This is true... and it is still sitting on the floor of the sea. It is crazy to look out there every time I am at the club and that throwable PFD is still floating around attached to the ramp's railing underwater. The construction crew has not made it that far out yet. We had hoped to get them to lift it out with the machine that they are driving pilings in with.
Speaking of pilings, they have got a little bit of the main dock built, but not really useable. The club opted to save some money and build over the old dock (vs removal). So the main dock is kind of high, and we will have to build some lower dock to accommodate all the small boats we have. Last weekend we installed a floating dock on the south side of the ramp (the main dock in on the north side of the ramp). That floating dock is totally separate from the main dock, and it is made of some plastic type material, that breaks apart for easy removal from the water. It also has wheels, so if we have a storm we can roll the pieces up to the clubhouse.
Here is a funny one for you. So, we built a wooden portable floating dock (if that is what you would call it, it is probably better to call it wooden mini barge). Point is that this thing can be transported around the water to use for doing work. We used it this weekend to float the engine out into the river that pumps the water through the blower that we used to set the pilings for the new floating dock we installed on the south side of the ramp. Piling s are heavy... real heavy. We rolled the pillings (one at the time) onto the floating utility "barge thing" and walked it out to the spot we were to sink it in. Slid it off and pushed them upright, and start blasting to sink them. The first one went smooth the second one not so much... for me, lol. You have 2 guys on the new floating dock holding the piling upright. Me on the utility barge holding the other side. The there are 2 guys holding the line for the utility barge to keep it from drifting. Well, one of the guys decided to take a mental break while we were setting the pilling, and my feet suddenly started drifting further and further away from me
. Once I was about to be forced to a horizontal position I decided to jump for it to the new floating dock, but landed falling backwards, so I immediately took another spinning jump to the barge to turn myself back around. Well, I am less than "cat like" apparently. I hit the side of the barge and went in the river, lol. I should have know better, but I never took my phone out of my pocket. I should have changed into swim trunks and had on my sailing shoes, ready to get wet. Problem is that I did not know I was going to end up on the barge until I ended up on the barge. Anyway, I am ok, and it is funny now it is in the past. I am just thankful they did not drop the piling... on me
Crazy times on the weekend around the 'ol Rudder Club
Once we get that ramp out, I will get some pics and post up
-Paul