How do we prepare our boat for 50 kt winds?

[MarkJ]

You say the wind will be pushing you off the dock? That's good.

Some cheap dock cleats look huge and strong but they are just moulded alloy and can snap. So take that advice and also run a line or 2 round the whole dock or pylon.

The trick with lines is to use the springy stretchy ones as they dampen the shock. When you run out of them then used your spare genoa sheets or whatever you have but don't tension them up. Just have them lose so they can be your reserve if the stretchy ones break.

A filled dinghy can't flip. (Easily)

A good storm is exciting and can be quite enjoyable so don't fear it. Have a good look at the clouds, see what you can learn, get the wind in your hair and rain in your face and get up on deck to check your lines. **being conscious of risk, of course**

After that thread today about always helping other people... don't! Your priority is to your boat. Get it safe, secure and happy before you go help someone else because its stupid to lose 2 boats instead of just 1.

As long as no one is killed, injured or boats sunk, a good storm can be very enjoyable! So Have fun and do what you need to do.

If something goes wrong take a moment to think it through and come up with a creative solution

[SV DestinyAscen]

If you have time, do a 360 survey of boats around you. Make sure the owners are responsible, if not - find the best way to help yourself protect them.

[zeehag]

50 kts is no big deal. lash all to cabin roof or stanchions, secure all below, make sure your docklines are good and using spring and breast lines. you will be fine. i know first time is scary. you will do fine.

[Sailor647]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

You say the wind will be pushing you off the dock? That's good.

Yep. Good.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Some cheap dock cleats look huge and strong but they are just moulded alloy and can snap. So take that advice and also run a line or 2 round the whole dock or pylon.

Copy that.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

A filled dinghy can't flip. (Easily)

What about having it on the davits, securely tied, of course. Outboard on its mount?

Originally Posted by MarkJ

A good storm is exciting and can be quite enjoyable so don't fear it. Have a good look at the clouds, see what you can learn, get the wind in your hair and rain in your face and get up on deck to check your lines. **being conscious of risk, of course**

I have always enjoyed a good storm. No one to blame for a storm, except mother nature. Watched a tornado destroy a neighbor's barn as a kid - from a safe distance in the cellar. Always wondered what the after-effects of the big 9.5 earthquake will look like when it hits the PNW... but, we always have some sort of backup, emergency response plan in place. Ah, the adrenaline rush of it all...

Originally Posted by MarkJ

After that thread today about always helping other people... don't! Your priority is to your boat. Get it safe, secure and happy before you go help someone else because its stupid to lose 2 boats instead of just 1.

Noted. We agreed to take down some sunshades in advance, but once the fans kick up, we'll be safely down below. Or, if it's that bad, on land somewhere.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

As long as no one is killed, injured or boats sunk, a good storm can be very enjoyable! So Have fun and do what you need to do.
If something goes wrong take a moment to think it through and come up with a creative solution

Great advice. Thanks MarkJ. And everyone else that took time to post. We really appreciate it.

Cheers, mates.

[MarkJ]

Yep, dink on davits is fine. If there's gunna be rain pull the plug and make sure the now is up a bit so the water drains out ... and remember to put the plug back in... you won't, no one remembers

[jimbunyard]

Most of the advise above is very good, but some more things to think about.

This storm is just spinning up, all the forecasts at this point are suspect,, and should be treated with a large grain of salt... The storms in the east Pacific have been having a nasty habit of rapidly intensifying these last few years, so keep an eye on it, and be prepared to change/update your plan before things hit the fan.

Both marinas look rather well situated, protection wise. When securing your boat make sure you leave enough length of line to allow for the storm surge.

While looking out for your boat first, have a look at the boats around you and help those around secure theirs. If need be, do the best you can to secure untended boats.

Remove anything that can blow away now, sails, biminis, dodgers, grills
outboards, covers, everything. If it's not bolted down and you want to keep it, put it inside the boat or on shore. Once it starts blowing, you don't want to fool with anything. (or at least as little as possible)

While the National Hurricane Center has made tremendous forecasting advances in the last 15 years, they still make mistakes. If the eye passes to the east of you, you're probably set up in a pretty good position. If it passes just to the west of you, storm surge may be a problem. Much depends on the combination of forward speed, cyclonic wind speed and the size of the wind field when it crosses nearest to your position. If it stays 50-70 knots or less you probably have much less to worry about.

If you make all these preparations and nothing happens, count yourself lucky. Don't assume that next time will be the same...

