THUNDER BAY — Anxious to get back onto the water for the start of the season, some sailboat owners are facing a delay.
The City of Thunder Bay reopened the marina on schedule on May 15, but users then learned that a crane used to hoist masts is out of operation.
City officials didn't become aware of the problem in time to have repairs completed for opening day.
"There's a handful of boaters that still make use of it. It's used for basically hoisting and holding a mast in place while it's being installed," said Cory Halvorsen, manager of parks and open spaces for the city. "If the mast is large enough, they require the use of the crane."
Halvorsen said the crane has been in service for a number of years.
"During our startup inspections, around May 1, we identified there were a couple of issues going on with the handle required to operate it. It requires a custom repair. There was just no part we could purchase, so we had to reach out to the appropriate contractor to come up with a solution, and that took a little bit of time. That's being worked on right now."
He said the inspection also turned up some issues with the electrical panel, possibly caused by "physical contact" of some kind, and that vandals had removed some grounding wire.
"That's being worked on as well. It should be in service no later than the end of this week. Both areas should be repaired."
