Lack of Storm Prep / What Are They Thinking??

[Maine Sail]

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

Picture the bows of these vessels rising up and down some 5 feet or more every few seconds.. 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 late yesterday less than 24 hours before predicted winds..

[rebel heart]

Great shots; not a lot of "in the field" shots like this floating around.

[Maine Sail]

That's why I took them. I am amazed at the number of absentee boat owners who commute from RI or CT and who go home and leave their boat in Maine with the ground tackle hanging off the bow??

Perhaps common sense has become a thing of the past? Heck even in dead flat waters some of those anchors are rubbing the pendants. Chocks are made for ropes to pass through or by NOT anchors..??

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Acoustic

If not for your boat think of others you may hit when you chafe through..

It is the result of insurance, IE: the lack of personal responsibility.

[maxingout]

This mooring field could turn into a huge disaster area if a couple of these yachts chafe through their lines.

This is the rationale for my storm strategy. I always anchor to windward of the mooring field if it is at all possible. I've seen too many boats adrift in a storm leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by maxingout

This mooring field could turn into a huge disaster area if a couple of these yachts chafe through their lines.

You bet it could!

Originally Posted by maxingout

This is the rationale for my storm strategy. I always anchor to windward of the mooring field if it is at all possible. I've seen too many boats adrift in a storm leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

My rational is to get the hell out of dodge! Those photos were taken when I was moving my boat from that anchorage to my storm mooring.

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 yesterday including mine:

[ssullivan]

1300 boats??

Is that Falmouth Foreside?

Here's a photo of my storm anchorage and also the anchorage I'll be at until we go to a winter dock (decided not to winter at anchor... not enough time to do the chores!)

[Eleven]

So obvious when seen. Thanks for the reminder.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

Is that Falmouth Foreside?

Bad guess! ha ha

I see the land now in some of the pics. Not Falmouth Foreside.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

Bad guess! ha ha

I see the land now in some of the pics. Not Falmouth Foreside.

You were right the first time it is Falmouth Foreside!!

[Fishspearit]

Any photos of the aftermath? Any boats actually chafe through their mooring lines and go adrift?

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by Fishspearit

Any photos of the aftermath? Any boats actually chafe through their mooring lines and go adrift?

Fortunately not! NOAA messed up the predictions (no big surprise) again and the highest winds I recorded was a gust to 24. Still most ignore these warning and when it does ring true we usually have at least 6 to 10 break free..

In the last big Nor' Easter I counted seven parted pendants only two of which were chafed at the chocks. Of course you had to grab the remaining pendant and stretch it out from the cleat to see that it had been anchor chafe, not chock chafe as many, even insurance adjusters, attribute it too. I showed the harbor master my findings and he was rather surprised and he himself had never even thought of it.

I rode out one storm on board and watched a pendant get destroyed by an anchor. You'd be amazed at the sawing affect an anchor has in 4 to 5 foot chop and 45+ knot winds. Fortunately for this guy he had two un-equal length pendants and the boat survived the ordeal..

[imagine2frolic]

Common sense is not so common any more......UNFORTUNATELY!

[TabbyCat]

I once asked a client who lived out of state with a boat moored in Florida to supply a hurricane plan, as required by his insurance company. I explained that a good storm plan included taking off canvas, doubling the lines, etc. when a hurricane was coming. He replied that "it was too much trouble- he wanted the boat to be ready to go when he flew into town, and that's what he had insurance for." Needless to say, he is no longer one of our clients!

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by TabbyCat

I once asked a client who lived out of state with a boat moored in Florida to supply a hurricane plan, as required by his insurance company. I explained that a good storm plan included taking off canvas, doubling the lines, etc. when a hurricane was coming. He replied that "it was too much trouble- he wanted the boat to be ready to go when he flew into town, and that's what he had insurance for." Needless to say, he is no longer one of our clients!

Wow selfish and ignorant all in one! I'm glad lad they booted his butt!!