#1:   Randive Inc.  of Perth Amboy, NJ, a commercial diving firm that specializes in underwater ship inspection, maintenance, and repair, and its owner Kurt Erlandson donated the services of a dive team to inspect the dock pilings and underwater dock support beams and make photo documentation of their condition. 
        The inspection was an important first step in helping  the Foundation  decide how to replace the dock.  Randive's generous contribution makes it possible for the Foundation to conserve its limited resources for other parts of the replacement project. 

#2:  The National Trust for Historic Preservation has awarded the Foundation a planning grant to help pay for the cost of an engineering review, drafting construction drawings, and obtaining preliminary cost estimates for actual construction of a new docking system.
         The $2,500 grant from the Trust's Preservation Fund for Sussex County, must be matched dollar-for-dollar by local contributions.  The Trust grant -- and its match -- will cover only about a third of the planning costs, but is an important part of getting to the actual construction phase.

#3   The Foundation has chosen Duffield Associates of Wilmington, DE, as the engineering firm to do the initial engineering work for the dock repairs.  In addition to having considerable expertise in this area, Duffield has been a contractor for the U.S. Coast Guard in the past when repairs were necessary at Harbor of Refuge Light Station and, so, is familiar with the property and its challenges.

#4   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with monies from emergency supplemental funding to help repair damages inflicted by last winter's severe storms along the Delaware coast, is preparing to stabilize portions of the Harbor of Refuge Breakwater where storms did extensive damage in the vicinity of the Harbor of Refuge Light Station.  The Foundation hopes to be able to coordinate its dock repairs with breakwater repairs planned by the Corps.  If that is possible, dock work could be completed sooner and with less cost than previously believed. 

#5   Come back to keep up to date on the status of work.

Delaware Breakwater East End
Improvements Nearing Completion

The Delaware River & Bay Authority (DRBA) is almost finished making a set of repairs and  improvements at  Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse.   

The $255,000 contract included safety features, three new doors, and repair of the concrete foundation at the base of the caisson.  Work was carried out under a contract to RKF Mark III under the supervision of DRBA’s senior project engineer Joe Volk. 

The largest part of the work was repair of the foundation where the concrete was cracking and breaking away.  Contractors installed a close-fitting fiberglass form around the foundation, filled it with new concrete, sealed it, and finished it with a cement-like covering.  As a result, the now reinforced foundation once again has the smooth, gray-ish look of new concrete, which has been always been its appearance. 

In addition, new doors were (or will be) installed at the main entry way, the watch room level, and in the lantern room to replace old ones that were rusted through and in some cases nearly inoperable.  The new door in the lantern room is especially welcome as it will allow ventilation into the tiny cubicle which was blistering hot when the old door could not be opened during summer tours. The doors were designed by DRBA’s historical subcontractor John Milnar and Associates to replicate the original ones.  Safety features included new metal railings for the dock, stairs, and landing at the main entry to the lighthouse.