Last week on Thursday I chose to move my
boat from a marina on the lower Chesapeake to a
Hurricane hole near the Dismal swamp and stay aboard. Staying aboard was a tough decision. Was it rationale or emotional? Probably a little of both. The following are some key take aways for the next one:
1.
Haul out whenever possible. I will not choose staying aboard in the future if at all possible.
2. If
Haul out is not possible choose a
Hurricane Hole with nearly 360 degree
wind shadow protection from trees. The smaller the better to a degree (tree height relative to your position) otherwise you will get severe
wind at some point during the storm. I saw the greatest winds (westerly) after eyewall
passage on the backside of the hurricane
passage.
3. 360 degree tether to shore is preferred. I used three 3/4" three strand and had three anchors out (CQR,
Delta and Fortress) and three lines to shore secured to trees with chafing
gear on trees and
boat hardware friction points. The more the better as long as your
cleats are numerous and beefy.
4. Mud is the poorest holding material. If your hurricane hole is filled with mud your anchors are useless. If your lucky (me) you will snag someones old car on the bottom.
5. Anticipate wind from all quadrants based on your position relative to the eyewall passage track. My main winds were from East to North and transitioned to NW and finally West. I was on the west side of the eyewall about 50 miles from center. The west wind was the greatest strain on my
gear based on my position in the NE corner of my chosen hurricane hole
Boat and
Captain came out without any dents. I motored against the west wind which in my mind was the rationale part of staying aboard. In this case it may have saved the boat from dragging anchors in poor bottom holding.
I learned alot about ground tackle, storm passages, bottom material, and my boat. It may have been a foolish decision in hindsight but this fool gained some wisdom in the process.
Many people locally stayed aboard their boats some at
marinas and others at other hurricane holes. Fortunately most fair well but not all:
2 rescued from sailboat off Ocean View | WVEC.com Norfolk - Hampton Roads
At least they made it out with their lives.