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As usual, Arnold and Bernice were the first ones in the water, again! Always ready for the season, Arnold often can't, and doesn't wait for the floats to be installed. As soon as the weather permits he has his punt in checking his mooring and ensuring that everything is ready to take his boat safely and efficiently. His most trusted First Mate and alternate Skipper Bernice is always on deck ready for that first cruise to their mooring. With an eye on the weather and tides, they both wait with great anticipation for that first time down and out of the river for open water and a leisurely cruise to their favourite destination, their own mooring in the shelter of Deep Cove Island
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2015 in pictures
Beginning early in 2015 some major work had to be completed before the floats could be put out. The three end floats forming the tee all needed life extensions to ensure the integrity of the main structure. That work was started in the Fall of 2014 and completed in May.
All boaters enjoyed a carefree summer on the river. Many new members got their first boating experience "cruising to Crawleys". October saw the partial collapse of the cribwork! The night before there was an extra high tide combined with high winds which were too much for the old structure. It added impetus to the decision to remove the floats for the winter. The damage was beyond repair and decidedly not feasible at the time. The floats were scheduled for and removed on Oct. 16. Because of the condition of the crib, the attached ramp could not be disconnected using a chain block as usual but instead a new method had to be devised. It was decided to insert a float under it between the crib and the fist(ramp) float and lift it up evenly so that it could be unpinned. It worked very easily to everyone's satisfaction. |
After some last minute preparations and the arrival of the crane, the floats were finally ready to slide into the water. A large crew was on hand which made for an easy operation. The boat ramp became a little cluttered during the main float install but that was handled very efficiently by the water crew. Our "work" boat did an excellent job moving the large floats and assisting in gathering in the anchor lines.
The smaller floats required the services of the boat to pull them out and in to position. With a crew to pin them together, the work was completed very quickly. The day the floats were removed was tolerable, weatherwise, but Oct. 29 was different matter. As can be seen, the water levels were extremely high that day. The fresh gravel put down late summer was an easy target for for the waves. The resultant gravel pit(boat launch ramp) is not expected to interfere with boaters!
The Club in winter! Throughout the winter the club can be a lonely place. The road is often late being plowed and the snow on a cloudy day can be depressing. The sunny days allow for thoughts of warmer times and the boats on the river, rather than parked onshore.
As work progresses on the clubhouse, look forward to more activity on Aquatic Drive. Note: When Bill W. was painting the ramp last Spring (header above) the snow was the farthest thing from his mind! |
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These photos were taken in the Spring of 2014. We had just taken delivery of three new main floats which needed to have a few last minute modifications made. In addition to a new bracket attachment point for the punt fingers, anchor ropes had to be attached. The last item was to nail down the decks and number each float.
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