End Slip hurricane prep?

[FourPoints]

Let me first state that I am located in Stamford CT, behind the ACE Hurricane Barrier (http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/shb/shbhome.htm), and on a floating dock so any storm surge I get should be largely minimized by the barrier, however I still want to take all precautions possible.

Attached is a google earth shot showing my boat in it's end slip. There are 2 sets of 3 pilings set in a mini tripod shape secured together with bolts through the pilings, and heavy 1"+ steel cable wrapped many times around them near the top. I circled the two locations of pilings in red on the image. I also marked with small red X's where the 4 cleats are that I have available to tie off to.

I normally run a spring line both forward and aft from the dock cleat near midships to the bow and stern cleats (I don't have a midship cleat), plus a stern line, and a bow line from each bow cleat to the available dock cleats, for a total of 5 dock lines. I marked the normal dock line locations in green on the image.

Aside from doubling up these lines, is there any other suggested / recommended things I should be doing here? what about the pilings, should I run a line to them? normal tidal range is about 8ft, so any line ran to a fixed point like the pilings will have to have quite a bit of slack to handle the tidal range expected... What about throwing out an anchor or two, and where should I put them?

If you want to see a larger view of the area I am at, here is a google map link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.041111,-73.530893&spn=0.004354,0.006856&t=h&z=17&vpsrc=6

edit, forgot to add that there is another single piling directly in front of the bow at the corner of the slip that I didn't mark on the image.

 

[sailaway78]

Suggestions

First off, the barrier will have little or no effect on surge. Katrina had a 20' surge for many miles inland. Don't count on it to be of much help. Make sure that your dock lines cannot be lifted or floated off the pilings. Double anchor your boat. 45 degrees of the bow and stern. Being tied to the dock does nothing to keep the boat from pushed up on the dock or pilings. The anchors hold it off. Make sure they are set very good, and tight enough to keep the boat off dock or pilings. Give yourself plenty of slack in dock lines to absorb any surge.
I wish all you east coast guys the best. Have had my share of these scary times.

 

[FourPoints]

First off, the barrier will have little or no effect on surge. Katrina had a 20' surge for many miles inland. Don't count on it to be of much help.

I said should... the Army Corps of Engineers built it specifically to prevent storm surge damage to that area of the city, That said, if I trusted it completely, I wouldn't be asking for additional advice...

I'll try to set the anchors, but I have to be careful not to interfere with the channel, big tugs come by pushing/pulling big barges a couple times a day or more, and to get any scope, I will have to set the anchor near the middle of the channel... They are going to close the barrier (which will also close the channel) sometime saturday, so I may be able to get down there and do it then.

how do you suggest I tie off to the pilings? loose to just stop the boat from drifting away if all hell breakes loose, or tight to try and keep the boat in the slip as much as possible?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

This is a vivid example of what to do to ensure your dock lines are your friend rather than the problem. All too often, people don't allow the boat to move and tie too close to the dock and pilings.

 

[FourPoints]

Don, so if I understand, tie the dock lines to the floating dock fairly snug to stop the boat from banging around, but leave the piling lines loose to keep the boat in position even with an extra 5+ feet of surge?

great pic btw, It looks like you are not on a floating dock?

 

[KD3PC]

4

I am with N&E, don't count on the ACE barrier...IMO, the pic shows you pinned pretty hard to the dock. Ideally you want to be clear, by several feet from things that do not move, and to have the ability for the boat to float up and down at least several feet more than the normal tide range. Certainly without the weight of pier/dock sections attached.

That is tough in your scenario. Again as Nice suggests, lay out an anchor to the beam side, as far as you can, and spring/tie to that.

Given the scenario that you have presented and the fact that they will close the channel shortly, I would set two or three anchors and "moor"in the channel. At least you will have room to rise and fall and swing without hitting something, and less chance of something bashing you.

I think I would be more worried about the two big boats against the seawall, being properly tied...because when they break loose or shear their lines...they will move out on the bounce wave against the sea wall...and destroy things along the way.

I would also envision the whole section of floating dock tied to the big boats over floating the piles (they don't look too tall or robust -most I have seen aren't) or coming apart at the joints and as a unit bouncing around like the CA boats did with the tsunami...there was not as much storm surge there as is predicted for this girl.

Much as I despise haulouts, yours may be a case where it is the better choice.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

pretty much what others have said. the ACE is not going to stop rising water.

anchors are better than dock lines. I've seen pilings pulled out., and if you get a direct big hit most floating dock just come loose over the top of the pilings.

