[capta]

My wife just showed me a video of a marina in New Boring NC that was being demolished by Flo. Lots of boats sunk and damaged.
But, I'm confused. Hasn't this storm been pretty well forecast for a week now? Storm surge, wind, all the bad stuff that comes with a tropical cyclonic storm. Yet many (most?) of the boats still had roller furling jibs and cockpit canvas up.
Sure the docks were torn from their pilings, but with forecasting, as it is today, it wasn't like nobody could figure out which direction the wind would come from and in this case, apparently the longest distance for fetch.
So all these folks lost their boats, made a mess of the local environment, their boats will be added to already overflowing landfills and are sure to cause ANOTHER huge hike in insurance rates, just because they are too lazy to deal with their boats properly, or incapable of understanding a weather forecast?
I'm certainly not one for government interference in our affairs, but something really needs to be done to ensure the penalties are severe enough they will do something to ameliorate such irresponsible boat ownership in the future.
Shame on these people!

 

[paulinnanaimo]

Perhaps they are hoping that their boats would be wrecked.

 

[overbored]

I think you mean New Bern, NC ,tragic https://abcnews4.com/weather/hurricane-stories/hurricane-florence-storm-surge-swamps-new-bern-nc-sinks-boats-destroys-docks-video

 

[tschmidty]

All kinds of reasons people wouldn't get to their boats to tie things off, out of town, evacuated, busy getting their house ready for the storm. And frankly looking at that destruction, pretty sure pulling off the furling jib wasn't going to save those boats. One of the sailboats is still afloat but missing the top half of the mast and quite a few others are underwater.

 

[Minnewaska]

I'm sure some spent their time securing their homes first and probably still didn't fully finish. As referenced above, there is no better way to get out of your investment in your boat, than to get a full value insurance check. No broker, no waiting. I'm sure several fit that category. Finally, despite all the attention one might give their boat, unless you could be hauled to high and dry land (which I'm not sure even exists there), your essentially doomed by the surge and wind and missing marina anyway.

Blessing to those that are pleased with the loss of their boats down there. Hopefully, they are all personally safe.

 

[pdqaltair]

Other common reasons are:

* Disbelief. It's not actually going to happen. Perhaps they've never seen it in person. TV is fake.
* Don't know what to do. Far up a creek and lots of anchors would do it. But remember that 90% of boats barely leave the docks. They havn't got the skill set to do anything in possibly challenging conditions.
* Don't want to waste money and time. Yup, they could haul out, but that would cost money and feel foolish if the storm swerved or petered out. No, stripping canvas would not have saved many, but that they did not try suggests they did want to waste the effort.
* Taking time off work. By the time the forecast is certain a weekend may not be handy.
* Not local. They may live many hours away.

Mostly, they're not good excuses. In fact, mostly they are really, really lame. But they are what people believe.

 

[overbored]

Loosing a boat is small compared to loosing your house or your life. not all boats lost in that area, just small section of the marina. the boats are safer then the homes in the area. more homes sunk then boats.

 

[roverhi]

Judging by the movement of the boats in their slips, luck would be the only thing that would save a boat in that marina. With the bobbing and twisting from wave action and wind it would be fortune that would keep the mooring line from chafing through. Only see one boat in a quick look at the video that had the remains of a sail flapping in the wind. There are a lot of empty slips, at least you hope they are empty and not just the boats sunk in them, so looks like many boats hauled out or went to some hurricane hole with some protection from wave fetch.

Had the pleasure of riding out a couple of tropical storm/hurricane remains in Norfolk and it was hard to envision the difference between your placid marina when subjected to the wind and waves of a significant storm. Rode out both storms on board only because I was too dumb to learn from the first. Once the storm hits there is precious little you can do to save your boat if your preparations weren't adequate or something unfathomable happens. Even hauling the boat isn't a guarantee of safety. Boats have fallen over or even floated into other boats when in the yard.

 

[4arch]

Even if there were ample high ground to store the boats ashore, every travelift within 100 miles of the landfall running round the clock from the time it became reasonably certain the storm would come ashore in central NC (Monday-ish) to the time sustained winds ramped up too much to haul anymore boats (early Thursday AM) would have been lucky to get even half the large boats out of harm’s way.

 

[mbianka]

Had the pleasure of riding out a couple of tropical storm/hurricane remains in Norfolk and it was hard to envision the difference between your placid marina when subjected to the wind and waves of a significant storm. Rode out both storms on board only because I was too dumb to learn from the first. Once the storm hits there is precious little you can do to save your boat if your preparations weren't adequate or something unfathomable happens. Even hauling the boat isn't a guarantee of safety. Boats have fallen over or even floated into other boats when in the yard.

I planned to ride out super storm Sandy on board. I had done some storm prep and went home to take care of a few things. When I tried to get back to the marina the flooded roads prevented me from getting back to the boat. It was on a mooring and survived the storm without a scratch but, was 1,000 feet from where I left it still attached to the mooring.
Recently I was on board a rode out a Nor' Easter at the mooring. Was not fun and doubt I'll be doing that again too. Still glad my boat is on a mooring in a blow. Think chances are better for less damage and better for survival. Still no guarantees in a Hurricane.

 

[RegisteredUser]

I planned to ride out super storm Sandy on board. I had done some storm prep and went home to take care of a few things. When I tried to get back to the marina the flooded roads prevented me from getting back to the boat. It was on a mooring and survived the storm without a scratch but, was 1,000 feet from where I left it still attached to the mooring.
Recently I was on board a rode out a Nor' Easter at the mooring. Was not fun and doubt I'll be doing that again too. Still glad my boat is on a mooring in a blow. Think chances are better for less damage and better for survival. Still no guarantees in a Hurricane.

