the blue whale
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coastalsoul
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 11:30 am
the blue whale
your "intrepid reporter" filed this story for the alberni valley times
this will become the ramp for launching from the dock
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At sunset, Monday July 26, the Wild West Watersports gang with help from Brad Berry Enterprises
launched the kite ramp at the old plywood site and new wind sport park at the end of Third Ave.
Made from a recycled fish farm pontoon and weighing approximately 20 tons and more than 90ft in length
over the past weeks Wild West Watersports and many friends and volunteers have been
grinding, sanding and painting the old pontoon in readiness for
placing it at the end of the dock at the old plywood site so that watersports enthusiasts including,
kiteboarders, kayakers and windsurfers can access the beautiful waters of the Alberni inlet.
Brad Berry, his excavator, and ground support Paul Wagner,
rolled the giant pontoon along the ground in similar fashion to early Egyptian pyramid construction methods
with logs generously supplied by log salvager, John Christmas.
Logs placed perpendicularly in front of the pontoon so that they were able to roll it along the ground towards the water.
It was a real community event as the windsurfers and kiters in attendance that day along with their families
watched in awe as Brad artfully manipulated the boom sticks like toothpicks to easily roll
the twenty ton 90 foot behometh into the water with a massive splash as the sun disappeared over the horizon.
words and pictures by
the coastalsoul,
Rod Frew
this will become the ramp for launching from the dock
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At sunset, Monday July 26, the Wild West Watersports gang with help from Brad Berry Enterprises
launched the kite ramp at the old plywood site and new wind sport park at the end of Third Ave.
Made from a recycled fish farm pontoon and weighing approximately 20 tons and more than 90ft in length
over the past weeks Wild West Watersports and many friends and volunteers have been
grinding, sanding and painting the old pontoon in readiness for
placing it at the end of the dock at the old plywood site so that watersports enthusiasts including,
kiteboarders, kayakers and windsurfers can access the beautiful waters of the Alberni inlet.
Brad Berry, his excavator, and ground support Paul Wagner,
rolled the giant pontoon along the ground in similar fashion to early Egyptian pyramid construction methods
with logs generously supplied by log salvager, John Christmas.
Logs placed perpendicularly in front of the pontoon so that they were able to roll it along the ground towards the water.
It was a real community event as the windsurfers and kiters in attendance that day along with their families
watched in awe as Brad artfully manipulated the boom sticks like toothpicks to easily roll
the twenty ton 90 foot behometh into the water with a massive splash as the sun disappeared over the horizon.
words and pictures by
the coastalsoul,
Rod Frew
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coastalsoul
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 11:30 am
Ya it's pretty big all right!
90feet & twenty tons!
Who knew 20 tons of steel would float...( Matt did !)laffs
The angles are about 3' for the upwind launch side and then
then one foot flat section' & 2' on the other side
and it's over 5' through the middle
you can see the angles clearly in one of the pix and
In another , Paul one of the guys who helped is standing next to it.
We are hoping to get in place the next day or two but everything stops daily when it gets windy. Grins
Rod
90feet & twenty tons!
Who knew 20 tons of steel would float...( Matt did !)laffs
The angles are about 3' for the upwind launch side and then
then one foot flat section' & 2' on the other side
and it's over 5' through the middle
you can see the angles clearly in one of the pix and
In another , Paul one of the guys who helped is standing next to it.
We are hoping to get in place the next day or two but everything stops daily when it gets windy. Grins
Rod
