Float Towing and Hauling procedure (including Mussel Scraping)
Complete In October each year
1. Check Tides
- for a HIGH
- to enable easy ramp removal and to put floats on beach in Gibsons Harbour
- daytime on weekdays, include Sunday if needed
- volunteer work party required – to prep floats and pull ramp onto wharf
- followed by a LOW – likely on the next day
- to remove floats from beach at Harbour
- during weekday work hours for truck
- volunteer work party required – for Mussel Scraping!
- This is more challenging in the fall than the spring because the days are significantly shorter… and both towing and hauling/scraping need to be done in daylight !
- Example: I scanned six weeks from late Sep to early November and found two possible windows (click each to display tide graph in new tab)
- Updated Site URL = https://www.tide-forecast.com/locations/Gibsons-British-Columbia/tides/latest
- can only view next week or next four weeks – see example on Float Replacement page – but click on specific Day to enarge
2. Arrange Hauling: Gibsons Harbour –> Elphinstone
- At LOW Tide, weekday work hours
- Txt Lonnie Allen: 604-740-1012 or Gibsons Ready Mix: Daniel 604-741-7748 or Shane 604-740-7644
- Example Text:
- Hi Lonnie. Tony here. Would you be available to haul our floats from the Harbour on Friday Oct 25 about 9:30am? Low tide at 9:37. We will arrange to unlock pillar on Headlands. Need to hold floats during loading so we can scrape mussels off. Thanks.
- Hi Lonnie. Tony here. Would you be available to haul our floats from the Harbour on Friday Oct 25 about 9:30am? Low tide at 9:37. We will arrange to unlock pillar on Headlands. Need to hold floats during loading so we can scrape mussels off. Thanks.
3. Arrange Towing: Wharf –> Gibsons Harbour
- AT HIGH Tide, weekday work hours preferred but may be available otherwise (in daylight)
- Once Lonnie is confirmed, Call/Txt Erik Hammond: 604-741-5493
- In future, we could look at GWA member with an adequate boat to tow the floats instead for greater flexibility and lower cost?
4. Organize TWO Work Parties
- Promote Float Removal and Mussel Scraping Party via GWA email list
- see previous emails for content
- 1. Arrange Towing
- provide day and time (an hour before Erik’s float towing time)
- need 5 or 6 able-bodied people to:
- remove swim ladder on floats
- remove big ladder from dolphin
- pull ramp up onto wharf
- detach floats (keep ropes on chains to haul up in spring)
- 2. Mussel Scraping
- provide day and time (around same time as Lonnie’s float hauling time)
- need around 5 people with work gloves, big scrappers or square shovels
- Adrian Young and Kevin & Ben (C-Tow) have large scrapers that they lend us each year
5. Arrange Access to Harbour
- Check pillar at end of Headlands Rd to see if it is unlocked
- If locked, call Town of Gibsons: Tyler, Engineering Dept – 604-741-1089 or Penny, Infrastructure Dept – 604-886-2274 or 2210
- Backup: Wendy (Parks Dept) – 604-886-8587
- She will unlock at specified time (one hour before Lonnie arrives) or lend us the key
- Note: lock chain broken at present (Oct 2021) – Tyler says they will eventually weld it back – but happy to unlock whenever needed
6. Project Lead
- make arrangements above
- meet Erik at Wharf
- meet Lonnie at Harbour
- get supplies down to dock: shackles, locks/keys, tools, come-a-long
- lead work party – need firm clear leadership to avoid confusion and accidents
AB 7 Oct 2024