Boaters ready to get back in the water: Area marinas clear out storm debris, return to business
Area marinas clear out storm debris, return to business
Wednesday, July 30, 20081
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Area marinas are slowly recovering from heavy rains that swelled the Connecticut River, sending debris - in one case a half a boat and in another 40 foot sections of trees - surging downstream. The damage brought a halt to marina business for nearly a full week for some local establishments.
The operators of four Hampshire County marinas said Tuesday that rainfall in the north translated to water levels here that were as high as 9 feet above average. Docks sustained damage when strong currents sent large pieces of debris down the river and forced marina customers to move their boats to avoid damage.
Most marina owners said they hoped to reopen today or Thursday, weather and other conditions permitting.
At Brunelle's Marina in South Hadley, Luke Brunelle Jr. helped boat owners remove approximately 100 of the 140 boats there Thursday and Friday and spent the past four days culling debris that had gathered near the boats.
He said he found half a boat in the river with a Vermont registration that he guessed had come unmoored upstream.
Brunelle's boat, The Lady Bea, on which he gives river tours, was moored all weekend. Bea was back in action on Tuesday, however.
"It's bad for business," he said of the weather and river conditions. "We would have been packed."
Brunelle shut down his operation partly out of concern for boaters' safety, both because of debris floating in the river and the water level.
Farther north, at Mitch's Marina in Hadley, six men were at work repairing docks that had been damaged.
"It's about a day and a half's worth of work," said Phil Brockelsby, dock master at Mitch's Marina.
Boat owners, including Brockelsby himself, removed about a third of the 78 boats that are moored at the marina for the summer months.
The 17 camping trailers that were situated near the normal water line were also moved as the water creeped up the parking lot toward the road.
"We closed everything over the weekend," Brockelsby said. "Our boats all made it through, so that's good."
One boat was filled with water after its owner left the bilge pump off, but workers managed to pull it out of the water.
Mitch's, like others, lost ramp fees from day visitors, and gasoline and food sales, Brockelsby added.
"It makes it tough, but that's the nature of the business," he said.
He said he saw the current carrying several 40-foot trees, some complete with roots.
At the entrance to the Calvin Coolidge Bridge in Hadley, Sportsman's Marina owner Gary Pelissier said he had lost boat rentals, a significant part of his business, from Wednesday through Tuesday.
"It has an economic impact," he said.
Sportsman's did not sustain any significant damage but approximately a dozen of 70 boats were removed from the water.
"Hopefully, we'll recover this weekend," Pelissier said.
He said he hopes to reopen for business today, and he spent part of Monday pulling debris from the river.
The Oxbow Marina, the largest and most sheltered, was the only marina that did not close.
Owner Mick Duda said several docks were damaged by Sunday's winds, the first naturally caused damage to his docks in 20 years. Owners didn't try to move any of the approximately 340 boats at the Oxbow, he said.
"We've got so many we couldn't do it, anyway," he said.
Some boaters even took a chance on the debris in the open river over the weekend, Duda said.
"We can weather high water perfectly," he said. "It was all wind."
Matt Pilon can be reached at mpilon@gazettenet.com.
