Northeast sailors...
- Thread starter Roger Long
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Spent the day doubling lines and extra bumpers. Laced up and tied down the main. Did not think to tie the roller drum until I read it above, will have to do Friday morning. I too will be on board for the storm to ensure nothing lets go. More concerned about the other boat next to me in the slip, No action taken and mooring lines are worn and fraying. Any legality issues if I add additional lines to his boat?
Anyone going to be at Brewers Cowesett in Warwick, RI. for the storm?
Anyone going to be at Brewers Cowesett in Warwick, RI. for the storm?
I'm not a lawyer but we do it all the time. There's a lot of boaters that don't really know or care about what will happen to their boats and don't realize how bad theirs can be for yours. We usually take care of the slips around us if the owners don't come down.
Take pictures of the boats around you, particularly the condition of the dock lines.
if you have some spare line, you could protect your boat by donating it for rhe storm to the offending neighbor-=-take lots of pix before and after the lines are added . you could be saving your own boat in this process. send a copy of the pix to the marina office with a "splaination, lucy."
Great idea. Luckily our little outcast group will all be on board during this one and the slip next to me is empty. I think I will photograph my preparations too just in case something comes into question if something happens.
I'm in NC and have seen a good many storms over my life time. We're on the "interbanks" of NC and generally the storms have abated some by time they get to us. I hope that those of you that are thinking about riding out the storms on your boat will rethink that. I hear these stories of people doing this, but in my opinion, it is foolish if you don't have to do it. You can always buy a new boat, but your life is irreplaceable. While we are sheltered from most directions, we have a 3 mile fetch to the southwest. When it gets to 60-70 mph from the SW, the boats at the pier get pretty wild bucking up and down, rolling side to side. On a boat of any size, the wind forces are going to be such that you aren't going to be able to adjust the lines much anyway...maybe pay out, but take in on a line? I doubt it unless you can get to a winch. Put lots of lines on the boat in advance, don't be shy...lots of lines. At this moment, I have 20 1/2" lines on a 32 ft. boat (have had as many as 25). Every tie point on the boat and the pier should be redundant if possible, so if something gives, there is a backup. You can't have too many, but you can have too few. Line is expensive but cheap compared to repairing the boat. You have to keep in mind that these lines are going to stretch a lot and therefore adjust clearances to hard surfaces like pilings. Also, you will have wind blown surge on top of normal tides. We typically get 8-9 ft. up and 4-5 ft. down. Your boat must be able to go up and down through the range that you will get without hitting anything, and you must think about stretch. Nylon lines will stretch 40% before breaking. More lines/larger lines mean your boat will take more shock loading, but stretch will be reduced and you'll have better protection against chafing/abrasion with more line mass. And when you have done what you can, wish the boat well, leave and seek safety in an appropriate shelter on high ground. You don't get too many sea stories this way, of course. Please rethink staying aboard during huricanes or near huricanes.
You can increase the number of lines on a cleat by the method that you choose to use to attach the lines to the cleat. On one of my stern cleats, I currently have 5 lines for the storm (going in several directions). Instead of wrapping figure eights on the cleats, put loops in the lines. Loops should be just big enough to go over the cleat horns. Also, most of the cleats today have a open center section. On one or two lines, the last ones put on, run the loop through the center of the cleat and back around the horns. That will help the ones with loops just dropped over the cleat to stay on the cleat. This means that the lines will have to be adjusted from the other end, or to adjust at the boat, you might have to retie the loop in the line at the appropriate spot. Also, keep in mind that we are talking about survival mode here. You have other attachment point possibilities: place a shackle or block to the bow stem plate and connect some lines there. Also, the genoa track slide is a tie point, and you can add cleats to the track...these are good for spring lines where the pull will be more fore and aft to use the strength of the track attachment. Some people don't like to do it for fear of tearing them out, but I use my winches as tie points. Deck mounted turning blocks (if you have them) work also. The base of the mast gives unlimited additional tie points. Use cleats on both sides. But in all these cases, keep in mind that your boat is going to move about a good bit and up and down according to wind surge effects. Make sure you can make these movements without hanging on life lines, stanchions, or rails. For the storm, you can drop your life lines if needed. Since reliance on a single cleat means disaster if it fails, use of alternate tie points gives safety against this. (Cleats do fail...boat across from me was badly damaged some years ago when the cleat broke and the boat went agains the finger pier and piling in one of these storms). Also, if the water will come over your dock cleats at some point and you do have figure eights on the cleat, tie the tail of your lines back into the line. Wave action will untie a traditionally cleated line if it's under water. I've seen damage to boats from this as well. After you get this spider web of lines on, adjust them so that the lines share the load. Long lines will stretch more under a given load than short ones, so tie long lines tighter.
From your description of your docking site: I would not depend to much on the docking whips..use them to supplement the other lines. The suggestion to put an anchor, or better still, a couple of anchors to hold you off the bulkhead is excellent. Use some kind of anchor bouy marker (small plastic jug perhaps) to show the location of your anchors to other boaters who might be using the canal...you shouldn't block the canal to traffic.
Finally, you say that you are on a lagoon. That sounds like you have your own hurricane hole with limited fetch and shelter protection from the bulkheaded areas, so you are already ahead of the game.
Good luck.
Great point. Heading down this afternoon to prepare and I am going to give this a shot. Luckliy each forecast is showing Earl a little further east by the time he gets to us. Hope it stays that way. Looks like our friend in NE and eastern Canada may get it a bit harder. Good luck.
Ross, having someone drive the boat forward should leave you to just gather the rode as it comes to you without having to break your back pulling the boat forward. Letting the engine do the work of moving the boat should make this a 'no' back breaker. This is what me & the Mrs do. I sit on the foredeck with my feet in the open anchor locker to gather and stow the rode. I use hand signals to help her steer a little left or right or kill power.
Looks like Earl is turning out to be a non-event on the northern Chesapeake Bay. Radar showed just shower bands for a while, now clear. No wind at all 50 miles to the north. Now we're expecting a healthy cold front to come in with lots of wind tomorrow!
Good luck to all you Down Easters--it looks like Earl will give you a thrashing even though it's now downgraded to a Cat 1.
Good luck to all you Down Easters--it looks like Earl will give you a thrashing even though it's now downgraded to a Cat 1.
After hours of prep of our boats and of the others who failed to show up to prep their's, we barely got a puff of wind and a few drops of rain. Some nice ocean waves, though. The day of the "hurricane" was overcast but it was a nice day and the weather following "Girl" was absolutely incredible! Had a great sailing day yesterday.
Home now to face reality.
Hope everyone else made out OK!
My son's second day of school was Friday and he had to personalize his homework folder. This is his picture. Note the flag.
Home now to face reality.
Hope everyone else made out OK!
My son's second day of school was Friday and he had to personalize his homework folder. This is his picture. Note the flag.
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