Attention!! Anderson Barrel (arch) Closures to change Monday

Hi Boaters

See the notice below about upcoming changes to the arch closures at Anderson bridge. FYI, barrels=arches to many of us.

Please be aware that the changes are not instantaneous. Meaning there will be equipment and barges at large as things are getting moved around. This will require your increased situational awareness in the vicinity of the bridge. Simplified, this means look closely where you are going and what is moving toward you. 

Also be aware that construction timelines are subject to change. Due to the uncertain nature of rehab work it is always possible that there will be a delay. 

As more information becomes available Ill forward it.

Be Safe,

Aleks

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Boundy, Stephanie (DOT)

MassDOT's contractor plans on switching barrels in the river on Monday, November 4, 2013 and will close the center barrel closed for approximately 3 days.

They will then  switch again on Thursday, November 7, 2013,  to have the middle barrel and the Boston barrel open and the Cambridge side barrel closed.  If you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Thanks for getting the word out!

Best,

-Stephanie

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Stephanie E. Boundy| Government & Community Affairs| MassDOT

Fw: [CRAB] This Weekend on the Charles including a Sox/Duckboat tour?

OK sports fans, Events on the Charles this weekend include:

SATURDAY

The Armada Cup (2xs) and Peanut Butter Cup (1xs) Regattas. Costumed, mass start race from Mass Ave. Bridge to Riverside Boat Club. Doubles start at 7:45AM, singles start at 8:00AM. All non-combatants are asked to clear the course

RED SOX?

If twitter is to believed, the 10AM Duck Boat rolling rally for the WORLD CHAMPION RED SOX!!!!!! will take a dip in the Charles at some point. Be warned, it will not only screw up traffic on the roads and bridges along the river, we might see an increase in boating visitors in the lower basin possibly up to Mass Ave if history serves - and some might come off the power boat ramp too. Advice to rowers: get your work done early.

Anderson and Weeks work starting Monday Oct 21

Hi Boaters,

Work will resume in the Boston Arch of Anderson bridge Monday 21 October. This means the boom will be deployed and the barge will be back in the arch. It will be as it was two weeks ago. 

For rowers this means upstream traffic only through the Cambridge arch, downstream traffic only through the center arch. 

On Tuesday work will begin on the Weeks footbridge. This is the bridge downstream of Anderson bridge.

Some more particulars are:

·         Work is planned to begin on Tue22oct2013 as stated below

·         The barge to be used will be a series of EZ Docks approximately 10' X 20' total

·         The barge will have only about 6-inches of freeboard (fairly low to the water)

·         The intention is to store the barge on the Cambridge side of the Basin when it's not in use

·         Mon-Fri 7am-3pm the barge is expected to be beneath the Cambridge-side span: boaters are asked to avoid this span during this time

·         Placement of silt booms under the Boston and Cambridge-side arches near the shore is required, rowers are asked to be mindful of these booms to avoid catching oars on them

Please communicate the above to any potentially interested boaters.

have a safe weekend, good luck Head of the Charles racers!

Aleks

[CRAB] This weekend on the Charles

This weekend on the Charles, a scrimmage and a regatta this weekend to be aware of.  Please adjust your schedules to work around these events.

SATURDAY, OCT 12
7AM, RBC Head of the Kevin scrimmage on the Head of the Charles course (BU Boathouse to 10 strokes past the wooden bridge at Herter Park).  Should have a fair number of boats so non-participants should give a good amount of time (like half an hour or more) before arriving at the start line to do your piece.  If you are not part of this through an official channel, please don't jump in and screw up the timing.

SUNDAY, OCT 13
11AM-1PM, Head of the Quinebequin, USRowing registered regatta for Youth Scullers (under 19 years old to 11 years old) sponsored by CRI, CBC, RBC, and UBC from Eliot Bridge to N. Beacon ST Bridge.  Scullers will be launching from CRI, NU, and RBC to assemble between Anderson and CBC for the Start around 11:45AM.  First boat starts at 12PM, last crew to cross the finish line about 1PM.  All scullers will return to CRI.
In the interest of safety, hometown clubs and colleges are asked to have their visitors finish any Head of the Charles course practice work by 11AM to clear the way for this regatta.
State Police will be stationed  near the public boat launching ramp/CRI and opposite Riverside Boat Club for Safety and to caution all river users to wait or proceed only with extreme caution if absolutely necessary.

