Can you believe it is October already? My first season working at a marina since 1995 is already coming to close. It is a short season. As a business we are pretty busy from about mid-April until the end of November, but for most boat owners, the season is not much longer than 8-weeks.
The photo above shows boats that are already winterized and ready to go to our indoor winter boat storage facility.
After labour day we still have a good number of boats in the harbour but you seldom see them used. Once the kids are back in school and most summer vacations are done, it seems there is little time left to go boating. If your boat is still in the water or not yet winterized, you should really make the effort to get out for that last ride. Boating in the fall is a different experience. The sun is in a different place on the horizon which makes for different and exciting vibrant colours at sunset. Sunset comes much earlier so you can get out on the water, catch the sunset and be back home in time for your favourite TV show. And speaking of colours... you really should spend some time admiring the majestic Gatineau Park from a different vantage point. Checking out the fall leaves in Gatineau Park is a popular pastime for many Ottawa residents and Champlain lookout is one of the main attractions. What do you see from there? You see Port of Call Marina on the mighty Ottawa River.
Champlain lookout offers a great view of our river from afar. Why not get in your boat and enjoy the fall colours of Gatineau Park from afar too?
I really enjoyed working here this summer and meeting so many great people. Working at a marina is unlike any other job. There is just something about the water that brings a bit of inner peace. The people we work with- while busy, are generally happy and we always feel good when we can help someone enjoy their boat. We are going to be really busy now for a couple more months and then we will do winter things until we start the whole process over again.
One of the major services we provide is custom dock construction and maintenance. Our protected harbour is the only thing that prevents many docks from destruction. This picture shows that we are already preparing to store them for the winter.
We still shrinkwrap a number of boats for storage in the yard.
Every dog has it's day! These boats and docks have provided decades of enjoyment, but now is the time for them to go to the boat graveyard.
