Damaged but still afloat

[SailingwithSoul]

Hi Everyone!

Just thought I'd share some thoughts and pics. Mods feel free to move this thread if needed.

Yesterday (Sunday) I was finally able to ride down to my marina to find out what happened to Sailor’s Soul. I was hoping for the best but, after a week of worry, ready to accept she may have been lost to the Hurricane Sandy. My marina is just north of Long Beach, which was utterly decimated by the storm. With only a gallon and a half of fuel in my bike (and no place to refill) I rode down to the South Shore. Island Park was hit very very hard by the storm. The large commercial marinas looked barren. Their boats were either knocked off their mounts or strewn along the city streets. As I neared my marina my heart sank. I only saw two masts up (out of the usual six). I gunned the throttle around the corner and raced to the entrance. Entire sections of docks were strewn across the street blocking the entrance. I parked the bike, climbed over the damaged wood and ran to the water’s edge. The piers that held up to sixteen boats just a week before was completely wiped away. All that remained were a few pilings and five boats, three powerboats and two sailboats. One of them was Sailor’s Soul.

I was so elated to see her afloat that at first, I did not notice any damage. Then after a few minutes, I saw her port side. She suffered two deep gashes on her forward and midship deck joint.

Her starboard side deck joint also received some damage when the rub rail failed and was cracked off, but nothing as sever as the port side.


Most surprisingly, the interior was completely dry. The bilge has its normal 1-2 inches of water and there were no incoming drips or leaks. The rig stayed up and there was no torque or twisted stays, even though learned that my neighbor’s Hunter kept swinging its rig into mine (The hunter was eventually dis-masted by my boat’s mast). The engine started right up and engaging forward and reversed did not produce any strange vibrations. The electrical worked and the rudder felt normal. All I could do yesterday was stuff rolled plastic tarps into the holes to try to keep water out in the event or rain or snow. I’m going to have to make all her repairs on the water as there are not longer any operating marinas in the area.

I am very proud of Sailor’s Soul. She weathered the storm significantly better than the other ships in the area. I was speaking with the marina owner and he was telling me that, apparently, all the ships were weathering the storm just fine. They rose up in the surge and all their lines were holding. Then a large fishing trawler from the marina next door broke free from its lines (I’m willing to bet the owner didn't even bother to add any additional docklines). The trawler then began bumping into EVERY boat at my place. Tearing up docks, snapping dock lines and causing utter destruction along the way. The Hunter next to me pulled its piling, snapped it’s lines, my lines and dis-masted. Amazingly in all the chaos, Sailor’s Soul’s anchor was freed from its cradle. It bit into the channel floor and held my boat just off the shallows. She actually anchored herself with a 24lb Danforth, 40ft of chain and 200 feet of nylon rode! Man I’m proud!!!

The anchor is still holing in the channel and is being used to eventually kedge off another hard grounded sailboat.

Thanks for listening and hope you all enjoyed reading.

[thompsonisland]

Man, SUCKS about that trawler!

[SailingwithSoul]

Yea. you can see her on the right in the last photo.

[Astrid]

congratulations on still having your boat.

[SailingwithSoul]

Originally Posted by Astrid

congratulations on still having your boat.

Thanks Astrid!

On a side note, I hope to eventually have a 50ft (at least) classic looking steel ketch or schooner. They are really classy and salty

[svHyLyte]

Good for you. You have my sympathies regarding the damages but they look managable. Sadly, I am affraid many other yachts in your area will be a total loss, many, unfortunately, because some fail to take needed precautions/measures when a storm is in the offing. I see it here every year, usually linked to a glib comment about "...that's what insurance is for..." or some such rubbish. N'any case, good luck with the yacht and best wishes for your home and family.

[micah719]

Glad to hear you're ok, and that your boat is too. So, she crossed swords with a Hunter and won...that's one for the log.

[SailingwithSoul]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Good for you. You have my sympathies regarding the damages but they look managable. Sadly, I am affraid many other yachts in your area will be a total loss, many, unfortunately, because some fail to take needed precautions/measures when a storm is in the offing. I see it here every year, usually linked to a glib comment about "...that's what insurance is for..." or some such rubbish. N'any case, good luck with the yacht and best wishes for your home and family.

Thanks HyLyte!

I never understood how some people will disregard their boats with a storm incoming. While I may just be speculating here, I think the boats in my marina would have all ridden the storm through. We all had our lines doubled. The Marina set two mushroom anchors to keep our bows pointed straight. I even bought extra fenders (I'm annoyed I lost most of them as fenders are not cheap) and set them around my boat. Did it matter? Nope. Not one bit because one lone boat owner did not do his part and now many of the good people around me lost their joys.

I know I should feel bad bad for the trawler owner. He didn't cut his lines, the storm and surging sea did. but I'm resentful because his ship hurt mine, and now I'm going to have to do all the work and buy all the lost supplies all over again.

