Club Activities in Early Winter

Yes, life goes on.
The dock leading out from the seawall to the lower floating dock where the launch

takes us to our boats has been quietly rusting away for several decades. (Photo at low tide.) The top surface of 2 x 8s is fine, but they are mounted on steel I-beams. A few years ago. to preserve the dock's useful life we sistered new steel plates to the verticals of the original I-beams.

But before anyone gets hurt in a collapse, the I-beams are to be replaced this winter.  So yesterday, the warmest day for the next few weeks, about twelve of us gathered to take off all except the planks, in anticipation of the contractor removing the remainder and installing the new steel and planks. This involved the aluminum side rails, the water pipe, the electrical wire, the side benches mounted under the former cupola and the steps and ramp by which one gains access at the land end. Twelve guys, two hours and the dock is bare, ready for further removal by the contractor and with a saw horse at the land end to try to keep trespassers from getting themselves killed and then trying to sue us.
I have also become sort of the  self appointed Club organizer of winter activities and have two planned so far this winter. On January 18 we will visit the USS Intrepid -- Sea, Air and Space Museum at the pier at 46th Street at the Hudson river followed by lunch at a nearby restaurant.
And on March 12, Sonya Baumstein will visit with us and talk about her explorations, such as rowing across the Atlantic and paddling a stand up board across the Bering Strait from Russia to the Alaska.  Her next venture will be a two woman row from Japan to the US.
Any readers of this blog who are in the NY area and might want to join us for either or both of these events, just contact me.