marooon...

SwissFrank - 5-20-2013 at 08:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chuckie
Swiss Frank? You are a marooon...









I will need you to stand by and track my S.P.O.T. coms. Thank you for voluntering.

SwissFrank - 5-20-2013 at 09:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chuckie
Swiss Frank? You are a marooon...

















BTW my favorite color!

chuckie - 5-21-2013 at 03:20 AM

Maroon= dyslexic marooon

Mulegena - 5-21-2013 at 06:28 AM

Chuckie, the rafters will be hanging out in Mulege for awhile, probably staying with us.

They'll be sure to get around the neighborhoods talking to the kids.

Question, do you have a recipe for coconut marooonz? I'm sure they'd love a nice treat?

Your smoked jurel rocks, thanks again!

SwissFrank - 5-24-2013 at 09:40 AM

I must say I am very saddened by the lack of funds being donated from this forum for my float. :(

watizname - 5-25-2013 at 08:55 AM

Just a thought, but it might be more of a dramatic statement if all the bottles were actually litter that had been picked up from the roadside, from in the arroyos, off of the beaches, and then recycled into the construction of the boat.

SwissFrank - 5-25-2013 at 09:07 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by watizname
Just a thought, but it might be more of a dramatic statement if all the bottles were actually litter that had been picked up from the roadside, from in the arroyos, off of the beaches, and then recycled into the construction of the boat.











If you must pee on my flotilla, please use one of the plastic bottles and then leave it in front of Jeans house.

DENNIS - 5-25-2013 at 10:08 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SwissFrank

If you must pee on my flotilla, please use one of the plastic bottles and then leave it in front of Jeans house.


:lol::lol:

DENNIS - 5-25-2013 at 10:09 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by watizname
Just a thought, but it might be more of a dramatic statement if all the bottles were actually litter that had been picked up from the roadside, from in the arroyos, off of the beaches, and then recycled into the construction of the boat.


I guess they could make that claim. :light:

SwissFrank - 5-25-2013 at 10:49 AM

Jean, That ain't apple juice sister!

mexicoliving - 6-8-2013 at 12:58 PM

13 Days Before We Launch and We’re Behind

I AM FREAKING OUT! Only two weeks before we put the raft Chatarra into the Sea (and 21 days to departure) and I feel like we have too much to do; build the raft, get the sponsors, write the blog, design and print literature, stock supplies, and on and on…oh yah and post to Facebook, or club website, the Chatarra website, and on and on…I can not wait to get on the water and slow down. This is supposed to the be the slow time of the year. The season has ended and most people have gone home, so it should be slow, but I can say this has been one of the busiest two months we have had in a long time.

Last week we gave a music presentation, with the help from Rio Samaya Band, for a group of youth Interact members at Rositas Restaurant. The Interact club is a youth project of the Rotary Club International and San Felipe has their own club led by William “Pim” VanSisseren. The kids are structured with president, secretary, treasurer, etc. and they create and manage their own community projects. It was a great opportunity to talk with the kids.

WATCH THE VIDEO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o...

The Chatarra Project wants to get the attention of the youth, and there is not better way than with music. During the presentation we talk about the damage of waste and the need to reduce, reuse and recycle. Each of the kids are given shakers made from rice and reused plastic bottles. The shakers lets them all join in the music. We hope through music and the raft we will capture the attention of the youth and give us just a moment to plant the seed for a cleaner Baja future.

There seems to just not be enough time in each day to get everything done. The stress has been getting to Rachel and I and we have been snapping at each other. We each have our own stresses, along with our shared stress…plus at the moment we have 6 house-guests. Pancho and Sal, a couple of Latin and world musicians from Canada have been with us for a couple weeks, and Wednesday Bill and Lola have returned for the third time and brought their grand kids. So, there is always something to do, or someone to talk with at any moment.

Pancho and Sal have been playing music and getting me back into playing guitar, which has been wonderful, if only I could find a little more time to do it. I have decided to bring my guitar with us on the trip. Although I do not have a guitar case, I do have plenty of Hefty garbage bags that I can carry it in. It is waterproof and that is something that will come in handy.

Bill and Lola came down from Yuma the first time to play in a concert we did for Mother’s Day, then returned a week later because they loved it. During the second visit they purchased a lot and now returned again to show their grand kids. All the people and activity is great and Rachel and I love it, but it does slow our progress slightly. However, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Last night we sat on the patio and Bill, Sal, Pancho and I played music for ourselves until we all were falling asleep. So, I am sure as stressed as we are, it will all work out great.

