A wharf owned by a local yacht club in Conception Bay South, NL was devastated by a recent winter storm, leaving both the dock and boats damaged.
Last week’s severe blizzard event managed to breach the pier’s breakwater (a structure built to protect wharfs from powerful waves), exposing the vessels of the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club to large waves.
“A large section, probably about 300-plus metres long, [was] completely breached and that allowed the waves and the storm surge to come right in and impact our wharf,” Commodore Larry LeDrew of the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club told CBC News.
LeDrew added that one of the club’s main wharfs was practically destroyed by the massive waves.
The town of Conception Bay South has announced that it will begin emergency repairs on the breakwater.
“This work will involve numerous large excavators and a watercraft. Given the risk to public safety, and due to concerns regarding future property and infrastructure damage, emergency repair efforts will be ongoing 24 hours a day, until the emergency repairs are completed,” the town explained in a statement.
In addition to the breakwater, four of the club’s yachts were damaged by the storm.
Although the breakwater is the town’s responsibility, the wharf belongs to the yacht club and is uninsured.
“Obviously we’ll all be looking at what’s available from disaster relief funding, since this is a disaster that’s unprecedented here in this area,” LeDrew said.
The commodore noted that the damaged boats at least have insurance through their individual owners, but the wharf has no storm surge insurance.
“It’s going to be a huge job,” he commented.
