that as cruisers we all make a real attempt at cleaning up the beaches, shores, anchorages and such that we visit. Face it in many places even the locals are overwelmed with all the floatsom that ends up on their shores and many times we see it on beaches that for the most part the locals rarely visit.

We need to make a stink especially in coastal towns about plastic shopping bags, we need to upgrade our water systems on board so that we can drink the water we have on board and don't need to carry gallon jugs of water for drinking, reducing the amount of softdrinks we carry will not only help the enviroment but our health as well.

Some years ago when West Marine was still using plastic I noticed the French chandlers were then using paper, I commented on it and was told they didn't want the plastic near the water, West Marine when confronted then just shrugged their shoulders, now West Marine uses paper, at least the ones I have been in. This past fall we were in San Francisco and went to the market, no plastic only paper and nice bags with handles, we collected a bunch and are still using them as we are bags we picked up in Bermuda where they use paper also.

I think we are going to have to convince not the store owners but the manf. of the bags that we all want paper or else nothing will change. Fact the plastic bag manf. fight tooth and nail to prevent anti-plastic rules from being implemented.

Hopefully we'll get it right before its to late! I want my 3 year old daughters kids to squeal with delight like she does when they see dolphins in the bow wave, I hope they won't see just brown goo!