Fw: (CRAB) What is happening on the Charles

On Wednesday, August 24, 2016 2:47 PM, CRAB via CRAB <CRAB@groupspaces.com> wrote:

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CRAB Friday, August 26, 2016 5:30-8:30PM, Friday Nite Informal Racing at Community Boating, between Longfellow and Mass Ave Bridges.  All abilities welcome, all non-combatants should steer clear. Saturday, August 27,2016 10:30AM - 6:30PM  Red Bull Relay Stake Race.  High intensity sprint race from Riverside Boat Club dockst to the Powerder Magazine at Magazine Beach, and back.  If you've never seen an eight round a stake, this is an event worth watching.  If you'd like to traverse the course, please wait for regatta officials to give you clearance. Sunday, August 28, 2016 9:30AM to 2:30PM, Community Boating's Tiller Club's Formal Racing.  Between Longfellow Bridge and Mass Ave.  Serious stuff.  Steer Clear.   Anderson Bridge traffic pattern change today  Per the State's message to us earlier this week, the center arch of Anderson will be closing today, and the Boston arch reopens.  This makes it easy for smaller boats who most often use the right hand arches here anyway, but is a bit trickier for powerboats.  Everyone should continue to use caution around this bridge.

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Traffic Pattern Alert! Anderson Bridge

See the note from the State below.  This is an easy one for small boats - take the right hand arch.  Harder for powerboaters.  Keep your eyes open for them.

Check out the CRAB website at www.charlesriverallianceofboaters.org

On Monday, August 22, 2016 3:23 PM, "Connelly, Roderick (DOT)"  wrote:

Good afternoon all,

The contractor at the Anderson Bridge will be re-opening the Boston side barrel and closing the center barrel on Wednesday the 24.

Thanks,

Roderick M. Connelly III

Resident Engineer Anderson Memorial Bridge

Mass DOT District 6 Construction

Fw: (CRAB) What is happening on the Charles

On Thursday, August 18, 2016 2:06 PM, CRAB via CRAB <CRAB@groupspaces.com> wrote:

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CRAB Another quiet week. Friday, August 19, 2016 5:30 to 8:30pm, Friday nite informal racing at Community Boating (between Longfellow and Mass Ave).  Sailors of all abilities participate.  Steer clear. Saturday, August 20, 2016 11:00AM to 4:00PM - Redbull Flutag at the Hatch Shell.  People build flying machines, and launch them over the water, landing in the water.  Those with the most airtime win.  First flight goes off around 12:30PM.  Spectators on boats are welcome but will be asked to keep back.  Bigger boats are also asked to be polite to smaller boats. Sunday, August 21, 2016 9:30AM to 2:30PM, Community Boating's Tiller Club's Sunday Morning Formal Racing.  Between Longfellow and Mass Ave Bridges.  Serious racing, steer clear. HEADS UP Saturday, August 27, 2016 - Redbull Stake Relay Race.  10:30AM to 6:30PM.  Short Sprint from Riverside Boat Club to buoys at Magazine Beach and back.   Head of the Charles is October 22 and 23  Why am I telling you this?  Because there is an increasing amount of rowers cutting corners and acting like race rules apply.  There has been some really agregious corner cutting on the big turn especially, and there have been a few close calls with oncoming traffic.  It is dangerous, and you need to cut it out.  Also, I got a report of a relatively newer rower being yelled at for not yeilding the inside of the turn at Belmont Hill.  Folks, only on race day does the overtaking boat get to pick its course.  The other 363 days of the year, the overtaking boat should pass to the middle.  Rowing a safe course is a great way to stay healthy until race day, and also get used to not having your optimal point, which is really likely to happen on race day.  So, everyone take a breath and be nice to each other. Are your blades painted? Why am I asking you this?  Because this morning, I watched a sculler heading downstream nearly run into Watertown, near the HOCR finish line.  Then, said sculler nearly ran into Boston near the Canoe/Kayak dock.  Then, they rowed down river, in the middle (or wrong side of middle) for a good long time.  Combine that person with the over-zealous racers above and we have a problem. I'd love to talk to this person and give them tips on steering (like look more than every 20 strokes and in general, if the shore isn't just off your blades, you're in the wrong spot. or better, find a sculling buddy and force yourself to row between them and shore without forcing them wide).   but they had unpainted blades.  Actually, there were more unpainted or mystery painted blades on the water this morning than blades painted to identify with local clubs.  This is a problem folks.  Please get your blades painted for the club from which you row, ASAP.  Paint dries quickly this time of year, it is a great time to get it done.