One other thing is, if you not getting a direct hit, you may see less or no water in the harbor, when the surge sucks all the water around it into the surge.

when your boat sits in the mud, then gets refloated as the water return, can also be a problem...

last storm (wilma) that went thru Broward (FLL), a lot of boats were sitting in the mud, in miami... for about 1 hr.

 

[sailaway78]

Katrina Damage

When Katrina came, most of the boats in my sub division were fine. Anchored out into the channels. I have my boat at a dock on a channel that is 100' wide, and 15' deep. Not possible to get the scope I would prefer, but you take what you can get. But two well set anchors held it in place, and did not allow to get up onto the dock or worse, into the yard. I used one CQR, and one Danforth. The Danforth was a real problem to get up afterwards. Less than two miles from me, is a large marina, that had floating docks. The docks floated up and off of the pilings, and nearly every boat there was destroyed. To keep dock lines from pulling off the top of fixed pilings, use an eye bolt, screwed into the piling. They are smooth enough to not cause a lot of chafe. You don't need to be tied to them, just have them above the line, so it can't slide up and over the top. We had over a 20' surge here, which you probably won't get, but just be prepared for the worst.
I sure hope all you guys on the east coast, don't get hit too hard.

 

[Mulf]

All very good advice but....

I would also be talking to people who run or had their boat in that marina about what happened the last time (Hurricane Bob?) went through there. Prior actual experience is invaluable.

 

[zeehag]

set an anchor into the channel to keep you off the pilings , as nne sed...will keep you fr4om being holed by a piling. do not trust any man made stuff, especially army corpse of engineers. has had a lot of bashing since made. trust your gut and what neighbors sed about last time......be safe

 

[FourPoints]

Anyone familiar with Ziglers Cove in the Darien / Norwalk area, do you think I would be better off picking up a mooring, or sticking it out at the dock with extra anchors out mid channel?

 

[JohnS]

ditto on all the above. Looks like there's less than 10ft sea level between your marina and the next cove east. The Hurricane dam may stop an isolated moving wave, but the surge isn't a wave. The water is going to rise and spill in from neighboring areas.

 

[zeehag]

read of anticipating 12-15 ft surge s in areas up the east coast-nc, va del, nj, ny, poss new england. at high tide, are you prepared for that!??? please be so.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

I'd choose to anchor in a channel over a dock... mangroves would be better. or small creek and get up as far as possible.

then get off.

 

[FourPoints]

I'd choose to anchor in a channel over a dock... mangroves would be better. or small creek and get up as far as possible.

then get off.

this is new england, no such things as mangroves or small creeks (at least not deep enough to get a keel boat into)

 

[jconnor3]

I was talking to a friend here in Fl with a great deal of experience in bad situations. His opinion was to anchor out with over 200 feet of rode. Then get off. Perhaps a 2 point anchor setup would be good as well. Hauling out is really the only way to be certain. I am a veteran of many many Hurricanes here in Fl and there are so many variables. I definitely do not see a piling as a friend.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Don, so if I understand, tie the dock lines to the floating dock fairly snug to stop the boat from banging around, but leave the piling lines loose to keep the boat in position even with an extra 5+ feet of surge?

great pic btw, It looks like you are not on a floating dock?

The problem with snugging up the dock lines is impact esp if you have cement docks. Most incidental damage occurs from impact with the docks. I'm sure there is a theory that snugging the dock lines limits movement and thereby limits damage but most of the boats at my marina during the last storm sustained damage because of short dock lines.

Let's face it. There are lots of opinions and things you can try but if the storm hits your area with force, about the only thing you can do that is not futile is make sure your insurance is up to date.

 

[hubbardbilly]

Here were my hurricane preps for my boat in Greenwich Cove RI...

 

[FourPoints]

The problem with snugging up the dock lines is impact esp if you have cement docks.

mine are floating wood docks

 

[zeehag]

with 12-15 ft of surge, possibly at high tide, are you going to be safe with snug to dock and extra 5 ft line? with winds and seas sawing your boat to bits against the dock....
place an anchor to keep you OFF the dock and make sure you can handle up to 20 extra feet. never know--might need it--often as not the reports and predictions are short as opposed to over prepped-- i found them to be 30 nmph short of wind speed and 3-5 ft short of sea height when i was sailing and dependent on them.