Floating dock splash test successful

After a weigh-in at the local truck stop, Charlotte Harbor Regatta volunteer Peter Welch drove his van and trailer across the Gilchrist Bridge to Charlotte Harbor where more volunteers awaited the arrival of the first of 22 floating docks to be built by CHR volunteers for the 2012 International Association for Disabled Sailing World Championships. Slowly but surely on a warm, humid July morning, the hoist at Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club lowered the 1,700-pound floating dock into the calm waters of the marina basin, completing a remarkable journey for the dock and the hard-working volunteers and generous supporters of Charlotte Harbor Regatta, Inc.

The successful float test was followed by a celebratory cookout at CHYC and set the stage for the construction of the remaining 21 docks at Coral Ridge Condo Association in Punta Gorda by the volunteer team led by Roger Strube and Jack MacDonald. MacDonald steered the committee through a month-long design and vendor bidding process, while Strube organized and led a two dozen-strong team of workers on the construction of the prototype dock. Before the week was out, the second dock was already under construction.

As noted in previous posts, the docks are being funded by a $50,000 grant from Charlotte County and a $10,000 donation from Michael Simmons, who, like Strube, is also providing warehouse space for the project. The project will continue throughout the summer and fall, along with planning and fund-raising for the prestigious 2012 IFDS Worlds, the first-ever world championship in any sport to be held in Charlotte County.

First IFDS dock ready to splash

Charlotte Harbor Regatta dock committee co-chairman Roger Strube, right, and CHR director Doug Shore display a banner provided by Charlotte County, which granted the organization $50,000 toward the construction of the docks for the 2012 IFDS Worlds.

The first of 22 8-by-16-foot floating docks being built by Charlotte Harbor Regatta Inc., volunteers will be launched and evaluated on Saturday, July 23 at Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club in Charlotte Harbor, Florida, site of the 2012 International Association for Disabled Sailing World Championships. The docks are being funded with a grant from Charlotte County and private donations, including a $10,000 donation from Punta Gorda winter resident Michael Simmons. They will be installed at Punta Gorda's Laishley Park Municipal Marina for the Jan. 7-15, 2012 IFDS Worlds. The docks also will be used for an earlier international event, the 2011 2.4mR Pre-Worlds, set for Dec. 8-10, 2011 at Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club. The 2.4mR design is one of the three Paralympic classes that will be participating in the 2012 IFDS Worlds. The dock committee, led by co-chairmen Jack MacDonald and Roger Strube, will be testing the nearly one-ton dock for a variety of safety and performance criteria.