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Last 7 Days

Top Blogs

• 'I refuse to give up'

• Tahoe blaze being battled on two fronts

• Lodi Planning Commission delays decision on Downtown nightclub

• Ex-Galt board member Pat Maple says he'll spend more time with family in his time off

• Biodiesel sailor setback

• Regional Roundup

• First leg of U.S. census bureau test complete in S.J., runs smoothly

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (170)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (73)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (50)
• Public health care is a Christian option (50)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (22)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Biodiesel sailor setback

Marina limitations delay Lodi man's attempt to boat to China

By Matt Brown
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

The SS Equinox, a boat handcrafted by a Lodi man who plans to sail it to China, never made it out of its East Pine Street dry dock Wednesday.

Barry Ware, an alternative fuel specialist, planned to launch his 44-foot catamaran Wednesday morning from the marina at New Hope Landing. However, the marina owner called late Tuesday night to inform Ware that the dock couldn't handle a boat that large.

The news has left Ware scrambling to find a port and get underway to beat the deadly Pacific typhoon season.

"We'll go as soon as we find a spot to launch," Ware said. "It's a setback of a day or two."

On Wednesday afternoon, Ware was busy checking marinas in the area, including Tower Park and the Port of Stockton, for a suitable launch spot. Ware now hopes to motor through the Delta to San Francisco on Friday.

The delay gives Ware extra time to finish construction on the fiberglass and plywood boat. Late Tuesday night, Ware and his friends finished installing the walls on the wheel house, which will sit on top of the boat. Ware had planned to continue the construction en route to China to help pass the time.

Ware said New Hope Marina turned him away because its dock broke Tuesday afternoon after a boating accident. A call to the marina owner was not returned Wednesday.

The design of the Equinox presents some logistical problems. The boat needs to be transported in pieces because it would be too tall to tow with the wheel house in place on top of the main cabin. After it is in the water, Ware plans to use a crane to install the wheel house.

The vessel is too wide to transport on heavily traveled roads, which is why Ware is looking for a marina close to Lodi.

Ware, who invented a technology to turn used vegetable oil into diesel fuel, plans to steer his biodiesel-powered boat to China to promote alternative fuels. His 45-day journey is timed to beat the Pacific storm season, which begins August 15.

"The window is between now and August 15," he said. "That's the best time to travel the open seas. After that you are battling hurricanes and typhoons."

Contact reporter Matt Brown at mattb@lodinews.com.