Our little part of the world is a true desert. We get an average of 8" of rainfall and 3" of snowfall a year. We also are treated with some pretty mild winters with temps usually in the 40's and a week or so of below freezing. Two years ago we had one of what they call a 100 Year Winter where we had snow on the ground much of the winter, cold temps (some nights below zero) and it lasted for months.
In the midst of the cold, snowy winter this is what the bay my marina is in looked like. For the first time I can remember it froze over. Completely. I've lived here 40 years and have never see it like this...
A marina across the river that had some old, wooden docks didn't fare well. The heavy snowfall pushed the docks down into the water and almost sinking one boat that had not yet been removed. He had two docks of covered moorage. This one was totally destroyed. The other wasn't totally destroyed but didn't fare much better. Here's what his dock looked like...
Jim, the owner of Columbia Marine Center leases this marina from the city of Pasco. Like most municipalities they don't like to spend money on projects that are not likely to generate lots of votes. This marina, while it's one of VERY few on the river that's not a private marina (yacht club or similar). Jim is a friend of mine and I was kept apprised of the success (or lack thereof) that he was having with the city in getting them to pony up for new docks.
He was persistent and, after two years his persistence finally paid off. After two years of applying for permits from everybody but GOD his new docks were installed this week. They're not completely finished yet--no power to the docks, dock boxes not installed yet, safety equipment not installed, etc., but they're in. I went down to see Jim and the docks the afternoon they got them installed. He looked like a kid on Christmas day with a new bike.
Well done, my friend. Your work and persistence has made life in the Tri Cities just a little bit better.
In the midst of the cold, snowy winter this is what the bay my marina is in looked like. For the first time I can remember it froze over. Completely. I've lived here 40 years and have never see it like this...
A marina across the river that had some old, wooden docks didn't fare well. The heavy snowfall pushed the docks down into the water and almost sinking one boat that had not yet been removed. He had two docks of covered moorage. This one was totally destroyed. The other wasn't totally destroyed but didn't fare much better. Here's what his dock looked like...
Jim, the owner of Columbia Marine Center leases this marina from the city of Pasco. Like most municipalities they don't like to spend money on projects that are not likely to generate lots of votes. This marina, while it's one of VERY few on the river that's not a private marina (yacht club or similar). Jim is a friend of mine and I was kept apprised of the success (or lack thereof) that he was having with the city in getting them to pony up for new docks.
He was persistent and, after two years his persistence finally paid off. After two years of applying for permits from everybody but GOD his new docks were installed this week. They're not completely finished yet--no power to the docks, dock boxes not installed yet, safety equipment not installed, etc., but they're in. I went down to see Jim and the docks the afternoon they got them installed. He looked like a kid on Christmas day with a new bike.
Well done, my friend. Your work and persistence has made life in the Tri Cities just a little bit better.