The Chatarra Project is coming along great. The sponsorship and donations have been going okay and the raft is getting completed. Financially we need to raise more. Our objective is $5000, which we know is high, but it will allow us to accomplish all of our goals for all of Baja. The minimum is $2000 to get the project off the ground and make it happen and that is growing. These things take time, this is going to be an ongoing project, that we hope will continue long after we reach La Paz. We have raised $695 with the $150 raised at our patio hot dog jam, and a $100 donation from our friend David Anderson at Cantu Cove. Plus, Pancho and Sal raffled a performance and the winners Jim and Laurel Ross, have decided to make the performance on their patio a fundraiser too, which is terrific. You just never know when and where you’ll get the support, you just have to keep going.

So, you just never know. We do know however, that we are extremely excited about our plan to launch the raft. Although the math has been done and we know the theory of upward thrust, we are still a bit nervous, so we have created a plan to allow us adjustment of the upward thrust. Steve Sherrod, our co-designer and builder of the Chatarra is coming over on Monday to weld legs and feet onto the Chatarra in six positions. The idea being that we can rest on the legs, which provides enough height to keep the paddle wheel and rudder off the ground and out of the sand at low tide. So, essentially we can park it on the beach at low tide.

The idea is to set the raft up with far more bottles then estimated we need and wait until the tide to comes up. Once lifted we can check the lift and height of the raft above water. We can make adjustments by removing any excess bottles, then wait for the next high tide to check it again, and so forth until we have it just right. Doing it in this manner, we can just stay anchored off shore on the north end of town and hang out until we know we are exactly where we want to be before casting off for good.

As we get closer our needs become more apparent and at this time we are desperately short. We have a list of things we still need, so if you can check your garage or storage for any of these items, please let us know. We also need at least $650 in cash to print the waste awareness materials, another couple hundred for supplies and a ton of our labor, but definitely a labor of love. We will also need a team to help us move it to the water on the June 20, at 7AM.

Please help us accomplish our goal of capturing the attention of the Mexican youth with the 600 mile journey down the Sea of Cortez to provide information on the damage of plastic waste and ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.

500 – Chatarra Sticker (cost $200)
2000 – Chatarra 8.5×11 Flyers (cost $300)
100 – Chatarra 11×17 Posters (cost $150)
20 – 6-8 foot Cargo Straps
11 – 1″ conduit for Canopy
8 – 1″ Canopy brackets
4 – 2″ 4×8 foam sheets
90 feet – 2/8″ (or more) Rope
15 feet – 3/16″ Chain
SUPPORT THE CHATARRA PROJECT

http://igg.me/at/chatarra

[Edited on 6-8-2013 by mexicoliving]

Bubba - 6-9-2013 at 09:35 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving
13 Days Before We Launch and We’re Behind

I AM FREAKING OUT! Only two weeks before we put the raft Chatarra into the Sea (and 21 days to departure) and I feel like we have too much to do; build the raft, get the sponsors, write the blog, design and print literature, stock supplies, and on and on…oh yah and post to Facebook, or club website, the Chatarra website, and on and on…I can not wait to get on the water and slow down. This is supposed to the be the slow time of the year. The season has ended and most people have gone home, so it should be slow, but I can say this has been one of the busiest two months we have had in a long time.

Last week we gave a music presentation, with the help from Rio Samaya Band, for a group of youth Interact members at Rositas Restaurant. The Interact club is a youth project of the Rotary Club International and San Felipe has their own club led by William “Pim” VanSisseren. The kids are structured with president, secretary, treasurer, etc. and they create and manage their own community projects. It was a great opportunity to talk with the kids.

WATCH THE VIDEO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o...

The Chatarra Project wants to get the attention of the youth, and there is not better way than with music. During the presentation we talk about the damage of waste and the need to reduce, reuse and recycle. Each of the kids are given shakers made from rice and reused plastic bottles. The shakers lets them all join in the music. We hope through music and the raft we will capture the attention of the youth and give us just a moment to plant the seed for a cleaner Baja future.

There seems to just not be enough time in each day to get everything done. The stress has been getting to Rachel and I and we have been snapping at each other. We each have our own stresses, along with our shared stress…plus at the moment we have 6 house-guests. Pancho and Sal, a couple of Latin and world musicians from Canada have been with us for a couple weeks, and Wednesday Bill and Lola have returned for the third time and brought their grand kids. So, there is always something to do, or someone to talk with at any moment.

