storage for vintage Pocock rowing shells

[Mike Sullivan]

Scullers

Need your local knowledge and help.    A good friend of mine,  Conn Findlay, last year finally approved me rescuing his fleet of wood Pocock rowing shells from the 50s and 60s. 

These were stored at his house in a shelter for years, a few years ago the shelter collapsed, damaging the shells.    I've adopted the responsibility to find a place to preserve these boats.   Conn(90) has been suffering the effects of senile dementia made worse by his wife dying and him being moved to a care facility against his will.    As he got used to the facility,  he finally calmed down and I could get him to participate in the decision making.

This is conn:
Conn Findlay

Conn Findlay Findlay won gold medals in rowing at the 1956 and the 1964 Summer Olympics, and took a bronze at the 1960 Games,...

The reason Conn had all these boats, is that he collected them and rented them out to new rowing programs for 30 years.   Pretty much all of the west coast rowing programs that started from 1965 on, rented boats and oars from Conn to get themselves going.    He rented them at dirt cheap prices, and traveled about maintaining and repairing his boats.

Long term,  I am trying to get these boats to be stored and preserved up in Seattle as part of the Stan Pocock foundation.   They are willing but don't have a place for them just yet.  

Neither I or they have a clear idea or definitely not a game plan for what should be done with these boats.   They all have some sort of damage, some quite severe.  So it's a lot of work to take basically a leap of faith.    

It occurred to me that there might be a lot of available space in ag buildings around Lake County.   With the shrinking of the pear and walnut industries,  I believe a lot of former packing and drying facilities may sit empty.    I also realize that it's likely long term these will end up finding uses,  probably the cannibus industry.

But,  please help me find a place to temporarily store under a roof, probably two dozen eights and fours.   it would be nice if it were reasonably secure,  but the main goal is a roof to keep sun and rain off.    I can likely raise money among rowing people in the country to pay some rent,  but there's nobody I can imagine that has a marketing idea for these boats.   I have a couple thoughts, so do the people at Pocock in Seattle, but no clear idea.

The space area I'd prolly need is 70 ft by 30 I think.   

what I could use is:
space you know about, and who to talk to

a friendly contact that might help

Please respond to my email and not to the clearlakescullers group on this.  phone call ok, but if you call, text my number first saying you're going to call me.   I've been getting dozens of spam calls from 707 so not picking up 707 numbers.   This was a mistake I made, my own damn fault!

Thanks

Mike

 707-349-9779