Earl
- Thread starter Jfelkins
- Start date
- Status
The weather is just perfect, beautiful, up here in Maine. It's what people I know from the tidewater area of VA call hurricane weather.
I've got a bad feeling about this one, a new anchor rated for a boat up to 47 feet (mine is 32) and am headed out to buy some more chain an shackles for a three anchor spread.
Well, Jfelkins, we're still alive here...BUT,
The Nags Head area is rapidly sinking under the weight of news media satellite trucks.... and it's only Tuesday !
Lets see, ... behind Earl is Fiona, then another "area of disturbance" building behind Fiona, and 3 more lined up over Africa...
The weather men and news media people will soon be so giddy that they will all be on life support ...
But don't worry about them, like Wolf Blitzer (20 years ago when the bombing started in Bagdad), they will run away or crawl under a desk if things get to looking even "sorta" bad.
However, the guys I admire most are the idiots that actually travel to, and "hunker down" in, the worst of one of these storms to get great video (that they can sell, of course) .. now these crazies are REALLY true capitalist newsmen .
Getting nervous. Just re-read the hurricane stuff on the BoatUS site. My boat is usually on its 500lb mushroom mooring and I was thinking about hauling it, but my marina is likely to get hit pretty hard in a surge and is only about 6-8 feet above high tide as it is.
I am thinking that I will leave her in the water and:
strip off the sails,
run the halyards to the top of the mast with a messenger,
remove all lines on deck,
plug the engine exhaust,
charge up my batteries,
close all the sea cocks,
secure loose gear below,
lengthen my mooring pendants
run two additional pendants through snatch blocks aft to the winches
add chafing gear to all pendants
check my standing rigging
duct tape over all hatches and deck openings
seal my cockpit controls / instruments with duct tape and plastic
photograph my preparations for insurance purposes
Any other advice? Should I drop an anchor in addition to the mooring? I only have a couple of 20ish pound danforths. Run the danforths (set in a spread pattern) to the boat or to the base of the mooring ball?
I am thinking that I will leave her in the water and:
strip off the sails,
run the halyards to the top of the mast with a messenger,
remove all lines on deck,
plug the engine exhaust,
charge up my batteries,
close all the sea cocks,
secure loose gear below,
lengthen my mooring pendants
run two additional pendants through snatch blocks aft to the winches
add chafing gear to all pendants
check my standing rigging
duct tape over all hatches and deck openings
seal my cockpit controls / instruments with duct tape and plastic
photograph my preparations for insurance purposes
Any other advice? Should I drop an anchor in addition to the mooring? I only have a couple of 20ish pound danforths. Run the danforths (set in a spread pattern) to the boat or to the base of the mooring ball?
Bob,
Just curious: what kind of preparations do you see going on aboard the crazy pirate ship tied up at the town dock? Do you think she can ride out the storm there without taking down the dock or is there any risk of her skating across the harbor taking out boats as she goes?
Good luck. Sounds like you are doing all the right things. Even if the forecasts change, I'm going to use this as a dry run for the big one, scout out a few hurricane holes, and practice deploying my three anchor system and all my chain. Just bought another 60 bucks worth of shackles and am loading all my spare line in the car to take down to the boat.
Roger,
Do you stay on the boat? If you find a remote area how do you get home? I'm on a 500 mushroom mooring and will be doing the same thing BobM is doing. Unless Earl hits to the west of us the winds should be favorable for Buzzards Bay coming off the land which helps with waves. We had a couple last year that stayed out to sea but they weren't as strong as Earl. Good Luck!
Do you stay on the boat? If you find a remote area how do you get home? I'm on a 500 mushroom mooring and will be doing the same thing BobM is doing. Unless Earl hits to the west of us the winds should be favorable for Buzzards Bay coming off the land which helps with waves. We had a couple last year that stayed out to sea but they weren't as strong as Earl. Good Luck!
I haven't done it yet but, yes, I do plan to stay on the boat. Mostly because I want to get someplace where it isn't practical to get back and also to keep an eye on things and be ready to relieve the anchors with the engine if necessary.
One reason for leaving with plenty of time to find a remote place is so the Coast Guard doesn't come along and order me off. I also want to be in a spot protected enough that it isn't overly dangerous.
You'll all get full details after the fact, I'm sure. (At least when they get the power and Internet back on.)
For those on Moorings don't forget MS's strong case for removing your anchors. Take off your portable electronics. Consider taking off your inflatable vests.
For me, I'm starting to spincter. My slip is untenable for a SSE wind. If the eye passes east - no problem. West - big problem. I'm trying to take it to another marina with better protection for S winds. If the worst happens that won't even help. A five foot surge at high tide could float the docks off the poles; and, the fact that it is a full moon doesn't help. Even on the hard that kind of high water will be a problem.
