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Old 20-12-2017, 07:29   #1
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Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys



I have no idea if this link has been published before, but the video is comprehensive and will give you an amazing look at the widespread damage in Florida. One estimate was that - I'm not kidding - about 63,000 damaged boats. Keep in mind that would be all damage, minor and major, but as the video will demonstrate, it was a pretty bad time here...
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Old 20-12-2017, 08:08   #2
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

I always wonder, "what's the point" of videos like that. That I should have insurance? I suppose so. That I should move my boat out of the way. Sure.

Of FAR more value would be detailed forensic evaluation of just a few losses.
  • How did the line chafe through? Is there security cam footage of how the boat was moving? What size were the lines? How were they tied?
  • What actually caused the boat to sink, if other than the result of hitting something.
  • Exactly what could have been done differently to prevent the loss? Explain why that would make the difference.
I can learn more from a few minutes very close inspection of one boat than hours of watching collages of destruction.
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Old 20-12-2017, 08:23   #3
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

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Originally Posted by thinwater View Post
I always wonder, "what's the point" of videos like that. That I should have insurance? I suppose so. That I should move my boat out of the way. Sure.

Of FAR more value would be detailed forensic evaluation of just a few losses.
  • How did the line chafe through? Is there security cam footage of how the boat was moving? What size were the lines? How were they tied?
  • What actually caused the boat to sink, if other than the result of hitting something.
  • Exactly what could have been done differently to prevent the loss? Explain why that would make the difference.
I can learn more from a few minutes very close inspection of one boat than hours of watching collages of destruction.
Yeah, I didn't much care for the whole presentation - the montage of twisting photo-frames, the wistful music. It's now "disaster-porn". Simply stringing the shots together full-frame, perhaps grouped logically by area, would have had more informative value.

But there's a point to both types of videos; a survey that shows the extent of damages to boats in the area, and the detailed documenting of a specific vessel. Different people, different audiences.
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Old 20-12-2017, 10:16   #4
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

Hoo boy. Talk about the negative nattering nabobs of the sailing world... whew!

The video was posted for those who care to view, and those who don't care, well, shouldn't bother. As a Floridian who knows and has been on the water in many of those locations, I was extremely interested to see what happened, damage to docks and facilities and the rest. I live here, ergo I care boyz, and if there was anything I didn't care to see or hear, it was useless, condescending and smug comments.

Such is life. The fact that 63,000 boats were damaged means at least that many owners - and more - really need to get the message. I can't tell you how many otherwise intelligent and competent sailors I know who even so, fall prey to denial. I heard more than one east coaster state that because Irma came ashore near Naples on the west coast of Florida, that they'd be well, just fine. This was noted in Coconut Grove - over a hundred miles east of the eye and landfall, and - they thought - not likely to get Cat 2 or 3 winds.

Millions of dollars of moored and docked boats were badly damaged and sunk. The problem in Florida this year was that we'd gotten a pass for more than a few years, and the memories of Andrew and others had faded.

Result: an amazing 63,000 people - who unlike our barstool expurts - were not sufficiently aware of what a huge system can do, even far, far away from landfall. The issue for these thousands was what to do, but rather to choose to do it. Perhaps this video may serve as a good wake up call. Don't like the film? Don't watch. Your problem. Breathe. Another round for my nattering friends...
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Old 21-12-2017, 04:11   #5
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

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Originally Posted by Capn Jimbo View Post
The video was posted for those who care to view, and those who don't care, well, shouldn't bother. As a Floridian who knows and has been on the water in many of those locations, I was extremely interested to see what happened, damage to docks and facilities and the rest. I live here, ergo I care boyz, and if there was anything I didn't care to see or hear, it was useless, condescending and smug comments.
Who's being touchy here?

Nobody said they don't care, but a bad video is a bad video. The main point is that there's very little in there for anyone who does care: no indications of what ports or areas the images came from, no maps, no data, no interviews, no analysis, no advice.