[zeehag]

keep watch on eebmike for our area. nothing else is as accurate.
passage weather does excellent work but they are this time stuck on the path to be taken if early landfall was to occur at lazaro cardenas, which it hasnt.
storm 2k will keep updates--if there is rapid intensification, i find out there.
our best source in this region is eebmike.
he has his weather station in conception bay , and does a good project.
btw--the storm is only 300ish miles from you, the storms on this coast are generally well predicted and the tracks stay fairly close to the first prediction, unlike east coast storms, which travel many miles before their destinations. we form 19-21 annually, between may 15 and nov 30. sometimes more, rarely less/

[Sailor647]

Originally Posted by jimbunyard

When securing your boat make sure you leave enough length of line to allow for the storm surge.

The marina docks are on pilings. The docks will float up the pilings with any storm surge. Not sure why we'd want to have "extra" line tying our boat to the dock. Am I missing something?

Thanks.

[jimbunyard]

Originally Posted by Sailor647

The marina docks are on pilings. The docks will float up the pilings with any storm surge. Not sure why we'd want to have "extra" line tying our boat to the dock. Am I missing something?

Thanks.

No, if you have floating docks you generally have to tie off to them, and allow the dock movement to absorb water level changes. Obviously, the integrity of the floating mechanism connections of the dock to the pilings, the hardware to the dock, and the hardware to your boat should be of highest regard. It may be possible, however, if you have enough piling length above the dock and if the marina allows it, to double up lines by securing extra lines directly to the pilings and your boat if you think it necessary...but this depends on your specific situation.

You should be fine, I'm just leery from living through every storm to come through New Orleans, Slidell and the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the last 33 years, and seeing plenty of boats sunk and trashed from being improperly/inadequately secured in storms.

[Sailor647]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Yep, dink on davits is fine. If there's gunna be rain pull the plug and make sure the nose is up a bit so the water drains out ... and remember to put the plug back in... you won't, no one remembers

Grin.

We're from the Pacific Northwest. Got over 40" of rain per year. (And only 63 clear days per year. UUGH That's why we're here!) Pulling the plug is second nature. Haven't forgot to put it back in...yet. Now watch. We will. LOL
Thanks!

[Sailor647]

Originally Posted by SV DestinyAscen

If you have time, do a 360 survey of boats around you. Make sure the owners are responsible, if not - find the best way to help yourself protect them.

Just took a count. There are 20 boats on A dock in Marina San Carlos and 3 or 4 empty slips. Only two of us live aboard and are here right now. Two boats are working tourist/dive boats, so the owners are around, usually daily. The rest have absentee owners. Two of the absentee owners are cruiser friends, and we've touched base with them (and others cruisers from other docks) to see what we can do to help out.

The rest? Not sure if we have enough time or the permission to start messing with their boats... We're thinking not.

However, the boat right across the finger from us has all kinds of sh*t that will be flying off in our direction when the wind starts up. That will probably require some attention.

As comedian Ron White says, "It's not THAT the wind is blowin', it's WHAT the wind is blowin."

[chuckr]

We just went through some 55k winds here on the dock in Odessa Ukraine - we knew a blow was coming so increased the number of dock lines and like you it was blowing us off the dock - we actually used cleats on both side of the boat running lines across the boat to help ease the pressure on one cleat - we also increased the size of a couple of docklines -
we did not pull the bimini, dodger, solar panels, jib but did make sure it was multiwrapped , and inboom main was pulled in as far as we could get it - and we just sat it out - probably one or two less grey hairs if we had gotten off the boat -

OH and we have tired up our boat for hurricanes - we lived in Miami and been through about 7 hurricanes including katrina (small when she came through) and Wilma -

[MarkJ]

That storm has been named and increased strength a tiny bit over night

[Sea Dreaming]

How will the boats on stands do in this?
Our boat is down there. I am a little worried!

[zeehag]

sailor 674... i thought you were in la paz for some reason.
la paz and cabo will be getting 50 or so kt winds from this tropical storm. they are under cane warnings. there are no warnings for san carlos/guaymas as the winds are expected to diminish significantly by then.
as it is not getting to be a cane, and as you are waaay up the sea, and as the newton storm will by then be merely a tropical depression, you have no worries. the winds will not be 50 kts by the time they get to you.
you will be lucky to see 30 kts by the time the tired old depression arrives on your doorstep.
relax and breathe.
check eebmike for weather in your area.
sea dreaming-- what i said to sailor goes fo ryou a swell. thi si sNOT a cane, this is a tropical storm. by guaymas and san carlos it will be tropical depression. if you are in la paz, you willget mebbe 50 kts.
on stands no sweat.
please check eeb mike for our mexiweather from conception bay.