Charles River Cleanup Boat News

Charles River Clean Up Boat Update - 12 -1

It's that time again and we are gearing up for our 9 th season of cleaning the floating trash from the Charles.   The schedule for 2012 is posted as a link from the website...cleanupboat.org...  Volunteers are already signing up and May is almost full.  Lesley O'Garro, who signs up the Museum of Science volunteers, has been going great guns.  Now that I have finally got his Update out, I expect many of the other volunteers will sign on this summer for an enjoyable, and productive, day on the boat.

In order to sign up, you go to the calender, pick the days that need crew that coincide with your availability, and call, or Email, the person listed at the top of the calender page.  For years that was Robert Canterbury, with me as a back up.  Robert is unable to do it any more leaving me to sign up the non MoS volunteers.  I could use some help.  I need some one to help enter volunteers on the schedule.  Each entry takes about 2 mins. and can be done on any computer connected to the internet.  The only knowledge required is how to use a PC and the internet.  I can train you in about 10 minutes over the phone.  Anyone who would like to help can call me at: 508-596-4701, or Email at:  cleanupboat @yahoo.com.

The Lisa S is at Russo Marine having new steering installed.  This is the 7th year for this boat.  We have worn out 2 sets of steering and control cables, replaced the motor last year, and are now installing a new helm.  We have gotten a lot of faithful service from this boat.  In addition to the steering the motor will be completely serviced and ready for the season.

This year we are starting on May 12.  This is a little later than normal.  The reasons are two-fold.  One is that the weather tends to be raw and rainy in late April and we end up canceling days.  Also, we now have other boats helping us on opening day, and there are a lot more small boats in the water in early May than late April.

So on May Sat, May 12, I hope many of the boat clubs along the river help us pick up the winters' residual trash.  Individuals, with or without canoes and kayaks, are also welcome.

Nick Pasquarosa is coordinating the effort at the Charles River Yacht Club.  Boats and volunteers can gather there at 8:00 AM for coffee and doughnuts, getting assigned areas and matching volunteers to available boats.  We will start cleaning at 9:00 AM and end at 12:00 noon.  The Charles River Yacht Club will host a pizza and soda lunch for the volunteers.

We invite all of the boating clubs between Watertown and the dam to join us.  You can meet with us at the CRYC, or clean the areas near your facilities.  If you are doing this, please Email  (cleanupboat@yahoo.com) or call (508-596-4701) me, so we don't assign duplicate boats to the same areas.  The Clean Up Boat will bring extra skimmers and dispose of all the collected trash.

Please spread the word.  Feel free to copy this Update and publish copies in your newsletters, or post copies on bulletin boards.  I hope to have enough help to have the river in mid season condition by the end of Saturday, May 12. Usually it takes us about  3 weeks, working alone, to get the river to mid season cleanliness.

Also, if you can't make May 12th, feel free to pick up any floating trash at any time.  It just helps us to keep the river looking cleaner.

It's going to be another wonderful year on the river.  I hope to see you out there soon.

Tom

NU scrimage in the Powerhouse tomorrow.

Charles River users:

The Northeastern women will be racing Columbia and Dartmouth on the race course tomorrow morning from 8-9:15. 

In addition to that schedule we are going to run one scrimmage piece between the 3V 8's from NU and Dartmouth down the powerhouse stretch at 9:20. The plan is to start at the Magazine Beach turn and run a straight shot up through the right hand arch, and right hand side of the center arch with these two crews finishing just short of Weeks. The reason we are doing this on the powerhouse is that our visiting crews do not have a 3V and Dartmouth has graciously agreed to double up 8 of their athletes but don't want them to have to row to the starting line twice tomorrow morning. 

We are not asking for exclusive use of this stretch of the river, only for your awareness that an actual race will be run on that stretch at that time, and to please keep your wake to a minimum, and your blind boats under control. Pleae pass this information on to other coaches and crews in your boathouse. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. 

Cell: 617-908-8535

This Weekend on the Charles

ROWING EVENTS

Saturday

7:30am - 9:30am,  NU V. Dartmouth, Columbia  on the 2k course, Longfellow to BU.

 

1:00pm - 2:30pm,  Brookline V. Boston Latin, Hihgham.  High School course in the Powerhouse, Weeks through River past RBC.

High School eights racing on the power stretch, between Brookline, Boston Latin, and Hingham.  Boats will launch from Riverside Boat Club, and race the 1450m Powerhouse stretch upstream course, starting close to the boston shore across from the old Powerhouse, and racing through the center and Cambridge arches to just below the Weeks Footbridge.

 

Link to the full calendar though the CRAB website at www.charlesriverallianceofboaters.org

Barge ALERTS! More than one bridge.

Please use caution around these bridges during all hours.  And coaches are asked to not wake working barges. 

River St.  A barge is activly working River St. Bridge doing some preliminary work.  Work will continue between the hours of 7am and 3:30pm  until March 29th.  Arches will be closed.  When parked, the barge is tucked in on the downstream side of the Boston abutment.

BU Bridge.  The staging is being removed starting March 20th. The Barge will be moving in and out of arches, and work will continue for a few months.

Anderson Bridge.  The contract to begin work has been signed and Barges will arrive shortly.  Arches will be closed to traffic, possibly for extended time periods.  Expect changes in traffic pattern.