Spincter time.
For me, I'm starting to spincter. My slip is untenable for a SSE wind. If the eye passes east - no problem. West - big problem. I'm trying to take it to another marina with better protection for S winds. If the worst happens that won't even help. A five foot surge at high tide could float the docks off the poles; and, the fact that it is a full moon doesn't help. Even on the hard that kind of high water will be a problem.
Spincter time.
Preparing your boat
Living in the hurricane alley of South Louisiana, i've become somewhat familiar with preparing my boat for storms. If you expect high winds, be sure to take your roller furling jib down. Also, dodgers and biminis should be removed. I have taken my mainsail cover off and removed the main when expecting a direct hit but when it looks like high winds below hurricane force (74 mph) I just wrap the covered main with lots of line and secure the end of the boom to a cleat on deck. If you expect a storm surge you should have as much slack in your lines as possible without hitting on any side. I have a buddy who puts a line around his mast and ties it off to the pier with lots of slack so the boat will at least stay in the vicinity of the dock. We don't do moorings here because our tides are typically less than 2 feet. Not sure how you would prepare on a mooring except to put out anchors.
Also, remember that storms can be devestating even when they are not considered major. Hurricane Ike was a category 2 when it hit the Texas coast in 2008 but it was very large so it caused lots of damage. Storm size (in area) and the length of time it is beating you can have as much affect as the maximum sustained windspeed.
Good luck.
Tommy
Living in the hurricane alley of South Louisiana, i've become somewhat familiar with preparing my boat for storms. If you expect high winds, be sure to take your roller furling jib down. Also, dodgers and biminis should be removed. I have taken my mainsail cover off and removed the main when expecting a direct hit but when it looks like high winds below hurricane force (74 mph) I just wrap the covered main with lots of line and secure the end of the boom to a cleat on deck. If you expect a storm surge you should have as much slack in your lines as possible without hitting on any side. I have a buddy who puts a line around his mast and ties it off to the pier with lots of slack so the boat will at least stay in the vicinity of the dock. We don't do moorings here because our tides are typically less than 2 feet. Not sure how you would prepare on a mooring except to put out anchors.
Also, remember that storms can be devestating even when they are not considered major. Hurricane Ike was a category 2 when it hit the Texas coast in 2008 but it was very large so it caused lots of damage. Storm size (in area) and the length of time it is beating you can have as much affect as the maximum sustained windspeed.
Good luck.
Tommy
Last edited:
Wednesday AM:
Media forecasts for Maine are heavy rain and winds in the 30-40 mph range. However, this is the part of the NHC discussion that has my attention:
I'll talk to you all when it's over.
Good Luck.
Media forecasts for Maine are heavy rain and winds in the 30-40 mph range. However, this is the part of the NHC discussion that has my attention:
It's a crap shoot and I'm putting my money on getting in the boat this morning and finding the snuggest hole I can.
I'll talk to you all when it's over.
Good Luck.
now that brings up a good point, a bit of translation is needed for a dis-placed Texan. You "new englanders" are aware that those little geographical borders are actually states and not just counties in a state ya'll call new england? :dance:
anyways,
So, does that mean the system is going to skirt the coast all the way up (in those models), or make landfall, move off and make landfall again? I guess, either way we're getting a solid hit here...
anyways,
So, does that mean the system is going to skirt the coast all the way up (in those models), or make landfall, move off and make landfall again? I guess, either way we're getting a solid hit here...
Hurricane Isobel was expected to make a turn to the north east when she hit the North Carolina coast instead she continued north and right up the Chesapeake Bay. We will make sure Bietzpadlin is as secure as we can make her.
It is a beautiful, sunny day in Nags Head NC. The surfers are enjoying the waves and the evacuations are beginning. They are evacuating the two southern islands, Hatteras and Ocracoke, as they are connected by a tenuous highway that over washes easily. As stated in an earlier post, the media is everywhere. We hope that they are disappointed and there is no big story. Fortunately my boat is on a sheltered canal, on a very sturdy dock (I built it myself). I will be stripping it, doubling all lines, and watching it, if the storm swings this way. When Isabel went through in 2003 the water in the canals dropped 10 feet, putting all the boats on the bottom. The drill was to loosen the lines as the water dropped and tighten them as it came back up 12 hours later. The wind was about 95mph for 24 hours, 12 hours one way and then 12 hours the opposite direction. It was a long day but no damage was done. Keep your fingers crossed for us.
Just want to say good luck to all of you. I hope it turns away and/or peters out. Above all stay safe. From personal experience, remember they're only boats.
- Status