Hurricane Harvey Slamming Texas

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Cavalier

You'll note on the video of the Bene411, it appeared sails/canvasses were still on the boat (in the video it look like the genoa can be seen, flaked/partly unfurled on the dock). It's very difficult or impossible for people not living on or near their boats to prepare as much as necessary, including removal of all possible windage from the rigging and decks. A bimini or dodger will add a phenomenal load to a boat under 110+mph winds, and if a sail unfurls or becomes unlashed, the it goes wrong very quickly. Tied to a dock, the boat has much less opportunity to heal or round-up to spill the wind and reduce extra loading - it's basically constrained in space and unable to change heading, the mast and standing rigging are the only items left (short of cleats/dock ripping away) which can 'release' the pressure under such circumstances.

The intense short period snap roll which can develop in a marina during extreme weather events is also a contributor. Ive seen boats dismasted which had no exposed canvas. The shock loading created by this sort of short period snap roll can be intense. Given that it can also be prolonged (hours), something is likely to eventually fail under intense cyclical shock loads...and once a single rigging component fails, structural integrity is lost, and then the whole house of cards will follow soon.

A similar situation can develop offshore following major storms. Still lots of significant wave action left over, but typically little or no wind. So, the same sort of snap roll can develop. Ive read accounts of traditional sailing ships taking an axe to their masts to prevent further damage to the vessel in such situations. In a modern vessel with an engine you could just motor into it, but they didnt have that option.

[hpeer]

Last year we awoke to a BANG! The 29' Bayfield next to us had a small flap of genoa canvass work out and get caught in the 60kt gusts we were experiencing. It was a real eye opener to try to deal with that on the dock.

Our small boat has a wee engine, 13 HP for 8 tons, it ain't much good in the slop left after even a strong wind.

It's one of the reasons I like the traditional steel boats we have, not that I appreciated at the time of purchase. I've got a LOT of wire holding those masts up.
Fore stay
Staysail stay
Back stay
Top shrouds
Mid shrouds
Runners

That's 11 -13 wires sharing the load.

Our big boat is in Green Cove Springs, FL (on St Johns River behind St Augustine) for the summer/early fall. Heading S in November. All canvas stripped, on stands, strapped down, 18 miles from the ocean.

IRMA!

We shall see.

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

The intense short period snap roll which can develop in a marina during extreme weather events is also a contributor. Ive seen boats dismasted which had no exposed canvas. The shock loading created by this sort of short period snap roll can be intense. Given that it can also be prolonged (hours), something is likely to eventually fail under intense cyclical shock loads...and once a single rigging component fails, structural integrity is lost, and then the whole house of cards will follow soon.

A similar situation can develop offshore following major storms. Still lots of significant wave action left over, but typically little or no wind. So, the same sort of snap roll can develop. Ive read accounts of traditional sailing ships taking an axe to their masts to prevent further damage to the vessel in such situations. In a modern vessel with an engine you could just motor into it, but they didnt have that option.

That's a great point. I've experienced the little-wind, steep/short wave slop issue offshore- continued for a day with very fickle wind. I motored most of the way through it, but had mostly beam seas. Even with a minor course change to cut across waves into the wave direction, the rapid roll etc had caused such a disparity in loading between the windward and leeward shrouds, that I had to climb the mast and readjust/secure the angle of the leeside upper spreader, which had suffered from the repeated slacking of the leeward shroud - and that was with a reasonably well tuned rig!