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gearing up for sandy

7K views 51 replies 23 participants last post by  Nicklaus 
#1 ·
with sandy looming on the horizon, what prep work does everyone have left to do? My family and I are planning on breaking the boat down for the winter this weekend, hopefully sandy holds off until late sunday.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Sails and canvas off. Fill with water. Extra dock lines with plenty of slack. Chafe gear for the lines. Position the boat in the center of the slip.

Planning to stay on the boat through Tuesday to raise and lower through the tidal surge and changes., Therefore extra food, cell phone batteries. Electricity will probably get cut off.

Removing stuff from the dock box. Make sure you have holes cut into the bottom of yours

My slip is very protected from wind in all directions especially eastern componnents as their is a bank on front of it 45 ft high.

Rain will be starting Sunday AM. Winds proabably wont exceed 60, but to early to predict surge as it depends where it makes landfall. Right now it looks north of us which will be a good thing, but some models say Delaware Bay. Every tree and power line in MD will be down because they let them grow through the pwoer lines here.

Isnt your dads boat three slips from me? Ill watch her during the storm if you guys are back home.

Dave
 
#4 ·
The work is done here, Marathon Florida, winds 30 to 35 knots North Northeast.my vessel is tied across a canal four ways in 12' of water because my draft is 7 feet we may lose some water before we gain some. The boat is already provisioned because I just came in yesterday from a nine-day sail. CaptG
 
#6 ·
Heading to the boat tomorrow to remove canvas, add lines etc. Luckily, my slip is also very sheltered and wide. The stronger wind quadrant is on the NE side, so we should not get the worst of it. Minnewaska, you may not be so lucky!
Supposed to crew on a J35 this weekend. We'll see if we race Sunday!

Dave, why fill with water?
 
#13 ·
Sorry for the confusion.

Fill the boat with water cause I am staying on her and the elctricity will probably go out in the marinia/ club. Also last time the "Dorado hit" I was without power at home for 6 days so I lived on the boat, 45 minutes away. I use fresh water for my holding tanks also.

Also filling my bathtubs up at home. You cant flush toliets without electricity after a while as the well pump is electric/
 
#15 ·
So does this mean there won't be racing on sunday for the IRC east coast championships? Damnit.

If that happens, I'll probably head south and prep the boat. I don't think it's going to be anything too serious though. As long as you're in protected waters. I usually do extra dock lines, remove sails/canvas, lash boom down in cockpit, take the motor off the back, put every fender out. Doesn't take more than 30 minutes and makes me sleep a lot better.
 
#17 ·
We're heading to Anchorage Marina in Baltimore, it has floating slips, we'll sail up and then strip the boat of canvas and sails there. We'll check out Canton and spend the night on the boat. Sunday we'll leave the boat there and come home.
I'll be one of those BGE guys everyone will be cussing at next week. I'll be spending LONG shifts restoring other peoples power (while they complain and b1+ch), I'll probably be coming home to a house on a genertor, I'm sure there will be no time for me to be with the boat to adjust lines while the tide changes. We'll bring her home when this all blows through.
Good luck everyone!
 
#18 ·
.

Good luck swamp & chef- will be thinking about you

I wanted to post today- but we were bouncing around too much~ seems like the wind came back here on the Gulf Coast we had a howl all through the marina 15+ knot winds~ it wasn't really a fun day... reminds one of the incredible power of these storms, terrifying
By Sunday it's likely past, just now starting to lie down a bit, & by Sunday we should have a beautiful day
thank God it went up the East coast
-JD
 
#19 · (Edited)
The important issue about any hurricane nearing the Chesapeake .... watch how close to and which side of Cape Charles the storm comes. If the eye is to the north or east the bay will get sucked out ... to the tune of 2-4++ ft. .... all due to the Northerly - NWerly winds blowing the water out through the Bay entrance.
Current track is N/E of C. Charles .... so be prepared to have your boat to 'lay' against some piling, etc. if indeed we see extreme low water levels.


If the eye is @ Cape Henry or below, then you have extreme flooding as with H. Isabel all over again.
 
#20 ·
Debating wether or not to haul. I'm back in the Magothy past Red 16. Currently at the dock with tall pilings but also have a sturdy mooring avaliable. Thoughts? Dock ok? Mooring sufficient? or is the consensus that this storm will be bad enough to warrant hauling?
 
#21 ·
I am on the South River in MD and this is my first storm with my Catalina 27. My marina is pretty protected from the south.
Current thoughts are to:
Double up lines
Add simple chafe gear where appropriate
Remove canvas
Remove headsail (leave main and cover)

Debating about spending Tuesday on the boat adjusting lines. Should I be worried about storm surge? My gut says the bay and rivers that far north are probably ok. Any advice would be great
 
#22 ·
If you're going to leave the mainsail and cover on, I'd probaby tie it up with a few sail ties. I also like attaching a bungy cord to a boom bail and securing it to a stantion or something.

I've taken all my sails off, and will drop the boom to the deck and secure it.
 
#26 ·
We just dropped the truck off at Anchorage Marina and now heading down to White Rocks Marina and taking our boat to Baltimore to de-rig. I considered just wrapping the mainsail to the boom with a few miles of old rigging line but looking at the projected path and how it's supposed to go over Baltimore and condense (Latest model I saw) we're stripping everything off.
 
#27 ·
This storm has a very high potential to SUCK water out of the Chesapeake, possibly to record low water ---- I'd haul my boat, I already did.

With the storm coming north close to the coast and crossing the mid DelMarVa peninsula, the strongest winds will be from N-NE, and that will 'suck & push' a LOT of water out of the Chesapeake. In the 1950s such a storm with essentially the same track dropped the Ches. by ~5-6+ft !!! Once the storm goes inland into central Penna then the wind will shift to the W-NW and continue to push water out of the Cape Charles - Cape Henry entrance to the bay ... depending on the wind strength at Norfolk; since this is a WIDE area storm that scenario seems quite likely.
H. Isabel came ashore south of C. Henry and therefore 'loaded' the bay; this time the predictions are for coming ashore north of Cape Charles ... and that usually 'sucks' the bay lower.

Method for determining wind direction during Hurricane: raise your right arm to the horizontal then swing it back as far as you can (~120° from your nose), point to the 'center of storm' with your right index finger .... the expected wind will be straight into your face.

The combination of the Hurricane and its meeting and 'combining' with a trough coming from the west (an additional 'weather bomb') may keep a very strong NW flow / gales for several days ... keeping the Ches. at record low levels.
 
#29 ·
We are heading for Jewell Island and will perhaps the whole bay to ourselves, and some good friends whom we are meeting out there....

When I get back tomorrow I will strike the genny, dodger, bimini and add some extra pendants for the mooring. Owner of the marina offered me a slip, thanks, but no.......

I'd be surprised if we saw more than 40 knots here in Maine... Not yet decided on striking the main cause I may not put it back on after the storm, if I do remove it, and that may cut my season shorter than I'd like...

Good news is, thanks to Sandy, they are yanking boats faster than a NASCAR lap so the bay will be even emptier for Nov sailing...:D
 
#30 ·
Hey Maine I love those NASCAR mechanics...they are amazing

We are ready for the hit here. Staying on the boat till Wed to adjust lines. Also my be he only place in MD to have electricity and a hot shower.

Dave
 
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