There is always a seaweed problem unless it is cleared on a regular basis. Club O used to have a Kubota tractor with a rake on the rear to clear the seaweed. They would clear it every morning. I imagine the Kubota got swept back to Japan (or someplace else) in the hurricane. Don't know what they are using today.

I read on another online blog that the folks running the Perch Lite are raking the seaweed every morning

Originally posted by thedeputydog

I read on another online blog that the folks running the Perch Lite are raking the seaweed every morning

That's the way the businesses on the other part of Orient Beach handle it, but Club O has such a long stretch of beach, a tractor was necessary. Without the tractor I imagine they are only cleaning a portion of it where they set up the chairs.

That could very well be. The blog entry was vague but the poster said that the Perch Lite chair guys raked the seaweed each morning they were there.

They are doing a great job cleaning the beach. One day it was very heavy and they were short handed. We borrowed the rake from Alan and everyone passed the rake down. We made piles. They haul off the piles in a wheelbarrow. It is tough when it is wet so the guys waited.
The beach is great.
carib cheers,
doctorj

They are still doing a great job keeping the beach clean and getting the chairs set up. Someone wanted pics of the Perch lite, so we took some yesterday. Will probably have to wait until we get home though as we have spotty internet. And, yes, I am in one or two of them.

Before you leave would you ask if they will be set up for the week of September 8th to the 15th so I'll know whether I need to bring my own food and drink? Thanx ahead of time for that plus the upcoming pix

There is really no need to ask as they are there for the long haul. Of course something could change twixt now and then. If I can remember I will ask tomorrow.

Thanx. I remember hearing that Club O usually was shut down during September so I was just wondering if the Perch will stay open. I'm hoping they will

That thought crossed my mind yesterday as I was responding. My take is, this is not really a Club O operation; it is run by the employees, so I imagine if they want to keep it going to make a little extra money they will do so. I will try and remember to ask in an hour or so when we get to the beach.

Thanks so much for the updates. We'll be there for Christmas and hoping that the progress they've made keeps rolling along. Did you hear anything about when Club O will start to do some rebuilding?

There has been nothing done since we have been here. It seems they could be doing demo on the units that can't be saved and clean up the ones that have been reduced to a pile of rubble?47 through 53 or so. But none of that has been done.

I was disheartened until I talked to the owner yesterday. My feeling was that it wasn't going to come back. I mean it has been 9 months since the storm. I would expect to see the property cleaned up with new construction well under way as it is farther to the north of the beach, for several hundred yards on either side of the Village. But nothing. The owner said it would come back and that a tremendous amount of work has been done since the storm. Getting payment from the insurance carrier has been slow and appears to be the major stumbling block. I hope the carrier had the risk spread amongst different carriers, as they do in the US, to guard against a catastrophic loss such as this.

So, based on what we have seen, I don't think Club O will be in operation, even on a small scale, by Christmas. I hope there is a lot of progress being made by then. We shall see, and you can give us the reports as we will in the frozen north by then.

Thanks for the reports. Updates and progress reports are always better from people with flip flops on the ground. Looks like we will be looking for a different place to stay next April. In the meantime, have a great stay!

Life's a beach!

Originally posted by thedeputydog

Thanx. I remember hearing that Club O usually was shut down during September so I was just wondering if the Perch will stay open. I'm hoping they will

I asked and the word is, yes, they will be there during September.

Thank you very much.