Storm Coming Please Prepare!!

[Maine Sail]

Some of you will remember my many rantings about folks leaving anchors on their bows, in exposed mooring fields, during rough weather. If your mooring filed has the fetch to build waves that can pitch the bow of your boat then it can be rather rude & inconsiderate to the boaters around you, who may get hit by your drifting boat, to not remove your anchor when a blow is expected. Many times chafe comes from the chocks but after motoring around the anchorage the morning after this short storm I saw that most of the chafe was anchor related.

This thread was posted a while ago (Storm Prep - LINK)

For some time now I have been trying to capture the "moment" on film to really drive the point home about REMOVING your anchor if a storm is coming. Some folks actually get it, but still many don't. I think this Island Packet is a PRIME example of "my anchors are protected by a bow sprit, I don't need to remove them" line of reasoning.

Here it goes:

Both pendants still intact but hooked on a Delta. It was still holding but chafing badly:

And DOWN!!!

And UP! And SNAP!!!!!

The Parted Port Pendant IS Blowing Back Against The Hull:

Notice The CQR Holding The REMAINING Pendant And The Bend In It:

This boat owner was VERY, VERY lucky that the storm was winding down as these pics were taken. The remaining pendant actually held and was still holding as of 5:00 pm this evening. Let's hope it holds till his/her boat is hauled.

PLEASE, if not for your boat, think of the others around you and what your boat would do in 30+ knots drifting through an anchorage after the anchor has sliced through the pendants. I watched it happen in real time, it leaves a pit in your stomach. Thank god MOST moorings in Falmouth are dual pendant rigged. This boat owner came very close to owning a pile of off white fiberglass splinters..


Here's the full article with MANY more photos:

Mooring Preparations & Precautions

 

[Ross]

Some of the most effective chafe protection is simple service laid on tight and well greased.

 

[CalebD]

Very timely post. Thanks.

 

[zeehag]

tie off anchors to something inside the bulwarks or to mast and make sure nothing flies, slides, flips off the boat to make difficulties.

 

[jfmid]

Thanks for the reminder Maine Sail. Please be safe at whatever hidey hole you find yourself in.

 

[Rick486]

Maine why would anyone moor in this open anchorage? Is this around Falmouth Forside?

 

[Ross]

The national hurricane center has updated the storm track and moved it much closer to land. I advise that we watch this one closely she could be a bitch.

 

[Maine Sail]

The national hurricane center has updated the storm track and moved it much closer to land. I advise that we watch this one closely she could be a bitch.

On my way up to MDI to move our boat from Hinckley Yachts, in Southwest Harbor, over to Northeast Harbor, which is a significantly better hurricane hole...

 

[Steve W]

While it may be a mistake, I don't worry about the anchor since 1) it's on chain wrapped around the windless, 2) securely locked down with one of those pins which hold in in place, PLUS, for a storm like Irene, I'll use my chain snubber hook on a short length of line and run it from the first link at the anchor shank back to a stout cleat in the anchor locker. I seriously doubt it's going anywhere. But in theory I totally agree with Main Sail.

While on the topic, all boats in Oyster Bay (an excellent hurricane hole to begin with!) on moorings are rigged with dual pennants.

In my case, my '97 Hunter 376 displaces 15,000 lbs but while the specs call for a 350 lb mooring, I'm on a 500 lb mooring which isn't going anywhere.

In terms of prep, I remove the jib, dodger, and bimini. Then I'll drop the lazy jacks (I've got a stack-pack type of arrangement held up by the jacks), let the topping lift take the boom load, and spiral wrap the boom from the clew end up to the mast, tie it off, add some chafing protection to both pennants (and might even double up the pendants) and call it a day.

When Bob hammered us in '91 (almost to the exact week!!!) I used the same technique on my '81 Hunter 33 and it was fine.

 

[zeehag]

irene is sending out bitch vibes. please take good care to eliminate all potential problems and keep safe and secure.

 

[Bob S]

Windsock1,

I thought the same thing about my mooring. We're on a 500 lbs mushroom and was told it's sunk in about 6' deep. I was reading this Boat US Prep guide and have since changed my mind about the security if a 500 lbs mushroom.

http://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/assets/pdf/swhurr_prep_guide.pdf

Read page 5

This is great advise for any and all in her path. I removed everything off my boat today and am being hauled a mile inland. The mast will be stepped and lashed to the deck. Costing 600.00 and insurance will reimburse half the cost.

Good Luck everyone, this is my first experience owning a boat. Not sleeping well.

 

[Maine Sail]

While it may be a mistake, I don't worry about the anchor since 1) it's on chain wrapped around the windless, 2) securely locked down with one of those pins which hold in in place, PLUS, for a storm like Irene, I'll use my chain snubber hook on a short length of line and run it from the first link at the anchor shank back to a stout cleat in the anchor locker. I seriously doubt it's going anywhere. But in theory I totally agree with Main Sail.

