Next message: Ron Rogers: "TWL: Re: RE: 50amps"
I read with mild amusement the various prescriptions for tying boats to
marina piers to avoid storm damage. We have used different strategy to protect the
various boats we have owned for the last 30 years.
Surprisingly, the Northeast gets hit by almost as many hurricanes as Florida
and the Carolinas, and if you add in the Noreasters and "Perfect Storms" we
have our full share of high wind situations. I have had much less damage to my
boat by anchoring out during storm conditions than by remaining in a marina, no
matter how carefully tied to a pier. We are fortunate that our general
mooring area has several large bays which offer partial shelter from winds coming
from the East and South. When a storm is predicted we anchor about 1/4 mile from
shore and set two anchors, a CQR and a large Fortress (formerly a Danforth)
in a V pattern. Aiding the anchors is a 50 lb kellet suspended from the
Fortress rode about three water depth's from the bow. This permits the bow to rise to
a storm surge and keeps the anchor rode nearly parallel to the bottom. The
kellet must be lifted entirely off the bottom before significant stress is
placed on the anchor. The rodes are protected against chafe by running through
lengths of flexible plastic water pipe over the chocks. Fortunately the bottom is
a dense clay that has excellent holding properties.
Our luck has been good so far. We have weathered two direct hits by
hurricanes and a half dozen very nasty storms with winds of hurricane force. In many
years of following this plan, we have only had three casualties, two based on my
stupidity, and one on someone else's. I lost a bimini canvas once because it
was inadequately tied down. Now I take it off. Another time we broke a block
which secured the boom on our motorsailer. The only real damage was when
someone else's boat broke loose and banged though the harbor, hitting mine on its
way to running on the rocks.
Larry Z
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