Aussie Cyclones

[44'cruisingcat]

Looks like Nathan missed the more populated areas. Crossing the cape and heading out into the gulf. Hope it doesn't re-intensify and come back...

[greybeardloon]

A current article on TC Nathan. The video shows a few boats that got hit. I hope everyone is ok and safe that's the main thing...

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-0...-coast/6338092


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[0urh]

Originally Posted by Ian R

I escaped from the mangroves yesterday after 26 days, the midges will be disappointed.

Yeah, the midges are a real problem in the mangroves. Good to hear you have escaped - I presume under your own motor power? What is next - some repairs?

[Ian R]

Originally Posted by 0urh

Yeah, the midges are a real problem in the mangroves. Good to hear you have escaped - I presume under your own motor power? What is next - some repairs?

I couldn't use the motor to get out of the actual mangroves. I dropped an anchor in the creek and pulled myself into the creek by hand.
After a couple of days repairs I motored to Yeppoon without any problems. If anybody finds a chartplotter around Island Head creek it's mine.
Now that I have good internet I'll upload some photos.

[Ian R]

Here's a couple of photos for a start.

[sparau]

Wow, good job getting it back in the water by the looks of it !

Your little fastback seems to have held up pretty well under the circumstances.

Also, thanks for sharing.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by sparau

Wow, good job getting it back in the water by the looks of it !

Your little fastback seems to have held up pretty well under the circumstances.

Also, thanks for sharing.

+2

that first cold beer is going to taste like nectar

[Ian R]

A photo of the exhaust jack I used to get the mast from under the boat and lower it down so the tide would float it.
Atoll I did manage to force a cold one down, you must be a mind reader.

[Reefmagnet]

Holy moly! Were you sitting on top of the trees?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Holy moly! Were you sitting on top of the trees?

that is the general idea of tying to the mangroves in a hurricane,ie once the wind comes round, the vessel gets pushed into the mangroves which have a cushioning effect.

problem with cats and tri marans is they are too light,and take off after 100knots!

quite a few day charter cats with little inside are able to partially fill up the hulls with water,so as to create extra ballast to avoid this happening.

probably a good idea with regular cats that have watertight compartments to fill these as much as possible with water in the event of getting caught out , where there is a risk of flipping.

in my catamaran,i can easily add over a ton of water in the watertight compartments,fore and aft in each hull.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Ian R

A photo of the exhaust jack I used to get the mast from under the boat and lower it down so the tide would float it.
Atoll I did manage to force a cold one down, you must be a mind reader.

nice jack!

know you know why it is advisable to carry a jack on a yacht!

my brother moved a 60ft ketch in a remote part of madagasgar 100meters down the beach so it could be refloated after a cyclone there,with nothing more than a 100ton jack, a 20 ton cumalong some spades and an axe!
(with the help of some villigers)

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by atoll

that is the general idea of tying to the mangroves in a hurricane,ie once the wind comes round, the vessel gets pushed into the mangroves which have a cushioning effect.

problem with cats and tri marans is they are too light,and take off after 100knots!

quite a few day charter cats with little inside are able to partially fill up the hulls with water,so as to create extra ballast to avoid this happening.

probably a good idea with regular cats that have watertight compartments to fill these as much as possible with water in the event of getting caught out , where there is a risk of flipping.

in my catamaran,i can easily add over a ton of water in the watertight compartments,fore and aft in each hull.

Egads. Fastcats are one of my favourite all time boats, but I better stick to the lead mine!

Seriously, how strong are the winds to lift a 3 or 4 tonne boat up, flip it and throw it into the mangroves. IanR, you've certainly go a story or two for the grand kids.

And I've got to ask. Where'd the exhaust jack come from and what the heck is inflating it???

[RaymondR]

There is a lot to be said for a monohull being able to take the ground without the vessel lying over and being able to ballast a multihull down in cyclone country.

[Ian R]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Egads. Fastcats are one of my favourite all time boats, but I better stick to the lead mine!

Seriously, how strong are the winds to lift a 3 or 4 tonne boat up, flip it and throw it into the mangroves. IanR, you've certainly go a story or two for the grand kids.

And I've got to ask. Where'd the exhaust jack come from and what the heck is inflating it???

It's not a Fastcat it's a John Gross Fastback, made in Brisbane.
I pumped the jack up with an air mattress hand pump, more pressure can be added with a tyre pump. I didn't use a tyre pump in case the jack went pop. I didn't totally lift the boat with the jack , but used it more as a shock absorber as the boat came down. I would use 2 jacks to lift a hull on the beach.
That jack came off FleaBay, 4 wheel drive shops sell more expensive ones. It says designed and made in Australia, but that could have been written in China.

[Ian R]

Originally Posted by atoll

that is the general idea of tying to the mangroves in a hurricane,ie once the wind comes round, the vessel gets pushed into the mangroves which have a cushioning effect.

problem with cats and tri marans is they are too light,and take off after 100knots!

quite a few day charter cats with little inside are able to partially fill up the hulls with water,so as to create extra ballast to avoid this happening.

probably a good idea with regular cats that have watertight compartments to fill these as much as possible with water in the event of getting caught out , where there is a risk of flipping.

in my catamaran,i can easily add over a ton of water in the watertight compartments,fore and aft in each hull.

I should have had more weight in the boat.
I was only booked to fight a lightweight but they substituted a heavyweight at the last second. I demand a rematch, but not right now.