Pancho and Sal have been playing music and getting me back into playing guitar, which has been wonderful, if only I could find a little more time to do it. I have decided to bring my guitar with us on the trip. Although I do not have a guitar case, I do have plenty of Hefty garbage bags that I can carry it in. It is waterproof and that is something that will come in handy.

Bill and Lola came down from Yuma the first time to play in a concert we did for Mother’s Day, then returned a week later because they loved it. During the second visit they purchased a lot and now returned again to show their grand kids. All the people and activity is great and Rachel and I love it, but it does slow our progress slightly. However, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Last night we sat on the patio and Bill, Sal, Pancho and I played music for ourselves until we all were falling asleep. So, I am sure as stressed as we are, it will all work out great.

The Chatarra Project is coming along great. The sponsorship and donations have been going okay and the raft is getting completed. Financially we need to raise more. Our objective is $5000, which we know is high, but it will allow us to accomplish all of our goals for all of Baja. The minimum is $2000 to get the project off the ground and make it happen and that is growing. These things take time, this is going to be an ongoing project, that we hope will continue long after we reach La Paz. We have raised $695 with the $150 raised at our patio hot dog jam, and a $100 donation from our friend David Anderson at Cantu Cove. Plus, Pancho and Sal raffled a performance and the winners Jim and Laurel Ross, have decided to make the performance on their patio a fundraiser too, which is terrific. You just never know when and where you’ll get the support, you just have to keep going.

So, you just never know. We do know however, that we are extremely excited about our plan to launch the raft. Although the math has been done and we know the theory of upward thrust, we are still a bit nervous, so we have created a plan to allow us adjustment of the upward thrust. Steve Sherrod, our co-designer and builder of the Chatarra is coming over on Monday to weld legs and feet onto the Chatarra in six positions. The idea being that we can rest on the legs, which provides enough height to keep the paddle wheel and rudder off the ground and out of the sand at low tide. So, essentially we can park it on the beach at low tide.

The idea is to set the raft up with far more bottles then estimated we need and wait until the tide to comes up. Once lifted we can check the lift and height of the raft above water. We can make adjustments by removing any excess bottles, then wait for the next high tide to check it again, and so forth until we have it just right. Doing it in this manner, we can just stay anchored off shore on the north end of town and hang out until we know we are exactly where we want to be before casting off for good.

As we get closer our needs become more apparent and at this time we are desperately short. We have a list of things we still need, so if you can check your garage or storage for any of these items, please let us know. We also need at least $650 in cash to print the waste awareness materials, another couple hundred for supplies and a ton of our labor, but definitely a labor of love. We will also need a team to help us move it to the water on the June 20, at 7AM.

Please help us accomplish our goal of capturing the attention of the Mexican youth with the 600 mile journey down the Sea of Cortez to provide information on the damage of plastic waste and ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.

500 – Chatarra Sticker (cost $200)
2000 – Chatarra 8.5×11 Flyers (cost $300)
100 – Chatarra 11×17 Posters (cost $150)
20 – 6-8 foot Cargo Straps
11 – 1″ conduit for Canopy
8 – 1″ Canopy brackets
4 – 2″ 4×8 foam sheets
90 feet – 2/8″ (or more) Rope
15 feet – 3/16″ Chain
SUPPORT THE CHATARRA PROJECT

http://igg.me/at/chatarra

[Edited on 6-8-2013 by mexicoliving]


Sounds like you need to get busy.

Curt63 - 6-9-2013 at 09:49 AM

Good luck!

I had serious doubts about several aspects of your last trip. Somehow you made it so you must have a lot on your side.

The SOC can be brutal. Be careful

mexicoliving - 6-24-2013 at 02:49 PM

Quick update: We are leaving at 4AM Thursday when the tide is right. Our goal is only 20 miles per day. We have completed all the work on the raft and have added additional liters of bottles. We took her for a spin and she handled perfectly with the tiller, rudder and wheel are performing great, even in swells.

