Those lyrics, sung by Roy Rogers so long ago, are ringing true for me as I write these words because in just a few short hours I will be back at the helm - literally - of the Edward Abbey. Yes, it’s that time of year again when Captain Hughie and I give up command of our desks and head back on the river aboard the Abbey and the Robert H. Boyle. Our Eco-Cruise season has officially begun and if you ask me, it’s about time! While it’s true that by late October, Eco-Cruises can be fairly chilly and uncomfortable affairs, six months is a long time to go without the feel of a moving deck under our feet and the ability to patrol the river effectively. Fortunately those six months are just about over.
During the off-season, the boats were in the capable hands of the Bayonne Redevelopment Authority who generously provided us with indoor storage at the former Military Ocean Terminal, now known as the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor. Before I go any further, all of us at Hackensack Riverkeeper extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Mayor Joseph Doria; Steve Gallo, Director of the Authority, and his staff (especially Jasmine) for all their help and hospitality. In addition to keeping them out of the weather, storing the boats indoors allowed us to work on them anytime (except when episodes of Law and Order were being filmed in the same warehouse!). That meant oil changes and fuel stabilization in the fall, and scraping and repainting the pontoons in the spring. Because both boats spend six months in the water, they play host to ever-growing colonies of barnacles - small, sedentary crustaceans that latch onto the undersides of the pontoons. By time we haul the boats out of the water in November, there are literally hundreds of pounds of barnacles attached to them and the only way to remove them is to scrape them off. By hand. Of course they don’t go easily. Despite being dead, barnacle shells are attached by some of the strongest adhesive found in nature and a lot of time and effort are required to remove them. Once they’re off and the pontoons are lightly sanded, a fresh coat of antifouling paint is applied and the boats are river-worthy once again. In past years, we were able to spend one day with staff and volunteers to do the required work. This year however, was a very different story.
And now that the job is done, Hughie and I are ready to meet you at the dock and provide you with some of the most enjoyable and interesting two-and-a-half hours you’ve ever spent on the water. We have 35 Open Eco-Cruises scheduled and we’re booking new charters almost every day. If you haven’t come out with us yet, do yourself a favor and make 2006 your year to explore the river with us.
See you at the dock!
|
This time around, we had to remove all previous paint and primer coats and sand the pontoons down to bare metal because we decided to use a new, more environmentally friendly paint designed specifically for aluminum hulls. Long story short, what used to take one day, took seven days - seven very long days. Not only was this work time-consuming; it also drew most of our staff away from other important work during those days. Unfortunately, we had to decline some speaking engagements, invitations to events and other important activities but getting the boats ready for the season - and for you - was our most important task.
That task could not have been completed without our volunteers. Without Ken Dolan, Mary Pat Driscoll, Gene Dunton, Elyse Levy and the “Three Mikes” (Mike McNamara, Mike Parish & Mike Ruscigno), we couldn’t have gotten the job done. You guys are the best!