Float Removal

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)
- Sun Oct 6 – 2pm – 14′ tide & Mon Oct 7 – 9am – 6′ tide
- Thu Oct 24 – 3pm – 15′ tide & Fri Oct 25 – 10am – 6′ tide
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.

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

AB 7 Oct 2024