And yet, ANOTHER note of caution to the rowing world as the barges have been cleared from the Anderson Bridge repair zone.  Although all three arches are open, please exercise extreme caution when navigating Anderson Bridge.  The starboard most lanes are the safest for traffic.  Crews have already been seen travelling both directions through the center arch – this isn't the time to practice the Head of the Charles course to a T. Just because you are doing a Head of the Charles timed piece does NOT mean that Head of the Charles rules are in effect.  Pass to port, not necessarily for the shortest line. Be safe out there - keep an eye out for motorized traffic using the center arch both ways as well as visiting crews which are not paying attention.  Host clubs and colleges, please make sure your guests know the rules of the river,

CRAB fine print and legalese.... CRAB is not the boss of you. We cannot tell you what to do. We offer information that we believe to be true in a good faith effort to improve awareness, communication and boating safety. And we do this because we believe that the boaters of the Charles River want a safe boating environment for all. This is not an official document from CRAB, it is informational only.

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[CRAB] All three arches at Anderson are now open

Hi Boaters

We just got word that all three arches at Anderson bridge are now open through the Head of the Charles. The race is October 19-20th. After that things will probably change.

There are people who may not get the word or will just plain forget that it is open. They may head downstream through the center arch. Rowers, I recommend keep using the Cambridge arch heading upstream for practice. Use the Boston shore arch downstream. 

Worried about your race day navigation points? You can still locate them if you use the shore arch. Look at an aerial view map, to have the fastest line toward the big Cambridge BC turn you get pretty close to shore right after Anderson. If you are pointing at Newell for any significant amount of time your race will be longer.

Big thank you to the Mass DOT for making sure the arches will be open for the Head of the Charles.

Stay safe,

Aleks  

IMPORTANT ALERT! Please read. Anderson Bridge Traffic Pattern alert.

The State has informed us that all three spans of the Anderson Bridge will open for Regatta week, by the end of work on Friday.  Which means, all three spans should be open for rowing on Saturday morning.

As soon as all three spans are open, the ROWING traffic pattern will revert to the standard traffic pattern as written below:

Anderson: In each direction, crews and scullers shall use the right-hand arch. The center arch is for upstream crews and scullers only to avoid boats launching from Weld Boathouse.

Power boats will continue, as always, to use the center arch bi-directionally.  

Please be sure that the Boston arch is, in fact, open before reverting to the standard traffic pattern and please continue to use caution in this area.  Also, if you see rowers continuing to use the Center Arch as a downstream arch, please take the initiative to kindly correct them immediately.

Work will continue on Anderson bridge immediately following the regatta, so expect an arch closure on Monday morning.  We believe that the Cambridge Arch will close, but be on your toes in case things go differently.

 And as an aside, the third Head of the Kevin will take place bright and early Saturday morning (off the line at 7AM). Race organizers will check out the course prior to the event but... the right hand arch is the safest.

CRAB fine print and legalese.... CRAB is not the boss of you. We cannot tell you what to do. We offer information that we believe to be true in a good faith effort to improve awareness, communication and boating safety. And we do this because we believe that the boaters of the Charles River want a safe boating environment for all. This is not an official document from CRAB, it is informational only. 

This weekend on the Charles...and other stuff

Hello Sports Fans, a few scrimmages this weekend to be aware of. Please adjust your schedules to work around these events. SATURDAY 7AM, CBC/UBC scrimmage on the Head of the Charles course (BU Boathouse to 10 strokes past the wooden bridge at Herter Park). Should have a fair number of boats so non-participants should give a good amount of time (like half an hour or more) before arriving at the start line to do your piece. If you are not part of this through an official channel, please don't jump in and screw up the timing. 9AM, BU v. BC fours scrimmage on the Head of the Charles course (BU Boathouse to 10 strokes past the wooden bridge at Herter Park). Not sure of numbers, but again, give them a wide berth. and yet, ANOTHER note of caution to the rowing world Just because you are doing a Head of the Charles timed piece does NOT mean that Head of the Charles rules are in effect. It does not matter if the quicker line on the Magazine Beach turn or from Weeks to Anderson is to pass on the right - you are supposed to pass on the left. And, even if you are doing a timed piece, you can't just run over the slower boat in front of you at Anderson where there is only one arch with an obstruction on the upstream side. I won't go into the details of a sculler taking refuge in front of the abutment (to the center of passing boats), but we need to do better than we have been. Yesterday, several clubs were involved in not giving way for overtaking boats on the big turn. When one boat does not want to give way, and the next boat sticks their bow inside to get the inside of turn, that equals 2 boats way on the wrong side of the river. Seriously people, just give way. Or, if a boat is really being a jerk and doesn't give way, and you stick your bow to the inside to take the inside of the turn, at least have the decency to shove the other boat (and yourself) back over to the right side of the river. Bottom line. Please refresh your memory of the sculler impaled by an eight, detailed in the attached New England Journal of Medicine article and be sure to get a good look at the photos - and then act accordingly. CRAB fine print and legalese.... CRAB is not the boss of you. We cannot tell you what to do. We offer information that we believe to be true in a good faith effort to improve awareness, communication and boating safety. And we do this because we believe that the boaters of the Charles River want a safe boating environment for all. This is not an official document from CRAB, it is informational only.