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CRAB-MIT Sea Grant College Charting Project Update 8/15/2016

Since the last update, there has been a lot of activity.

Funding: We have received contributions from the Boston Duck Tours, the Head of the Charles Regatta, Newton Yacht Club, Riverside Boat Club, and a few generous individuals. Loads and loads of thanks to them all. This has allowed us to buy most of the equipment we need for the project. The MIT Sea Grant College Program has been a great partner in this effort, buying some equipment we could not afford and providing the funding for a summer intern. We still need more help with funding. Please consider making a contribution and send your checques to:
      Dave Amicangioli
      CRAB Treasurer
      25 C Street
      Belmont, MA 02478
Thanks in advance for your support!!!

Depth Measurements: The MIT Sea Grant Program has been actively making sonar depth measurements. They have made a handful of passes up and down the river between the BU Bridge and Newton YC, each at a slightly different position along the width of the river. Detailed measurements of the river near both Newton YC and Watertown YC have also been made. Nearly the entire area between the New Charles River Dam and the BU Bridge has been measured using both conventional and side-scan sonar. This includes all the sites that the Charles River Conservancy has recently identified as potential locations for a swimming facility.

Bottom Composition Measurements: While the time delay of the sonar pulse back to the sensor allows the depth to be characterized, the strength of that same signal is characteristic of the river bottom. Thusly, we are able to generate maps of both the depth and the hardness of the river bottom. We can clearly see areas that appear to be hard rock or clay and other areas where it is likely softer mud or even softer plant growth.

Characterization of the Variation in the Height of the Watersheet: As most users of the river know, there is some variation in the height of the watersheet over the course of the day. With an outgoing tide, water from the river is released into Boston Harbor through sluices at the New Charles River Dam, and as the tide comes back in, the sluices are shut and water begins to accumulate in the river. In order to accurately quantify the water depths, we need to also know what the height of the watersheet is when we make any depth measurement. In early July, stream gauges and data loggers of the water depth were installed at Riverside Boat Club, Herter Park, and Community Rowing. We are also able to use data from the USGS gauge at First Street below the Longfellow Bridge. It appears that the water level in the section of the river between Watertown and the New Charles River Dam has been changing nearly uniformly this summer. That is, this section of the river appears to be behaving as a lake, rising and falling in near unison. This is probably due to the lack of rainfall that we have experienced this year. We are adjusting the measured depths to account for the variation in the height of the water sheet using the data from the stream gauge at Riverside Boat Club.

Deliverable Outputs: In designing this project, we have focused on what we would be able to provide to users of the river.

• Chart Booklet: A printable PDF file that includes an overview of the river from Watertown to Boston Harbor, and more detailed charts of 13 abutting or overlapping sections of the river. Separate booklets for water depth and river bottom hardness would be available.
  
• Google Map and Google Earth: We have developed on-line versions of our data using both Google Maps and Google Earth that allow us to use all the tools of Google Map and Google Earth to digitally visualize the data.
  
• Trifold Overview: Similar to the trifold map developed by the Charles River Conservancy showing the parkland surrounding the river, this trifold would include an overview of the river showing the depth and the hardness of the river bottom.
  
• Electronic Versions for Navigation Instruments: Due to the lack of a common standard file format and the complexity and difficulty of generating multiple file formats, we have decided to delay this until we can get other things done first.

Fw: (CRAB) what is (not) happening on the Charles

On Thursday, August 11, 2016 1:44 PM, CRAB via CRAB <CRAB@groupspaces.com> wrote:

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CRAB Another quiet week for organized events, though Community Boating's Friday Night Informal racing (5:30 to 8:30PM and their Tiller Club's Sunday Morning Formal Racing (9:30am to 2:30pm) continues. Other than that, we're pretty chill.  Unlike the weather. Stay cool people.

