The Monongahela Monitor is back in the river after the winter lay-up. The river has been high. That and the fact that we've been replacing the deck has caused a delay in our spring launch. But the river has fallen and is today about 9.5 feet. Still that is about 10,000 cubic feet of water per second coming over the dam at Morgantown. So there's still a substantial current.

Regardless, we're bringing the boat upriver this evening to dock at the Morgantown marina for our summer cleanup schedule. (Mark at Mark's Marine Repair told me I had to get going). First one is scheduled for this Sunday, May 29. If you want to join us, please email me at tterman@mail.wvu.edu. We'd leave the dock around 9:30 - 10 a.m. and be back around 1:30 p.m.

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Mon River Monitor 2011 Summer Schedule

We leave around 9 a.m. and get back to the dock around 1:30 p.m. Send me an e-mail if you'd like to participate. The address is under my profile at the left.

May

Sunday, 29

June

Saturday, 11

Sunday, 19

Saturday, 25

July

Sunday, 10

Saturday, 2

Saturday, 16

August

Sunday, 21

Sunday, 28

September

Sunday, 4

Sunday, 11

Sunday, 18

October

Sunday, 16

Sunday, 23

New Deck for the Monitor

We started working on replacing the Monitor's foredeck back in April. It's been a long process, but we are almost finished. New 3/4 inch treated plywood deck with a coat of fiberglass resin to seal it all around. We are now putting the deck back onto the boat.

I'm being helped by Chris Wilson, above, an old friend whom I met either in Key West or in Louisville - I can't recall. The boat is at its usual winter layup location, Mark's Marine Repair. Here he is removing the railing before removing the old, rotted, deck.

Below, with deck removed. This has been an expensive process - the lumber and the fiberglass resin are quite expensive. So, we will happily accept donations to help pay for the much-needed repairs. Please go to this site to help, and thanks! http://www.magicriverwv.com/Mon.html

I will have a cleanup schedule posted soon so that those of you who want to volunteer can plan ahead.