While on the topic, all boats in Oyster Bay (an excellent hurricane hole to begin with!) on moorings are rigged with dual pennants.

In my case, my '97 Hunter 376 displaces 15,000 lbs but while the specs call for a 350 lb mooring, I'm on a 500 lb mooring which isn't going anywhere.

In terms of prep, I remove the jib, dodger, and bimini. Then I'll drop the lazy jacks (I've got a stack-pack type of arrangement held up by the jacks), let the topping lift take the boom load, and spiral wrap the boom from the clew end up to the mast, tie it off, add some chafing protection to both pennants (and might even double up the pendants) and call it a day.

When Bob hammered us in '91 (almost to the exact week!!!) I used the same technique on my '81 Hunter 33 and it was fine.

This has nothing to do with your anchor breaking free. It just happened to that IP.

If you had read the rest of the article MOORING PREPARATIONS AND PRECAUTIONS, and seen the other 58 pictures, you'd see that anchors DO NOT have to break free from the roller to chafe mooring pendants.

80 to 100 knots will build bigger waves than what is seen in that article, even in SMALL protected harbors. The Harbor Master in Falmouth, ME has empirically asked EVERY boat owner in Falmouth, over 1100 boats, to remove their bow anchors for this storm.

These are very small waves and the Bruce is impinging:

And here's a Hunter with the anchor impinging:

And a longer boat in just 2-3 footer:

And a Sabre:

And the Sabre again:

You know your anchorage better than I but I have seen even the smallest harbors/hurricane holes develop 3-4 footers in 60+... Your choice your boat, your pendants.

I am just trying to help as I have seen NUMEROUS cases of pendants that did not fail over the chocks even though it was incorrectly attributed to that. They failed due to anchor chafe and this is 100% unnecessary...

 

[Sailm8]

I only have experience with one major storm cat 3/4 so take what you want from this. Spiral wrapping your main does not work as well as removing it. As soon as it chafes through it will unwrap. I spiral wrapped a neighbors boat the was out of town during the storm. After the storm there was no trace of the cover, wrapping line or the sail. If you ever want to be sure of seeing it again, take it off the boat. Plus it increases windage.

We missed the bullet here in SW florida this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

PS Don't even think about checking your boat during the storm. The crap flying through the air was like a mortar attack and you will be cut to shreds. I have a picture somewhere of a boat with about 2 dozen roof tiles jammed into it.

 

[Gail R]

I'm not Mainesail, but...

Maine why would anyone moor in this open anchorage? Is this around Falmouth Forside?

Yes, that is Falmouth Foreside. People moor there because... there's no place else to go?? Most every anchorage in these parts has a waiting list -- some (like South Freeport, where we keep our boat) are several years long. Even Falmouth Foreside has a waiting list now. Mooring slots are at a premium here.

We consider ourselves extremely lucky to have a mooring permit in snug SoFreeMe. Rita P will ride out the storm there (now that our race to Northeast Harbor got cancelled). Along with cancelling our race, that b**** Irene has, at least for the time being, postponed my vacation! I have to check in Monday to see how bad the damage is and whether they can get by without me. The disadvantage of working for an organization that provides "essential services."

 

[Rick486]

Yes, that is Falmouth Foreside. People moor there because... there's no place else to go?? Most every anchorage in these parts has a waiting list -- some (like South Freeport, where we keep our boat) are several years long. Even Falmouth Foreside has a waiting list now. Mooring slots are at a premium here.

We consider ourselves extremely lucky to have a mooring permit in snug SoFreeMe. Rita P will ride out the storm there (now that our race to Northeast Harbor got cancelled). Along with cancelling our race, that b**** Irene has, at least for the time being, postponed my vacation! I have to check in Monday to see how bad the damage is and whether they can get by without me. The disadvantage of working for an organization that provides "essential services."

Thanks for clarifying Gail. I have raced Ensigns up there years ago and thought it looked familiar. Same deal down here in Southern NE on the waiting. I took a slip, which are available, to escape the cormorants.

 

[berner73]

Tough loss in Marion. The local CBS affiliate showed this over and over today. In addition to the boat that's captured drifting free of it's mooring, about 1 minute into the video you can spot a sailboat in the background with it's anchor still on the bow. The exact issue that Maine Sail was warning about. North Shore near Lynn MA had several boats on the beach as well. Hope everyone is safe and sound.


http://boston.cbslocal.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6197682

 

[Maine Sail]

Tough loss in Marion. The local CBS affiliate showed this over and over today. In addition to the boat that's captured drifting free of it's mooring, about 1 minute into the video you can spot a sailboat in the background with it's anchor still on the bow. The exact issue that Maine Sail was warning about. North Shore near Lynn MA had several boats on the beach as well. Hope everyone is safe and sound.


http://boston.cbslocal.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6197682

She went for a nice little sail all by herself! I did see the anchor on that IP too...