The Fixer Upper

Over the years we've enjoyed the rustic building that houses the marina-campground office. It always appeared as if it had seen better days, however, it had a certain charm we all enjoyed. As we enjoyed the building, I've been concerned that is would succumb to the forces that work to return all things back to their natural state.

The office building was greatly out of level which resulted in large gaps to form around windows and doors. The exterior paint had weathered to a point where there was as much bare wood as painted surface in some places. The crab cooking area had only a roof over it. When the cold wind blew off the bay, a tarp had to be stretched across the bay side of the crab cooking area. This had been very effective for many years even though it didn't look very attractive.

A very rustic office building beginning to look better — Photo by Nora

Last year when we arrived, one scene that jumped out at us was the freshly painted sign at the entrance and the new paint on one side of the office building. However, it was still out of level and tilting a little bit. At first I thought this might be nothing more than a cosmetic approach to give a fresh appearance to the old crumbling building.

This year I was pleased to see that the paint job of the previous year, on one wall. was just the beginning of a thorough remodeling job on the old structure. Upon closer inspection, there were new double paned windows installed all around the building. The step into the front door was noticeably higher due the floor being raised to bring the structure back to being level. From the outside, I saw that the crab cooking area was gone with a new floor assembly in its place.

New crab cooking area floor being built despite rain

New floor as viewed from the office

There were piles of structural lumber and plywood nearby that would be used to construct a new crab cooking area. I thought that there would be a simple replacement of the floor and roofed area of the old cooking area. As we would find out during our stay, a whole new addition was going to be built.

Construction of new crab cooking area is coming along

Even though it would be raining, the construction continued. Somebody in our group said that if rain were to stop construction, nothing in Oregon would get built. The only thing that stalled the effort was the wind. It was considered too hazardous to install the roof sheathing when the wind was blowing. When it was time for our group to head for home, the walls and the rafters were finished. On the bay side the walls were made up mostly of multiple paned windows. This would keep the wind out of the cooking area while affording a very nice view overlooking the dock with the bay seen as a backdrop in the distance.

Construction halted due to wind — Unsafe to install roof sheathing

New cooking area as seen from inside the office

It is apparent that the new management is planning to improve the facilities, making for a nicer marina and campground experience for the patrons. What I like is that the old office building is being fixed up while maintaining the rustic appeal of the aging structure. To me, this is an important feature that contributes to the overall ambiance of the fishing camp.

This is how the office building looked by the end of our stay

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