I think the last thing i would want to tie to would be a floating dock.

 

[contrarian]

Looks like I'm going to have to start making preparations early next week for Isaac. If it gets into the Gulf as even a Tropical Depression there is a good chance that it will rapidly intensify. I've just got a bad feeling about it. We get a major storm here about once every 20 years (cat 2 or above) and we're overdue. I've got a spot picked out and it is somewhat exposed but all of the Hurricane holes wind-up with high concentrations of boats of questionable ground tackle so I've decided to risk more exposure over the chance of being in a boat sandwich. Pretty much all I can do is execute my plan and hope for the best. Not looking forward to dragging 250 feet of 3/8" chain down to the boat though. Of course by doing that it will probably send the storm elsewhere.

 

[cdy]

Being a boater in Florida for over 30 years - from my observation - half the owners do nothing ( other than have insurance paid up- if they had it) - even last year with Irma heading our way - many kept their furling sails on, and left bimini's up. I had a boat moored in Cocoa - had 4 anchors out and 4 rodes - 3 failed ( chafe ) one held - boat survived - others did nothing - some just had dumb luck and survived - most were destroyed, 20 in the mooring area - 4 left after storm - the docks next to the mooring area did not survive - only the boats on the travel lifts escaped major damage. You can do everything humanly possible to protect your boat but if your neighbor does not - your work maybe wasted.

 

[hpeer]

There is a boat yard on the North side of the river with a 30 and 70 ton lift. Not a big yard storage but seldom very full. Most folks there leave their boats in the water all year.

I had a discussion about using New Bern with some friends, I recommended it. NOT the marina but to anchor out in the Neuse. Shallow sandy mud. I can’t imagine they got much wind up there. Biggest issue would flooding, which isn’t much of an issue if you are anchored.

But WHY?

I suspect that we here on Sailnet are a minority of boat owners. I guess most of us here love our boats and love our water time. I also guess that most folks have a different relationship with their boats; they are investments, dock condos, reminders of unfullfilled dreams.

Most of us here work on our own boats and have skill sets. More importantly we have a proactive attitude. We are action driven, acclimated to control, first by owning a boat we actively sail and also by maintaining same. The majority of folks are much more passive. They may be active in some narrow line, in their career or their avocation. But that does not encompass boats and boating. Thus they are relatively passive and fatalistic when it comes to their dock queen. No emotional attachment, no empowerment to act.

That’s my take anyway, for discussion.

 

[Attikos]

A. That marina, Bridge Point, was full before the storm.
B. Storm tide more than wind was the killer.
C. That unprecedented tide was so high the docks floated over their pilings and broke into pieces.
D. There is no way to secure boats against that short of putting them elsewhere, and there was nowhere to go; all the yards were full.
E. It's New Bern, not New Boring. Considering the devastation, including the loss of boats well prepared for the storm, and especially the loss of human life, shove your arrogance, ignorance and condescension up your ass all the way to your black heart, Capta.

 

[sailingfool]

A. That marina, Bridge Point, was full before the storm.
B. Storm tide more than wind was the killer.
C. That unprecedented tide was so high the docks floated over their pilings and broke into pieces.
D. There is no way to secure boats against that short of putting them elsewhere, and there was nowhere to go; all the yards were full.
E. It's New Bern, not New Boring. Considering the devastation, including the loss of boats well prepared for the storm, and especially the loss of human life, shove your arrogance, ignorance and condescension up your ass all the way to your black heart, Capta.

Marina contracts I've seen in Massachusetts have wording requiring owners to remove their vessels from the marinas prior to a named storm. Boat owners who keep their vessels in slips would buy/retain a mooring that could be used for that purpose. Now Ma has not had a named storm for a long time and I suspect the discipline of keeping a storm mooring may have slacked or become rare...but that what used to be expected and adhered to.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[ScottUK]

shove your arrogance, ignorance and condescension up your ass all the way to your black heart, Capta.

Back at you, bub

I understand exactly what Capta is saying. During Irma I spent days getting my boat ready and right before I evacuated the marina let another boat in right next to mine. They took all of an hour on their boat using inadequate lines, dodgy methods etc. I complained to the marina and they said they will take care of it but in the end my mate changed and tended that boats lines during the worst of it and that saved my boat from getting damaged.

I believe if own a boat you have a responsibility to ensure you do not endanger others. If you leave your boat for an extended period of time during hurricane season then you should prep it as if one is coming.

 

[Totuma]

If anyone has local knowledge, I'd be curious why the marina on opp side of river fared well.

 

[Attikos]

If anyone has local knowledge, I'd be curious why the marina on opp side of river fared well.

Yes. Both are floating docks. The New Bern Grand has taller pilings than Bridge Point.

My god, the idiocy of people who think prepping a boat will save the dock to which it's tied from destruction by a force of nature is beyond belief.

 

[ScottUK]

Yes. Both are floating docks. The New Bern Grand has taller pilings than Bridge Point.

My god, the idiocy of people who think prepping a boat will save the dock to which it's tied from destruction by a force of nature is beyond belief.

Obviously you still don't get it. A prepped boat has a better chance of survival than one that isn't. That was Capta's point.

Some people have the need to have it spelled out for them.