Storm Prep or NOT ??? (Photo Based Post)

[Maine Sail]

Ok I'll do this once more.

We are expecting some mid range winds tomorrow in our mooring field 25-40+ knots. In this field, with big fetches, this can translate into 3-5 foot breaking chop/waves.

I'll let the photos tell the story:

What NOT to do pre-storm:

The Buck Knife

The Ginsu

The Ball Tangle and the Hatchet (power boater)

It Slices It Dices

Edward Scissor Hands

The Fillet Knife (note the creative location of the chafe gear WOW)

The Strangler (ball is going to turn blue/strangulation)








Some folks do get it:
Short Scope

Up and Mostly Out of the Way



Please, when high winds are predicted remove your ground tackle from the bow and check to make sure your pendant is not wrapped around your chain! If not for your boat think of others you may hit when you chafe through..

All photos taken today less than 24 hours before high winds..

[nk235]

Went down to the boat today to make some preperations on mine. I'm not worried about my boat breaking loose or dragging as much as I am worried about other boats breaking loose or dragging or chafing through the pendent. I have more than the proper size mooring tackle as well as most of the other boats right around me but the harbor is huge with hundreds of boats out there and I know for sure many of them arn't cared for which also translates into the owner also not taking care of or caring about their mooring and anchoring system. I am sure every harbor has the boats like these that look like the owner hasn't been on them in 5 years (and prob hasn't) and I just don't want one of these crashing into mine or others' boats whos owners actually take the time to care for the safety of their boats and those around them.

[Maine Sail]

That's why I posted this! It's the other boats that are usually the problem and the more folks that get educated about anti-chafing procedures the better.

Our anchorage now has over 1300 boats, and about 98% sail, so I don't leave my boat there during blows.

Fortunately we have our storm mooring less than a mile from that anchorage in front of our house. There are only 5 other boats, 3 Boston Whalers, 1 Grady White and an O'day mariner. Plus if I were to break free (won't likely happen) I'd wind up on a nice sand beach..

[Cruisingdad]

I WILL HAVE ALL THE MEMBERS KNOW THAT THE ONE BOAT THAT DID IT RIGHT WAS THE CATALINA.

What can I tell you?? Intelligent purchase by intelligent boaters!!!

Good post Hale.

- CD

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by Cruisingdad

I WILL HAVE ALL THE MEMBERS KNOW THAT THE ONE BOAT THAT DID IT RIGHT WAS THE CATALINA.

What can I tell you?? Intelligent purchase by intelligent boaters!!!

Good post Hale.

- CD

I used to own a Catalina 310 he is the other one in the anchorage. That is how I used to stow my Manson Supreme..

Don't get me wrong LOTS of boats have been stowing anchors in Falmouth and more and more in the last few years. I say that today a solid 30% had no anchor on the bow and about 4-5% had it tied up and out of the way. The rest had their anchors ready to slice and dice. Unfortunately, even with 30% stowing them, that still leaves close to 900 boats with a Ginsu mounted on the bow.

These photos tell the rest of the story and why I get the hell out of dodge when the wind comes.

This is only a third, the North third, of this anchorage 1300 boats !!!!!:


This is my storm mooring in front of the house, only 5 boats today including mine:

[sailingfool]

FWIW, I returned to my moored boat one Friday to find that one of the two mooring pendants was wrapped around the bottom of the ball. When I unwrapped it, I found that the 1 1/4" three strand nylon line was cut down to just a few strands...I tend to assume the line was actually wrapped when I had tied the boat up, and I just didn't notice. You can bet I look very carefully each time I pick up the pendants up since....

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by Cruisingdad

I WILL HAVE ALL THE MEMBERS KNOW THAT THE ONE BOAT THAT DID IT RIGHT WAS THE CATALINA.

What can I tell you?? Intelligent purchase by intelligent boaters!!!

Good post Hale.

- CD

What Catalina?

Our boat is out of the water for service, coincidentally. But the genoa came down anyway, the mainsail got another spiral wrap with a line, all loose items/canvas were stripped off,etc.

I don't think (hope) this will be anywhere near as bad as Isabel in the Chesapeake region. Still, I noticed a lot of boats that had no storm prep at all -- biminis still deployed, genoas on furlers, etc. Our mooring is very protected, but I'm not sorry that we're out of the water.

P.S. Those split bridles that are all spun up and twisted around each other look like a disaster waiting to happen. For non-storm conditions, we use a single heavy duty pendant -- no twisting or chaffing.

[NOLAsailing]

I saw someone tie up for Gustav using a ski rope for a bow line.

I'll say that again:

I saw someone tie up for Gustav using a ski rope for a bow line.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by sailingfool

FWIW, I returned to my moored boat one Friday to find that one of the two mooring pendants was wrapped around the bottom of the ball. When I unwrapped it, I found that the 1 1/4" three strand nylon line was cut down to just a few strands...I tend to assume the line was actually wrapped when I had tied the boat up, and I just didn't notice. You can bet I look very carefully each time I pick up the pendants up since....

The trick is in the photo bellow. there's actually a little bit of thinking that goes into it.

My mooring guy is holding my pendants ready to install. The doubled up floats keep the shackle in a constant plane and don't let it droop. The spacing of the others keeps the pendants floating enough away from the ball that they can not become wrapped in the chain. I've been lacing them this way for about 10 years with a soft ball and a large 1" swivel just bellow the ball I have not had one single chain wrap in the last ten years.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by JohnRPollard

P.S. Those split bridles that are all spun up and twisted around each other look like a disaster waiting to happen. For non-storm conditions, we use a single heavy duty pendant -- no twisting or chaffing.

Every one of those twisted bridles in connected to a top ball connection. My un-equal length dual Yale pendants do not and have not ever twisted using the bellow the ball swivel and the floats shown. My boat spins around her mooring just as much as the other ones but NO twist ever. My boat neighbor un-twists his about once a week or more and also wraps the chain.

Top ball connections are nothing but trouble... Ignore the seal and the rain and look at my neighbors pendants twisted like a pretzel! Top ball..