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Fw: The Charles River clean Up Boat

All,

The River needs your help.  See the Charles River Clean Up Boat's note below and consider making a donation or scheduling time to give them a hand.  The link to their website is in the message below. 

 

 

 

Check out the CRAB website at www.charlesriverallianceofboaters.org

On Monday, August 8, 2016 12:46 PM, Michael Bello <mikejbello@gmail.com> wrote:

As you may know, the Charles River Clean Up Boat (cleanupboat.org ) is  a 501c3 non-profit organization that has been operating since 2004 and has been responsible for helping to make the Charles River one of the cleanest urban rivers in the country.

 

Our boat, which is completely operated with volunteer help, cruises up and down a 7+ mile stretch 4 days a week from April to October.  We pick-up floating debris which over the years has amounted to tons of trash. The clean up boat operates entirely on donations to maintain the boat and its motor and to pay for the gasoline required to run. Its is staffed by volunteers on a daily basis.  No one receives a salary.

 

Throughout the years, organizations that use the river or that benefit from its beauty have been our generous contributors.  Many of the boat clubs, the private rowing houses, the duck boats and the cruise lines have generously given to the mission.  Additionally, we have received assistance from some universities and companies that are housed on or near the River.

While many River uses have contributed to the work, still others have never given or have become lapsed donors.  We would appreciate it if you could publish this email and connection to our website (cleanupboat.org in your news blog.  As we approach the end of summer , we still have along way to go before we meet our annual budget goal.  Thanks for your help.

 

Sincerely,

Michael J. Bello

Clean Up Boat Volunteer

mikejbello@gmail.com

Fw: (CRAB) ANderson Bridge Traffic Pattern Change ALERT!!!

 

 

 

 

Check out the CRAB website at www.charlesriverallianceofboaters.org

On Thursday, August 4, 2016 11:25 AM, kate sullivan via CRAB <CRAB@groupspaces.com> wrote:

See the note from the State below notifying us that the center arch of Anderson will open and the Boston Arch will close on Monday.

This necessitates a traffic pattern change to the rowing traffic pattern.   

Downstream bound boats will use the middle arch.  Please don't cut the corner before the bridge, and be sure to stay to Boston once you exit the bridge.

Upstream bound boats will use the Cambridge shore arch ONLY.  Please stick close to shore (while avoiding the huge barge sticking off the shore) to avoid folks overcorrecting to use the middle arch hearing down stream.

 

 Powerboaters will resume using the center arch in both directions.

 

 

Check out the CRAB website at www.charlesriverallianceofboaters.org

On Thursday, August 4, 2016 11:15 AM, "Connelly, Roderick (DOT)" <Roderick.Connelly@dot.state.ma.us> wrote:

Good morning all,

On Monday the 8^th the contractor at the Anderson Bridge will be reopening the center barrel and closing the Boston side barrel.

Thanks,

Roderick M. Connelly III

Resident Engineer Anderson Memorial Bridge

Mass DOT District 6 Construction

www.CharlesRiverAllianceofBoater s.org

Fw: (CRAB) What is happening on the Charles

On Thursday, August 4, 2016 9:21 AM, CRAB via CRAB <CRAB@groupspaces.com> wrote:

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CRAB Quiet times with many rowers off competing at Henley.  They'll be back soon enough, but in the meantime.....Community Boating's Friday Night informals (5:30 to 8:30PM) and their Tiller Club's Sunday morning formal racing (9:30AM to 2:30PM), are going on between the Longfellow and Mass Ave bridges. If you need help identifying a saling race course, read the handy guide at www . CharlesRiverAllianceofBoater s . org, posted on the Rowing and Power Boater pages.  These are popular events and the guide will help you figure out what those wacky sailors are doing. Also, the Memorial Row for Mohammed Jafri will take place this Sunday at 5:30AM.  Participants will gather near the BU Boathouse and proceed upstream.  Our condolences on your loss.

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