As with many public works projects around St. Barth, the new boardwalk has just been completed in time for the holiday season. I think readers will a

[Voosh]

But then, what the heck do I know? Being a "sea rat" at times, this looked just fine to me -

The wood docks are just fine. Try replacing the new one (that looks beautiful) after a big time weather thing.

 

[NYCFred]

We have to spend some $$ at the beach on the newly acquired boat basin...it's in my town, association bought it from a private maniac about 3 years ago...

Electric + decking. I'm actually thinking Trex or similar, because I don't want to have to re-do it in ten years at the taxpayer's expense....

Tim? next time you're by the quay, dump a bucket of water on the stone. I'm just curious....LOL

 

[NYCFred]

I love it! I call it the "baby" quay because it is where dinghies and small boats tie-up. Dan prefers the traditional planks but I agree with Diana---won't have to worry about catching my heels. Progress is good...sometimes.

Maybe you can get the stone masons over to the parking lot at "Trois Forces"?

 

[Petri]

I imagine it will get slippery when it freezes!

To avoid that, it should be heated!

Here they are building all the new/rebuilt sidewalks in downtown with heating for the winter. They've calculated that the heating with central heating costs less than ordinary winter maintenance in the long term.

 

[NYCFred]

I imagine it will get slippery when it freezes!

To avoid that, it should be heated!

Here they are building all the new/rebuilt sidewalks in downtown with heating for the winter. They've calculated that the heating with central heating costs less than ordinary winter maintenance in the long term.

Not to mention the impact of the rock salt on the environment and the cost to buy and apply.
You guys use that stuff too, right?

 

[MIke R]

Fred....Trex rocks...the stuff is amazing...

George...the dock would have never buckled like in the picture if:
A: It was built strong and correctly
B. It was built at least a foot above the highest historical water mark

both of which clearly didn't happen

 

[Voosh]

Fred....Trex rocks...the stuff is amazing...

George...the dock would have never buckled like in the picture if:
A: It was built strong and correctly
B. It was built at least a foot above the highest historical water mark

both of which clearly didn't happen

Aw sh*t Mike. Who ever plans ahead?

Just let the "boats" come in - mooring spot and electricity. No problem. Nobody's there when weather makes a mess. The good folks of SBH make it seem like magic when anyone shows up.

And, yes, why use commonsense when building?

 

[MIke R]

do it right and you only have to do it once

 

[JEK]

George...the dock would have never buckled like in the picture if:
A: It was built strong and correctly
B. It was built at least a foot above the highest historical water mark

both of which clearly didn't happen

I think this is the little surge that did the dock in. More than a little high tide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lGHzuRBONI

 

[Petri]

I imagine it will get slippery when it freezes!

To avoid that, it should be heated!

Here they are building all the new/rebuilt sidewalks in downtown with heating for the winter. They've calculated that the heating with central heating costs less than ordinary winter maintenance in the long term.

Not to mention the impact of the rock salt on the environment and the cost to buy and apply.
You guys use that stuff too, right?

Not on the sidewalks or where people walk.

.. but on roads, yes. But it's mainly to avoid icy roads around +-0C, it doesn't work when it gets too cold and it's not used for snow as such, only if there's a big risk that the snow(ish) will melt and freeze to ice. The mixture of studded and studless winter tires make a big difference during the ordinary winter, the studs add friction to the snowy road by breaking the surface, that helps the studless drivers. (not talking about the m+s tires but the real stuff..)

I believe it's chemical NaCl and not mined rock salt. It also contains natrium ferrocyanide so that it spreads better. There's also some sort of biodegrading anti-icing alternatives.

When I lived in Amsterdam it was funny that people started throwing salt everywhere when it started to snow. Friends who have lived in Germany and Switzerland also complained that it was quite a hell with all the salt.

 

[MIke R]

George...the dock would have never buckled like in the picture if:
A: It was built strong and correctly
B. It was built at least a foot above the highest historical water mark

both of which clearly didn't happen

I think this is the little surge that did the dock in. More than a little high tide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lGHzuRBONI

historical high water marks don't necessarily come from high tides..they come from storm surges just like that one ..and if the boards are spaced correctly and reinforced correctly, the water simply goes through the dock rather than lifting it up.....I'm telling you the docks up here see far more forces from storm surge, ice and other extraneous forces than what Omar created for them...and year in year out they don't budge....maybe a few boards here and there over time, and good to go

but hey...they got a pretty looking sidewalk...I'll give them that...its just not a dock

time will tell if it was a good idea or not

 

[Voosh]

Down here we us calcium chloride stuff. Doesn't burn the grass or shrubs like rock salt.

Up north it's just pure (contaminated }:| ) sand on the roads.

 

[MIke R]

sand..its all we use here..and it works....if you need more than sand than maybe you shouldn't be doing winter driving...the other stuff is brutal on both the land and the groundwater..

in Colorado they used magnesium chloride which was really nasty stuff...just destroyed car exhaust systems and brakes

 

[elgreaux]

Mike... I agree with JEK, the storm that took out the wooden dock had surges over 15ft with high winds pounding the water onto the shore. They can't build the dock 15 feet higher than sea level.... so their assumption is that the concrete one is better. wait and see...

 

[MIke R]

ellen..highly highly unlikely the surge was over 15 feet...the waterfront businesses would have been completely wiped out......the Great Hurricane of 1938 which struck Long Island and New England had a 10 foot surge..the Hurricane of 1900 which killed thousands of people in Galveston had a storm surge of 15 feet ...a 10 feet surge is known to be fairly catastrophic with much property damage and loss of life..Katrina was between 15 and 20 feet


.. but yeah I hear ya.....time will certainly tell

 

[NYCFred]

ellen..highly highly unlikely the surge was over 15 feet...the waterfront businesses would have been completely wiped out......the Great Hurricane of 1938 which struck Long Island and New England had a 10 foot surge..the Hurricane of 1900 which killed thousands of people in Galveston had a storm surge of 15 feet ...a 10 feet surge is known to be fairly catastrophic with much property damage and loss of life..Katrina was between 15 and 20 feet


.. but yeah I hear ya.....time will certainly tell

Looks pretty nasty on this one....

I'm surprised the old dock held together as well as it did...doesn't look too windy, tho...

 

[MIke R]

yup...its nasty for sure..but no way its a 15 feet + surge..I've lived through 5-7 feet storms surges in winter storms on the Cape whe I lived there full time, and it looks more like that than anything else

 

[amyb]

I agree it looks bad. So two things I learned this week-Don't mess with Mother Nature and for sure don't screw around with Mrs. Woods!!

 

[Cheri]

[

Looks pretty nasty on this one....

I'm surprised the old dock held together as well as it did...doesn't look too windy, tho...

It does look pretty nasty. I can't tell where this video was taken ....is it the ferry terminal in Gustavia?

And the new walkway IS beautiful!

 

[Grey]

Amyb, that was funny!