A group of 20+ people signed up for this year’s larger-than-normal work weekend at Clear Lake, to get the cabin ready for the summer season.
As you all know, the dock got seriously damaged during the winter storms, with a couple of sections deemed unfit for further use. One section in particular was so damaged that it would have been unsafe to let guests use the dock, so this needed replacing.
YSC vice president Solveig Barnes, Clear Lake cabin master Dave Conroy, and club member Allen Hinkelman planned and organized this massive repair project, and pulled it off with flying colors. There were some snags along the way, but the team was so focused on getting the work done, they innovated solutions on the spot, and we were able to build the new dock section, AND have it towed across the lake in one weekend.
There were many factors that contributed to this successful work weekend, but most would agree that the main key to the high level of productivity was being well fed. Seti Shay took on the huge responsibility of cooking for us all, making sure we stayed hydrated (Saturday was HOT!) and never got hangry. Every single meal was a treat!
Fred and Lisa Barnes assisted with invaluable help, letting us use their trailer to tow the dock to the launch ramp, and their boat to tow the dock across the lake. And they kept the spirit of the team up by just being pretty darn awesome people!
Saturday was a hot day. While one crew worked on building the new dock, another group started demolishing and disassembling the damaged sections, a job that seemed to give the workers a bit of satisfaction as they got to swing heavy tools to break things.
We also had one group focused on staining the deck, which our local caretaker Rick McCann had power-washed before we all got up there. Rick’s diligence in looking after our cabin is truly amazing. He checks in on the cabin almost daily and sends frequent reports and updates if anything happens or needs repairing.
Another group went to work on all the outdoor furniture, power-washing the tables and benches, and then giving them a fresh coat of paint.
And inside the cabin we had help from electrician Monica Anderson who fixed a lot of malfunctioning wiring. Monica is a new member, and this huge work weekend was her first club event! We hope we didn’t scare her off… 🙂
In the kitchen, Erde went to town on the messy pantry, an area in dire need of cleaning. He spent the ENTIRE weekend throwing away old food, cleaning all the shelves, organizing the remaining items, and also adding labels to the shelves. It’s been decades since the pantry was this clean!
We also transformed the cabin from winter use to summer use. In the winter we have beds in the two smaller rooms and the women’s locker room, but in the summer the smaller rooms become storage, especially the cabin master’s room that holds the sound system and speakers, plus numerous boxes of party supplies, the first aid kit etc.
Saturday was also the day of the Celebration of Life for the club’s long-time member Carsten Johansen. As some people were not able to attend it because of the work weekend, at exactly 4pm, we stopped work for a bit, and raised a toast to Carsten. Those who knew him well explained to the others just how much Clear Lake and the club meant to Carsten. One thing that people found particularly endearing was how much he liked people, and that he used to say “the best ship is friendship”. SkÃ¥l Carsten!
There is also an old shed at the back of the cabin, that barely anyone, except rodents, has dared venture into. Dave and Jesper bravely masked up and went to work, and cleaned out SO much stuff!
As the old dock parts were removed, the new dock section reached finished stage, and we got to the major task of getting it into water.
There are still a few minor things to fix, like putting boards on top of the new dock section, and securing it in place. Plus a few clean-up things in and around the cabin. But we got SO much work done this weekend. A huge THANK YOU to Solveig, Allen and Dave for planning and putting this all together, and to Seti for feeding this hungry and rowdy bunch.
And a big heartfelt thank you to all who volunteered their time and energy:
- Dave
- Solveig
- Allen
- Seti
- Jo
- Henrik
- Jeanette
- Lotti
- Erdmann
- Ramesh
- Fred
- Lisa
- Carsten
- Jesper
- Monica
- Eric
- Ryan
- Andrew
- Annelie
- Ryan
- Rick
- Jens
Seriously, we could not have done it without you! Here’s to a great Clear Lake season!
(And did you all notice how high the water level is now?! The lake is refilled, and clearer than it has been in many years!)
Incredible work, gang! 🤗🤩😲