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From: Robb Worthington (no email)
Date: Mon Sep 15 2003 - 08:14:57 EDT
Here are my thoughts on the issue.
1. Don't even consider staying on the boat, even if it is "only" category 3. Karen was Category 2 and I got "stuck" on the boat at the mooring. Will never do that again! (On the other hand, some friends saved their Hans Christian by sitting at anchor with engine pushing against the wind to reduce strain on the anchors. They were thus prepared when a much larger steel boat barrelled down on them out of the spray at 30 knots or more. They responded by going full ahead and hard over, it missed them by 3 feet and crushed the boat behind them. The winds were only about 70 to 80 knots at the time.They did not stay on the boat for Fabian.) If you go on deck in 130 knots of wind to try to resecure a failing mooring line, there is a high likelihood that you will not be effective or will die in the attempt. We had four die here in Fabian when they were washed into the water in Grotto Bay.
2. Try to get out of the marina and into a good hole. Most every one here has storm moorings. Marina's and the boats in them get trashed if there is any surge.
3. Even a good storm mooring may not be sufficient. 10 hours of 130mph winds with gusts to 170mph will chafe through just about anything. I'm in the process of building new bridles which almost chafed through in Fabian . All chain is a good idea but if struck by another boat, likely, or you have another boat drag its mooring across your chain it won't hold. (This happened to the boat next to me. The chain stretched and snapped when she was hit by another boat. Many others came off due to chafe, my friends large Hatteras is in the mangroves high and dry after the fairleads for the bridle ripped out an the bridles chafed through on the hull.) Beef up your chafing gear, distribute the load to as many cleats as possible, try avoid the possibility of shock loading any cleats. I have the initial strain taken up by a very stretchy bridle running from the midships cleats through the anchor roller to the mooring chain. As this stretches the strain comes onto the main bridles on the foredeck. After about 50 knots all the stretch is taken out of the primary bridle and the boat is effectively secured on four cleats. The primary bridle continues to function as a shock absorber in the chop and surge.
4. Do what you can to reduce the possibility of sailing on the mooring. Remove everything above decks, even anchors. One study recomended a tiny storm sail at the stern to keep her pointed into the wind.
5. Lock down all lazarettes and hatches as if going to sea. My boat got blown flat in Fabian, had the lazarettes come open I believe she would have gone down.
6. Secure everything below as if going to sea. If the anchor that you removed from the deck goes flying around down below it could hole your boat, glug glug. Keep the weight low.
7. Find a strong building well away from the coast to wait it out.
Here are some pics of what a category 4 storm can do to a "well" prepared society. Fortunately most of the island has some elevation for escaping the surge.
http://www.bermuda.com/categories/Newsletter/Fabian/ThumbSample.htm
Good luck to you all, may you be as fortunate as me and return to a floating functioning boat.
Robb Worthington
S/V Tara Rose
Catalina 30
St. Georges Bermuda
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