[SailingwithSoul]

Originally Posted by micah719

Glad to hear you're ok, and that your boat is too. So, she crossed swords with a Hunter and won...that's one for the log.

I feel bad about the Hunter. They added a few hundred pounds of lead to her bilge before the storm to minimize her roll, but I was told she still thrashed about and was most likely responsible for the starboard side damage to the rubrail. Not the Hunter's fault.

[micah719]

Say, an idea about cheap, losable fenders....tyre inner tubes. Ok, black scuff marks....but one won't be salting the ocean with bitter tears of lost moulah, and they're always useful for paddling about, or dive floats....

Pity about the Hunter all right. Not much for the trawler though...like to be a fly on the wall when the details of that stunt turn up.

[terminalcitygrl]

Call me cynical but I wonder how many folks don't storm prep their boats with hope that they will be written off as an insurance payout will be worth far more than current resale in a depressed market...

[SailingwithSoul]

Originally Posted by terminalcitygrl

Call me cynical but I wonder how many folks don't storm prep their boats with hope that they will be written off as an insurance payout will be worth far more than current resale in a depressed market...

Even if only one person does that, it's one too many.

If I ever find out my boat was sunk or damages for some douche's insurance money, I'd "office space" his house. Let his insurance cover that as well .

[jmo64]

Soul, trying to figure out from the pix where the marina is located. Which one in Island Park? Glad it came out semi-okay!!

[SailingwithSoul]

Originally Posted by jmo64

Soul, trying to figure out from the pix where the marina is located. Which one in Island Park? Glad it came out semi-okay!!

Thanks jmo. Island Park is just north of Long Beach, on the South-shore of Long Island, NY. It's actually a nice area with good wind, but few sailboats due to allot of shallow areas and @5ft tidal range. That said, If you like ocean sailing, this is the place to be.

PM me if you're looking for great Marina on the south shore. The owner is one of the most genuine and honest guys I know.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by SailingwithSoul

Hi Everyone!

Just thought I'd share some thoughts and pics. Mods feel free to move this thread if needed.

Yesterday (Sunday) I was finally able to ride down to my marina to find out what happened to Sailor’s Soul. I was hoping for the best but, after a week of worry, ready to accept she may have been lost to the Hurricane Sandy. My marina is just north of Long Beach, which was utterly decimated by the storm. With only a gallon and a half of fuel in my bike (and no place to refill) I rode down to the South Shore. Island Park was hit very very hard by the storm. The large commercial marinas looked barren. Their boats were either knocked off their mounts or strewn along the city streets. As I neared my marina my heart sank. I only saw two masts up (out of the usual six). I gunned the throttle around the corner and raced to the entrance. Entire sections of docks were strewn across the street blocking the entrance. I parked the bike, climbed over the damaged wood and ran to the water’s edge. The piers that held up to sixteen boats just a week before was completely wiped away. All that remained were a few pilings and five boats, three powerboats and two sailboats. One of them was Sailor’s Soul.

I was so elated to see her afloat that at first, I did not notice any damage. Then after a few minutes, I saw her port side. She suffered two deep gashes on her forward and midship deck joint.

Her starboard side deck joint also received some damage when the rub rail failed and was cracked off, but nothing as sever as the port side.


Most surprisingly, the interior was completely dry. The bilge has its normal 1-2 inches of water and there were no incoming drips or leaks. The rig stayed up and there was no torque or twisted stays, even though learned that my neighbor’s Hunter kept swinging its rig into mine (The hunter was eventually dis-masted by my boat’s mast). The engine started right up and engaging forward and reversed did not produce any strange vibrations. The electrical worked and the rudder felt normal. All I could do yesterday was stuff rolled plastic tarps into the holes to try to keep water out in the event or rain or snow. I’m going to have to make all her repairs on the water as there are not longer any operating marinas in the area.

I am very proud of Sailor’s Soul. She weathered the storm significantly better than the other ships in the area. I was speaking with the marina owner and he was telling me that, apparently, all the ships were weathering the storm just fine. They rose up in the surge and all their lines were holding. Then a large fishing trawler from the marina next door broke free from its lines (I’m willing to bet the owner didn't even bother to add any additional docklines). The trawler then began bumping into EVERY boat at my place. Tearing up docks, snapping dock lines and causing utter destruction along the way. The Hunter next to me pulled its piling, snapped it’s lines, my lines and dis-masted. Amazingly in all the chaos, Sailor’s Soul’s anchor was freed from its cradle. It bit into the channel floor and held my boat just off the shallows. She actually anchored herself with a 24lb Danforth, 40ft of chain and 200 feet of nylon rode! Man I’m proud!!!

The anchor is still holing in the channel and is being used to eventually kedge off another hard grounded sailboat.

Thanks for listening and hope you all enjoyed reading.

Sorry for the damage you did suffer, but considering all the carnage around you ... you were lucky. Good luck with this.