PREPARING FOR THE WINTER MONTHS

WINTER IS COMING

As boating season is coming to an end after a summer where having a boat was never more appreciated, we remind you to make sure to have your boat prepared for the wet weather, and also the odd cold and snow spell. Below are some quick suggestions/tips:

• Talk to your mechanic to make sure your engine(s) is ready.
• Check your lines, tarps, and power cords. Sailboat owners should ensure your sails and halyards are tightly secured. During winter storms we often see damaged sails caused by sails not being secured.
• Power cords must be robust and rated for the marine environment. Make sure your cord has a secure connection to your boat and to the pedestal.
• Remember that boats are very inefficient in holding in heat, so putting a high wattage heater on board will cost you big bucks. Your best defense against mold and mildew is moving dry air with fans.
• After heavy rains, and in the event of snow, it is strongly suggested to come attend your boat. We have boats end up sinking every winter, and the ones that sink are generally the ones that have been left to fend for themselves against the elements.

But don’t just trust those points; Google “how to prepare your boat for winter” – there are a million experts out there.

WHEN IS THE WATER TURNED OFF??

Like we said, winter approaches. The Thunderbird staff watches the same weather as you do. If we see an Arctic front approaching, we will call for compressors to be delivered so that we can blow out the water system to prevent freezing. Some years we have made it through the winter without having to do this, but that is rare. When we do blow the lines down, the system will remain down until we are confident that another cold blast won’t return – usually mid to late February.

If we see the cold front coming and know that we will be purging the system, we will then send out an email as soon as possible.

RECORD YEAR FOR YACHT SALES

Interest in boating reached an unprecedented level during the pandemic. Sonia, Cormac, Andy, and Carley were run off their feet in the last 6 months. The brokers have long lists of clients looking for boats; if you are thinking that maybe you should list your boat for sale, there may never be a better time than now.

FISH LADDER COMPLETED

A new fish ladder has been completed at the mouth of Nelson Creek. A big thank you to Thunderbird clients Keith and Jan Moger of Streamkeepers and Thunderbird client North Construction for a fantastic construction effort. We are very pleased to report that we have now spotted Chum salmon in the pools above the fish ladder. Here is the information bulletin that detailed the project: Nelson Creek Fish Ladder

TRAPS ON THE DOCKS

Again, we ask that people remove the traps from the docks and fingers. There has been some progress but there remains far too many of these items on the docks.

COVID-19 POLICIES

While we are beginning to see positive news on the vaccine front, we must continue to try and limit the spread until such time as we have a handle on the virus. To that end, when entering buildings at the marina, be it the store, offices, tenants, and restroom areas, we strongly urge marina patrons to wear a mask. To date we have had no problems and it would be nice if we keep our record clean until we come out of this.