To our Courageous community:
I’m writing with new information and developments around Pier 4. As you’ve likely heard, Pier 4 will be undergoing emergency repairs throughout this year to address structural issues; you can read our original announcement here.
A follow-up engineering assessment, conducted March 10, makes it clear that we won’t be able to use the pier for programming or floating dock access this season; in fact, the floating dock will be detached from the pier to relieve lateral stress and allow for repair to the pilings. While our Pier 4 home gets the TLC that it needs, we’ll be moving temporarily.
Over the past few weeks we've been working very closely and productively with the BPDA to develop and implement a backup plan. Our current leading options for a 2022 home base and floating dock location involve using some combination of our neighboring Pier 3, a reconfiguration of our current slip, and potentially other nearby sites. The BPDA is working through some regulatory steps now, and we anticipate that by mid-April, we will have more information on the viability of these options and any other possibilities that are brought forward.
If you’re a part of our adult or youth programming, I’m sure your head is spinning with questions right now–so are ours! As you can imagine, it will be no small feat to detach and move our floating docks, get our cruising boats into the water (using a crane on a barge, since we can’t risk the weight of a crane on the pier), and equip a temporary home with the headquarters and tents we need. In spite of these challenges, we are rallying to make it all happen. Both we and the City understand what’s at stake, and we're unified in our commitment to making sure Courageous is able to serve the needs of the people who count on us each season, especially the hundreds of kids and families who depend on Courageous for a safe, inclusive environment and engaging summer learning opportunities. We can’t thank the City and our community enough for all the support that we are receiving. DC Beane, the construction company on Pier 3, has already promised to help in every way possible, and the City will be taking on the task of moving our docks.
While this summer will look and feel a bit different from what we’re used to, we’re confident that we will be able to run our usual programming for our members and students. We expect to be able to start adult Learn To Sail courses on schedule, and we are hopeful that member access to Courageous boats will not be delayed; we will have a better sense of the timeline and logistics by mid-April. Right now, we’re planning to offer our full summer youth program.
We will, of course, keep you updated as we learn more. As a member of our Courageous community, you–not a pier!–are what makes us what we are, and with your help and understanding, we’ll navigate this set of challenges together.
All the best,
