Thanks to my friends who...

[Bill Coxe]

I received a call yesterday (Saturday) from my daughter letting my know that our Oday 28 had drifted onto the beach in New London during the remanants of Ernesto, but not much more than that. During the 60 mile drive, I received two calls from the dock master at our marina telling me not to worry, that they were going to try and put her on a mooring, then a second call, saying she has been secured with a second anchor. I was concerned and somewhat perplexed, because she had ridden out worse storms. When I arrived, she was sitting pretty, two anchors off the bow, and then I got the complete story. Someone in a Hunter of around 30 something feet had come into the cove and attempted to anchor, let out too much scope and drifted down onto my boat, entangling the anchor lines. He was alone, and I am sure VERY concerned. He pulled on his line until his anchor had climbed on to the bow of my boat, then, when a heavy gust swung the bows of both boats together, he managed to grab his anchor as mine was pulled loose from the bottom. Witnesses said he made an attempt to grab my boat, was unable to, and puttered off, where my friends were able to put him a a vacant mooring belonging to one of the other establishments. Then my friends were able to take an achor from one of the docked boats, dinghy it out to my boat with the line still attached to its original boat, use one of my jenny winches to winch Kukulcán off the beach, where she had gently grounded on the in-coming tide, and secured her using both anchors, where she resides comfortably today. On Monday, I will give her a good looking-over, but everyone seemed to think there was no real damage either from the grounding or the other boat. By the time I arrived, everything had been done, people were showering and enjoying mudslides in the clubhouse, so after making a round of the docks and doing what I could to help, I joined them. SO I am grateful for the dock-master and the friends who had no real obligation other than to protet their boats, grateful that she grounded on a soft bottom, that the other boat apparently suffered minimal damage, and that no one was hurt. I'm going sailing Monday.Patty and Bill, O28/O40, New London, CT

 

[shemandr]

Sailing Community

Being a part of a community that functions like that is one of the very special things I love about sailing. We've had similar experiences here on LI.

 

[chief14326]

Riding it out

Spent yesterday at the boat most of the day, soaked and sore. I was sure I thought of everything. I used a bungee cord around the genny, and also around the main. I took the dodger down to reduce windage. I doubled all of my dock lines, added a spring line. I received a call at 8:30 AM telling that one of the bolts on the port dock pole had come loose. Of course that was the pole on the east side of the slip. With winds steady around 37 with gusts to 44 out of the east my day started off great. I was being drivin into the starboard pole in danger of breaking off one of my lifeline stanchions. We were able to get a line around the pole and to a bow cleat, I then added a mid-ship cleat to the genny track. All was holding until the stern dock cleats decided to "pop off". Luckily nobody was injured as they started to come loose. In all around 4 boats had their dock cleats come off. I was able to tie off to the floating finger docks, at least they would ride with the rising tide. All in all it was a lousy day, but the boat came through with no damage, and the Town Marina's work crews will be busy on Labor Day. I just wanted to thank all of my dock mates, as we pulled together to work on each others boats. This is the part of sailing that I like best. No matter what the situation, when help is needed, no one has to ask. That is what is also so great about this forum. Everyone joins in to help their fellow sailor.

 

[Steve]

Long Beach Help

Dear Chief,Great to hear stories about help in tough conditions. Being a Long Beach, NY resident and owning a sailboat slipped in Lindenhurst, I would have surely offered to give a hand. I'll be taking a look at the status of my boat tomorrow, Monday, and, if all is well, take a labor day cruise. Feel free to give a shout next time, scas660@netzero.com.Steve

 

[Eric]

Fingers Crossed

I have my fingers crossed. Sadly I have a job that keeps me in Hartford most weekends. At the end of July, I arrived at my marina to see that there was some damage to my O'Day 240's stern starboard quarter from meeting up with my slipmates Penn Yan. Apearently some kind of bad thunderstorm. Other boats were damaged as well.This afternoon I will be cut loose from work and head down to Mystic. Fingers crossed. It seems that the gale was from the East. If that is the case, then my boat faces East, and hopefully will not have done much moving around in her slip.Eric

 

[jviss]

to Bill Coxe

Are you saying that you left your boat anchored unattended? In this weather? WIth a single anchor? Unless I just don't know the entire cuicumstance, unless there's some other information you haven't disclosed, I would say that doing so is both foolish and irresponsible. What am I missing here?

