Dock Progress!

Here are a couple of views of the dock today from our second story window.

Every week, CBI Operations Director Tom Moore, Director of Fleet and Facilities Greg Tobey, and I join the weekly construction meeting held by the DCR with Bourne Engineering, and CRC Company.  At these meetings every detail of the ongoing construction project is reviewed, audited, and approved.  It has been a great experience for me to see how the whole process comes together.  I have been singularly impressed with the professionalism, competancy, and efficiency of all parties involved.  In so far as folks will agree, I would like to  bring attention to the individuals who are building these wonderful dock day in and day out.  Today I'd like to introduce Rozeta Nikolova.  Rozeta is the Resident Engineer for the DCR on this project.  When work is happening on the dock Rozeta is here at CBI.  She inspects and reviews every pile, timber, and fastener, insuring that the dock is assembled precisely as designed. She spends a lot of time with a hard hat on inspecting the work, rain, snow or sunshine.  Rozeta is one reason I know this dock will be just simply brilliant.  Thank you Rozeta.

Some More Project Pictures

We've installed new cabinets in the Volunteer Room.

After demolishing the women's room counter and mirrors, we are ready to install new counter tops.

Some Winter Projects (Besides the dock!)

While the docks are moving along, we've been busy with other projects as well.  Here you see the new paint job on the Sisu safety launch.  Thanks to the wider garage doors installed  a couple of years ago we can now bring larger projects inside.

The back store room (formerly known as the sail loft) is receiveing new shelving to replace the old metal cabinets.

With change in the wind, CBI stays focused on what's important

For the past several months I have been distracted nearly everyday by looking out my office window and watching the construction of the new docks progress. I've learned a lot about how pilings are driven into the earth and what happens when they hit a layer of Boston Blue Clay (not a pretty sight!), tropical hardwoods, management of government funded public works and how to move a large barge through 12" thick ice (it helps to have a big crane).  The most exciting part of the new dock is the opportunity it will provide us to improve and expand our programming. I am personally looking forward to not spending so much of my time and energy talking about how the dock is falling apart and needs to be replaced.   I am so happy to be working on other projects!  So it looks to me like 2011 is going to be a pretty good year.   In 2010 our board of directors approved a 5 year strategic plan and our board  approved an ambitious budget for 2011 including a new safety launch, new engines,new windsurfers, (to name a few) and expanded programming in both our junior and accessible sailing programs. As we ramp up to opening for the sailing season it occurs to me that while CBI is experiencing a lot of change this year, we are also firmly holding on to those things, which over many decades, have not changed much - our community, volunteerism, and sailing for all by minimizing barriers to the sport of sailing.  We remain focused and committed to those things, which after all, are what is really important.

-Charlie