Stripped our boat tonight.

[iamadifferentbreed]

Well, with Andrea coming we stripped our boat tonight, lots of fun in the rain. How many of you actually do this during severe storms? We did it during Debbie last year as well, so knock on wood we'll come out o.k. just like last time.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by iamadifferentbreed

Well, with Andrea coming we stripped our boat tonight, lots of fun in the rain. How many of you actually do this during severe storms? We did it during Debbie last year as well, so knock on wood we'll come out o.k. just like last time.

I'm not doing it for this storm. I don't think it's going to be that bad here, although you really are exposed on Anna Maria.

What i *do* do is make sure my headsail is wound tight. If the sheets go clockwise, then I add another line counter-clockwise.

But I don't think this one is going to be bad for us. Wet, and my guess is about 25 mph.

In a worse storm I would take all the canvas down and stow it in the cabin. then I would put in my old hatch boards as well as my "saloon" cabin doors. I would tape it all shut, as well as taping both the hatches shut.

I'd also clean the cockpit thoroughly. Cat hair clogs the scuppers amazingly well so I make sure the cockpit is free of it. Then the cat and I would go either to a friend's home or -- they're going to have family staying with them this summer -- to a cat-friendly motel.

[iamadifferentbreed]

We did it for the wind, stripped the sails and boom, bungees on the mast to keep the,halyards from clanging. Yup, cockpit cleared, 2 extra dock lines as well. We're in a slip on a canal near Galati's so I only worry about the wind.

[Kettlewell]

It's like carrying my weather gear">foul weather gear when I go ashore--if I don't bring it there's a deluge. If I carry it around all day, the sun shines. So, strip your boat and the storm will pass you by. I usually figure on at least a couple of false alarms each hurricane season. At the very least I take off the roller furling jib, which makes a huge difference in windage, and securely lash down the main on the boom along with anything else on deck. I might also add extra lines and chafing gear to the mooring and move the dinghy up to higher ground. The biggest problem where I am is storm surge. Just a close brush from a tropical storm brings three or four feet of extra water, while a hit can bring more than 10 feet.

[Maineiac_sailor]

My boats on the hard in St Augustine, so my only concern is windage. All the canvas is down, and the drains and bilge pump get checked before the storm. Looks like it will be lots of rain over here, wind maybe around 25-30kts.

My biggest concern is that i'm still in the Caribbean, so i have to trust a friend to check the boat. (Good friend at least)

As far as storms go, prepare for the worst and hope for the best, is always my motto. Id rather have to put all my sails and canvas up for a false alarm, then replace it all if the storm turns for the worse.

[Adodero]

Ugh! Worst timing ever, I literally just pulled out 4 pieces of deck hardware and got them prepped to be filled once the rain earlier in the week died out. Hope the duct tape holds some of the water off at least :/

Good luck everyone. If anyone has a boat in Melbourne, I'd be happy to go check her out for you if need be.

As a side note, where did this storm come from? I check the NOAA forecasts every day and today is the first mention of a TS I've seen all week. It kindof blindsided me TBH.

[iamadifferentbreed]

Our tides are running a foot to a foot and a half above normal, really my only concern, although the wind is picking up now. We did loosen up a party boat tied to tight with the bow being pulled under, gotta wonder why people never check their boat.

[Kettlewell]

As a side note, where did this storm come from? I check the NOAA forecasts every day and today is the first mention of a TS I've seen all week. It kindof blindsided me TBH.

Well I started the first thread on this on Monday and the National Hurricane Center was discussing before that.

[zeehag]

andrea came from pacific via tehuantepec then north to cancun. she was named barbara. she crossed tehuantepec backwards after becoming a hurrycame, then dissipated somewhat--until she re grew into 91L then andrea, as she crossed to fla.
this is why i pay attention to both basins for tropical activity, aside from having friends and family on every part of earth.
what i have done has been to tie all down --i add a line from top of furler to lower furler unit , reverse wrap from furling so jib is double wrapped, yet easily able to be used in case of need to flee. i will have mizzen on boom with extra wraps and tight so is usable in case of need to flee. for heavy wind and rain, i add a tight to boat cover of waterpruf material on coach house between grab rails spiderwebbed onto house and hunker down.
if winds exceed cat 2 i will remove all and pray pumps continue to function....it will be wet inside.
dont count on andrea to remain as is predicted--expect more of her, then you wont be screwed.

[DumnMad]

We've had 70knot gusts through our marina last year. Hardly anyone had stripped and hardly anyone damaged. My 12 year old dodger canvas was a bit torn and got more damage.
If 40kn to 50kn predicted we would expect 70kn gusts.
So now with new canvas I wouldn't strip for expected gusts up to 70knots.
What windspeed do others strip for?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by iamadifferentbreed

Well, with Andrea coming we stripped our boat tonight, lots of fun in the rain. How many of you actually do this during severe storms? We did it during Debbie last year as well, so knock on wood we'll come out o.k. just like last time.

They only forecast winds here of 20 - 30 mph, so I didn't do it. Debbie was forecast to be 30 - 40 so I didn't do it then either, but if we were going to have a really strong TS or hurricane, I would strip it all off. That's expensive stuff. No point risking it. I'll put it all in the cabin, and then tape the hatches, companionway, etc., along the seams.

[iamadifferentbreed]

Extended 30 mph with stronger gusts up to 60 and we strip ours. I just feel the reduced windage is worth it in our slip, less wear and tear on the whole boat, dock and dock lines. Besides, it's a good way to give her a once over while putting everything back.