Painting the docks

When we arrived back at CYC yesterday, Mark and I noticed that the staff was busy taping Middle Dock in preparation for painting. We both thought that we read something in "Docklines" that there would be no painting on the docks now that the new docks were completed. We found yesterday that others on our dock had a similar understanding.

Is our CYC website a place where this can be discussed before painting begins (since it can't be "undone" once it happens)? Mark and I are opposed to painting for a number of reasons and we wonder what others think.

Thanks for the forum.
Annette Thrasher (Mirage- Middle Dock 220)

Annette:

The decision the Board made regarding painting the "finger piers only" was made after more than several members, from all the docks, expressed concern about boarding their boats at night. The Board took the concerns under advisement and came to the conclusion that the main docks are very well lit, but the finger piers can be a little treacherous. The finger piers can be very dark at night, especially if there are two aft cabins or similar tall boats side by side, and the distance between the boats and the finger piers changes constantly depending on the tide. The choices the Board had were to spend a lot of money and fully illuminate the finger piers, spend a lot less money and make the edges more visible, or do nothing and risk having a member, who may not be in the best physical condition, fall in the water. The end result was a decision to take the middle road in the interest of safety.

I certainly would be interested in hearing your reasons for not painting. Other than the maintenance (every two years or so) I don't really see a down side.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) however you may feel, the members elect a Board to make decisions concerning the facility. Other than borrowing money or changing the Bylaws, the elected Board is tasked with making decisions. That's not to say we don't come to conclusions by talking and communicating with members. I would venture to say this is one of the most open Boards I've ever been a part of. However, if every decision was put out to the entire membership, I doubt that very much would get accomplished.

I look forward to your response.

Steve

We believe that painted docks are more likely to be a hazard than unpainted docks. When painted docks get wet they become slippery. The idea of stepping on and off the boat onto a painted strip of wood, which is likely to be wet (from rain, hosing, etc) seems to me to be more dangerous.

Maintenance is a secondary concern and while I'm sure the staff will do an excellent job of painting initially, in the past we've seen that the additional coats over the years end up looking badly.

Finally, I did not suggest that the Board involve the entire membership in making every decision. I simply requested verification of what we thought we had read in an earlier article and an explanation for the change. Thanks for the explanation.

I'd still like to know what others think, if anyone cares to share their thoughts.

x

We realized there were issues with not only the paint we used in the past, but also the manner in which it was applied. Initially we considered a gritty non skid paint or tape. After cost and durability analysis we determined that a preservative deck paint made by the same company who supplies our aft deck stain would be the best solution. The paint we used before was latex based and was more suitable for exterior walls. The paint we are using now is specifically made for decks. Using a wooden deck specified paint will help eliminate the slips we have all experienced from either dew or icy edges on the finger piers. Having the staff do the work will provide a more professional job and painting will remain a maintenance item for the staff in the future.

A flashlight in hand at night on the docks is a great idea by itself. Unfortunately we can't guarantee that everyone is going to bring the flashlight along at sunset that they're going to need in three hours when they head back to their boat.

This decision was not made lightly. It first came up in the March Board meeting when the re-decking was completed and members were starting to voice their opinions. We consulted with Hank Hedges on West Dock, who was kind enough to lend his expertise in safety related issues on what would work best for this application. We looked at samples from different manufacturers to make sure we had something that would work. In the end we came up with this solution and we authorized the expenditure for the purchase and application of the paint on the finger piers.

Members fall in the water all the time, for whatever reason, and I'm sure they will continue to do so. Painting the finger piers is certainly not a cure all, but I believe it's a good step in the direction of safety for the membership.

Steve

Steve, It sounds as if you have done your homework to do it right this time. To me it sounds like a communication issue. When people saw their brand new docks being painted without knowing why and flashbacks to the way they used to look caused some concern.