December 26, 2017

The 9 Lives of The Charles Van Damme Ferry & Juanita Musson

commemorative hand-made accordion book


Like the proverbial Phoenix rising from the flames, both The Charles Van Damme ferry (link below) and Juanita Musson (link below) are  experiencing a rebirth with a limited edition of commemorative hand-made accordion books commemorating the boat. It is available with donattions of $100 or more (link below).     


 photographer unknown



The County of Marin has approved the planning and designs submitted for the Charles Van Damme artifacts to be restored and exhibited in the new Waldo Point Park. Lew Cook the owner at Waldo Point Harbor agreed  to an amendment to Waldo Point’s redevelopment to include this public exhibit. The Charles Van Damme ferry 100 yr old paddle wheel and steam stack will return to it’s original resting place but in a new restored form.  





In the sixties, the Charles Van Damme was home to the notorius restaurant owned, operated and run by Juanita Musson.  

from the  The Charles Van Damme Ferry ~ 9 lives 
commemorative hand-made accordion book

The film, The Last Free Ride (A Hip Pirate Movie), originally shot on 16mm film, was made in 1974 by independent filmmakers Roy Nolan and Saul Rouda. This film (subtitled "a hip pirate movie") re-creates actual events from the Sausalito houseboat community at Waldo Point. Many of the participants play themselves in these re-enactments. This includes the 'Battle of Richardson Bay' from 1971, during which residents challenged county officials who wanted to develop the waterfront (also known as the "house boat wars"). Includes scenes of: performances and music by Joe Tate and his rock band The Red Legs; narration by Saul Rouda; hippies riding through San Francisco on the back of a truck; counterculture life on the Sausalito docks; building of the 'Richmond' ship; a hearing at Marin County Civic Center; mud wrestling and a wild party on the Charles Van Damme ferryboat. As Rouda puts it at one point: "We had rejected the system and were quite happy to live outside of it's stifling conformity (link below)."         


exibit boards
from the  The Charles Van Damme Ferry ~ 9 lives 
commemorative hand-made accordion book
 
     
       
Viewfinder links:          
            
Juanita's Galley         
     
Net links:         
       
Charles Van Damme ferry            
Marin Independent Journal ~ the Charles Van Damme on the move again
Alcoholic Outsider Artist ~ Remembering the singular Juanita Musson   
           
YouTube links:         
       
Joe Tate ~ Charles Van Damme Song           
            





From the book “Juanita!” 
by Sally Hayton-Keeva



Long live the Charles Van Damme 
and the spirit of Juanita Musson!


       
       
Styrous® ~ Tuesday, December 26, 2017           





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