 

[Bill Coxe]

to jviss

Yep. Experience (and I have some) says everything was good for the expected conditions. Don't know that maintaining a 24/7 watch from 60 miles away would have done much for the guy that drifted down on me, any more than the people who suffered their boats burning at Pine Island Marina could have done much about a burning boat drifting into their docks either. Boat has been on the hook for the season, I check it regularly, and there is no chafing. When I'm able to be there, I look out for my friends' boats. When I'm not, they help look out for mine. Life is good, and I'm glad to have encountered the person who has it all covered all the time. Thanks for the comment. I'll try to do better,Bill

 

[John Dawson]

Dock cleats

What we learned at Herrington Harbor was not to tie to cleats or even the stringers of the docks. Tie only to pilings, preferably ones farther from you.

 

[jviss]

To Bill

I just never heard of such a thing, to leave a boat anchored unattended. Everyone I know seemd to have known this one would blow up to as much as 40 kts. Bottom line is your boat did end up loose, regardless of how it happened. Are you being sarcastic? (I'm serious in asking). I assumed a serious discussion on issues posted was one of the points of this forum. There are harobrs here in New England where the harbormaster would tow an unattended anchored boat in this kind of weather and put it on a mooring or secure it to a piling, because they are indeed a hazard. You are responsible if your boat hits something and causes property damage or personal injury, regardless of whether you are on it or not.

 

[jviss]

Insurance?

Is this boat insured? I don't think mine would cover it if it was anchored all year, i.e., not at a dock or on a mooring.

 

[readytocomeabout]

I was wonder the same thing, jviss

Bill, I'm pretty stunned that you can even leave an unattended, anchored boat anywhere for extended periods of time. Is this common on the east coast?

 

[Don s/v Tellico]

But don't they say that in hurricanes...

boats anchored tend to fare much better than those at docks anyway? Boat US and other's who report on these things say anchoring with the proper equipment is better than a dock. Plus, you're not to stay with your boat so I don't think Bill's actions are so foolish or unusual. Read up on storm prep.

 

[Capn Dave]

Bill you did the secon best method

The only thing you could have done better is to take your boat up a narrow creek and tieing it off to both sides of said creek. Yes it is wise to get off the boat. I know what high winds can do, being from Florida. We have a tree called mangroves and these trees have a root system that dosent move.Fair WindsCap'n Dave

 

[jviss]

Hey Don

How about a mooring? Dock or anchor aren't the only alternatives. Plus, I don't think Bill's leaving the boat at anchor was any part of storm prep, he apparently doe it all the time. Storm prepe would have been to do soemthing in addition to the usual mooring practice if it were appropriate.

 

[Eric]

I missed the point

I really missed the point. I thought this post was about how to ride out a gale. I just got back from Mystic, and my boat faired well in her slip with doubled stern and springlines. Now I understand that this is aobut using ground tackle. Last year, in a transient anchorage, was a red 35" registered from MA. She was very neglected from my view. She had a HUGE amount of scope out She stayed for the whole season on the hook. early in the season, before I knew better, I ran over her rode and ended up pinned against her side. She was anchored in the middle of a navigable channel.What some folks will do to save a buck.Eric

 

[Franklin]

some nut

"Tie only to pilings, preferably ones farther from you."did that last year here. We have very nice floating docks. This guy ran his lines to many other pilings of other boats, which of course means their boat wouldn't rise with the rest as the water rises. I was very temped to go cut all his lines. I would have if he was near me.