So it's been a week or so since I last posted anything. I really need to get a camera. Hmm. Maybe that'll be part of my tax refund. Anyway, DC has been very un-DC due to all the snow. Those folks who've been lucky enough to have electricity and food and friends have had a great time out in the snow and staying in. Some of us also still have responsibilities even though our offices are or were closed.
I spent an afternoon digging out boats at the non-profit where I give sailing lessons and race FJs. Our FJs are on a floating dock and the weight of the over 2 feet of snow that had settled in and on the boats and on the docks had nearly sunk the dock. So 5 of us went down, carpooling in the one car that we had that was dugout and staying on main roads, to the waterfront. the snow was so heavy and packed that on the fixed dock we were walking a good 10 inches or more above the actual surface. It took two hours but we got the boats more or less free of snow and dumped as much as possible off the floating docks. The dock area and Washington Channel were mostly frozen and the ice was at least an inch thick. It would have been foolish to try and walk across, but it's probably the first time that I've ever seen the river that densely frozen.
At the Southwest waterfront 3 boats including two houseboats sank due to accumulated snow.Thankfully noone was in them. At Washington Sailing Marina, across the river 6 boats sank. The owner of the big boat on which I race went down and cleared as much snow as possible and helped clear another friend's boat. I went today to check on our boat, Chiripa after this last snowfall. Thankfully she was in great shape. A little water in the bilge and a little snow and ice to clear but otherwise fine. Another boat on our dock though was only being kept up by her mast laying across another boat and her docklines. She was half submerged and clearly full of snow and water.
While I'm still enjoying the winter, I think I'm ready for the Spring and getting the boats out on the water again.
I spent an afternoon digging out boats at the non-profit where I give sailing lessons and race FJs. Our FJs are on a floating dock and the weight of the over 2 feet of snow that had settled in and on the boats and on the docks had nearly sunk the dock. So 5 of us went down, carpooling in the one car that we had that was dugout and staying on main roads, to the waterfront. the snow was so heavy and packed that on the fixed dock we were walking a good 10 inches or more above the actual surface. It took two hours but we got the boats more or less free of snow and dumped as much as possible off the floating docks. The dock area and Washington Channel were mostly frozen and the ice was at least an inch thick. It would have been foolish to try and walk across, but it's probably the first time that I've ever seen the river that densely frozen.
At the Southwest waterfront 3 boats including two houseboats sank due to accumulated snow.Thankfully noone was in them. At Washington Sailing Marina, across the river 6 boats sank. The owner of the big boat on which I race went down and cleared as much snow as possible and helped clear another friend's boat. I went today to check on our boat, Chiripa after this last snowfall. Thankfully she was in great shape. A little water in the bilge and a little snow and ice to clear but otherwise fine. Another boat on our dock though was only being kept up by her mast laying across another boat and her docklines. She was half submerged and clearly full of snow and water.
While I'm still enjoying the winter, I think I'm ready for the Spring and getting the boats out on the water again.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
smythe:
I got your card today! Thank you! It was really awesome!
klausbuben:
cool avatar