FAQ:
* All bottles were collected as trash, then cleaned and delabeled.
* We will be carrying 40 gallons of water.
* We have a marine radio
* 3/4 of the raft is covered, so there is shade.
* We have life jackets.
* The estimated time is 40 days
* We have solar panels and power
* We have an outboard for emergencies
* We will remain close to shore
* We are both ASA certified blue water sailors
* We owned and operated and sailing and surfing charter business before moving to Baja
* Rachel is a swim instructor
* John was a commercial diver
* The project is self funded and with the help of donations
* Our goals is to create awareness to the problem and plant a seed for a cleaner future
* The raft is 8' x 16'
* There are 1560 liters of bottles floating the raft
* The raft weight capacity is 3120 pounds.
* The raft is powered by a paddlewheel with two pedal stations
* The raft will made stops in Puertecitos, Gonzaga Bay, Bay of LA, San Franciquito, El Barril, Santa Rosalia, Mulege, Loreto and La Paz.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
http://chatarra.bglclub.com
http://www.bglclub.com
http://www.notirebasura.org

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/bajagoodlifeclub

monoloco - 6-24-2013 at 04:22 PM

Buenas Suerte!

DENNIS - 6-24-2013 at 04:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving

* Our goals is to create awareness to the problem and plant a seed for a cleaner future



I've asked before how you intend to do this. It seems making trash functional only adds value to it.
Is the instruction to be extrapolated from your passing by in a vehicle made of discarded objects, or will there be onshore, accompanying seminar type methods to spread the message that , although trash may in fact be keeping you afloat, it has no value in our environment?

Bon Voyage, at any rate.

mexicoliving - 6-24-2013 at 05:54 PM

We have printed literature, the new notirebasura.org website, and meetings in each city, primarily to establish the contacts to achieve our 3 primary goals:

Our #1 Goal is to create awareness to the problem of waste and litter in Baja California. The raft project creates attention, even today tourism office was asking about setting up additional press conferences.

Our #2 Goal is work with, support, and or create a network of people in each of Baja’s communities that desire to help CLEAN BAJA! During the trip we will be making the contacts and gathering resources for recycling, and community cleaning projects.

Our #3 Goal is to establish a CLEAN BAJA DAY that benefits the environment and helps beautify Baja. Participants in a community CLEAN BAJA DAY can include the entire family, both children and adults.

Thank you for the question

DENNIS - 6-24-2013 at 06:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mexicoliving


Thank you for the question



Thank you for the informative answer.

mexicoliving - 6-24-2013 at 07:17 PM

Here are some pictures from the launch:
Chatarra Launch

mexicoliving - 6-28-2013 at 05:30 PM

Quick update...we left at about 3:30AM this morning, but before we made it to the Sierra Kila point, my peddle went out again, same as the one I replaced earlier in the week. We thought about continuing to Cantu Cove, but Rachel's right side started to do the same. It got to where we were making no headway at all. When we went to start the outboard it wouldn't start to save my life, although it started up perfectly the night before. After floating in the current, we decided to get back home and make repairs, but with both sides going out we couldn't move. Thinking I could swim to shore and get close enough to shore to stand, I disconnected one of the anchor lines, jumped in and swam towards shore, but when the line ran out, the ground was not found below and since I was already tired Rachel pulled me back. We then tied two lines together and Rachel swam to shore and made it. At this point Capt. Dan showed up and help Rachel pull us towards shore. Once we were both able to stand in the tide, we pushed and pulled the raft all the way back to Campos Ocotillos (one of the toughest walks of our lives). Our plan now is to correct the problem and leave again, before our original launch date of July 1. Thank you again for all the support. On another note, we have realized we need another outboard and a kayak, so if you have either that we can rent, sell, or loan to us please let us know.

DENNIS - 6-28-2013 at 05:36 PM

WOW....just when you think you've thought of everything..........

Be careful out there.

bledito - 7-23-2013 at 07:29 PM

do you have to license such a raft ? can anone float out a raft in the cortez sea and fish , dive, snorkle off it . i think the kids would enjoy having a raft a hundred yards out ancored to mess around on.

motoged - 7-23-2013 at 11:02 PM

Looking at your pics of the craft surprised me as the drag with those sacks of bottles must make progress very slow. Why didn't you incorporate the flotation within a few pontoons-design type "hulls" ?

Good luck :saint:

DENNIS - 7-24-2013 at 08:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by motoged
Looking at your pics of the craft surprised me as the drag with those sacks of bottles must make progress very slow. Why didn't you incorporate the flotation within a few pontoons-design type "hulls" ?




I don't think that would address their statement concerning plastic trash.

I wonder where this floating dumpster is now?

meme - 7-24-2013 at 08:13 AM

I believe this whole project has now been cancelled, last I heard anyway. Did not seem to work out.
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