Storm Damage

[patbratton]

Aqualand Marina, Lake Lanier, Georgia experienced what appeared on radar to be a squall line last week. Winds were over 50 mph and gusting. Many docks are still with out power. Z dock was spared any structural damage. We lost a few Bimini's; mine only suffered a seam coming undone. I brought it home and resewed it. If anyone is interested it is impossible to fit a H240 Bimini completely inside of a 2010 Mountaineer. We had three boats suffer damage to their Jibs. They were all over 32 feet and had jib fullers. The storm pulled the sail out like it was a box off Kleenex. It shredded what ever was not rolled up tight. I had never seen that before.

 

[kappykaplan]

The storm pulled the sail out like it was a box off Kleenex. It shredded what ever was not rolled up tight. I had never seen that before.

Definitely a problem during an unexpected squall line. This is why I "sausage wrap" my jib with two spare halyards when we get a hurricane watch/warning up here. I know, I know, take the sail off the furler.

 

[BigEasy]

Definitely a problem during an unexpected squall line. This is why I "sausage wrap" my jib with two spare halyards when we get a hurricanewatch/warning up here. I know, I know, take the sail off the furler.

I definitely drop the jib in the event of an approaching hurricane or tropical storm. It only takes 10 minutes to drop it and drag it below deck. I don't bother to fold it properly because it is going back up a few days later...hopefully! The problem with the sausage wrap is that the wraps do not extend high enough to offer complete protection. I have seen so many who leave it on the furler experience a blown out sail. And, with insurance deductibles for a named storm, you're not going to get an insurance company to buy a replacement sail! Worse yet, I have seen many boats stored on stands in a boatyard topple over after the jib becomes partially blown out.
Had a guy 4 slips away from me who let his genoa remain on the furler for Hurricane Ida, two years ago. The sail blew out and was torn to shreds. Had to pay a rigger 4 hours labor to cut the sail off the furler. Took 4 to 6 months to get a replacement genoa for his 40 foot Catalina. Ouch!

 

[kloudie1]

I have memories of the aftermath of Hurricane Fred in the late '70's. many boats up in the river banks with previously furled jibs in tatters.. There is a hole in the Harken furler drums that you can use to lock the drum in place, stopping the furling line from chafing through and releasing the sail.. I use that for lower strength storms, but definitely remove the jib if a real storm is on the way..

 

[Hayden Watson]

I think that it could be that what kappy refers to as a sausage wrap I call a barber pole wrap. I take a spare halyard and play jump rope with it round the furled sail. This wraps the sail from top to bottom with each full turn about 24" apart. I started doing this when I had a zip-on sleeve type cover instead of the sacrificial cover attached to the sail. I would tension the bottom of the line with a short length of rope to the stem and then pull the top tight and lock it in the clutch. There was no way that any part of the sail can unroll with this wrap.

 

[kappykaplan]

I think that it could be that what Kappy refers to as a sausage wrap I call a barber pole wrap. I take a spare halyard and play jump rope with it round the furled sail. This wraps the sail from top to bottom with each full turn about 24" apart.

Yes. But I have two spare halyards. One is wrapped clockwise and the other counter-clockwise.