As a native Floridian, what did it tell you, other than yes, a lot of boats were damaged?

This almost 50 minute video is maybe 40 minutes too long, considering that it's just endless, context-free damage shots. Maybe that's Ok or useful for some.
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Old 21-12-2017, 04:34   #6
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

Lake-Effect is right imo, lots of footage with zero context.
More a fluff piece than a demonstration of useful information for boaters or municipalities to use to mitigate the effect of future weather related events.

Fair winds all.
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Old 21-12-2017, 06:14   #7
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

The barstool expurts have spoken, and spoken...





I don't know about you, but repetition of the same negative drivel doesn't make it better or true. The video speaks for itself, was not promoted or intended to give advice, but simply to drive home the need for Florida boaters to take any hurricane more seriously. The simple fact is astounding - about 63,000 boaters did NOT take this hurricane seriously. Floridians, having not seen damage anywhere even close to Irma in recent times, short of long ago Andrew (which was horrible but affected just one community, Homestead), well it's clear that we became complacent.

When 63,000 complacent Floridian boatowners - all over Florida - suffered damage, when the entire island of Puerto Rico is now out of business, when the Keys will take decades to recover, it's time for a wake up call. The simple fact is NOT that all those boaters didn't have good advice, but instead that they failed to act and make their boats safe. A timely emergency was called and all Floridians repeatedly begged to take this massive storm seriously. Way too many didn't.

It's one thing to hear that number - 63,000. It's quite another to see frame after frame of damage all over Florida, with hundreds and hundreds of boats tossed up on shore, and even onto nearby roads. It's shocking to see the extent of real and total destruction to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. And why? Because a couple grumblers failed to give them their furry "advice"?

Nope. That happened because Florida boaters at large didn't take the storm seriously, and assumed that Irma's landfall and path meant they were free and clear. They didn't use the knowledge they had, or could easily get - but simply and stupidly failed to act. But seeing is believing, and this denial ending video could not have made Irma more real and memorable for boaters.


About our simian naysayers...

These negative and attention seeking type of posters - for all their drooling and self-inflating concern over their rabid need to have their paws held and to be given "advice", then did what? Belly ached about it, tried - as these types tend to do - tried to steal the thread, and after all that?

Didn't take the opportunity to give even a single word of advice of their own. Typical. But I have some advice for them: you've had your opportunity to grunt, we get it. It's time for y'all to move on and find another thread to dump on. It's good advice, but will they take it? Hmmm.

Another round of banana daiquiris for my good friends...
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Old 21-12-2017, 08:08   #8
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

Agree! If you know how to prepare, it’s easy to see why a good portion of the boats in the pics sunk.

Look at how many of the sailboats still have the sails on.
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Old 21-12-2017, 08:49   #9
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

My boat in Marathon survived with minimal damage. I noticed that when we were scrambling to secure extra lines to palm trees and concrete dock supports there was not much action in the marina across the way. Most of the damage was on that side including 2 40+ power boats sunk. Interesting that the tidal surge of 5' or so hit like a tidal wave shoving boats against wood piles some of which moved a foot or more and washed the dock area clean of anything not roped to a tree including heavy dock boxes and flower pots.. I also learned that a hollow concrete pile as in the marina on the other side is prone to breaking off under stress. Using a piece of chain to place the stress on the lowest part of the pile might avoid this problem, most of the broken ones were at the water level.
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Old 21-12-2017, 08:52   #10
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

Well it’s a dam shame some beautiful boats and peoples dreams destroyed
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Old 21-12-2017, 09:02   #11
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

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Well it’s a dam shame some beautiful boats and peoples dreams destroyed
That is very true.

But.......those that prepared did a whole lot better than those that didn’t. It’s hard to feel sorry for those that say, “That’s why I pay for insurance”.

My boat has been through 2 major hurricanes, no insurance claims, not even a scratch from Irma. The boat 150’ from me was totaled due to lack of preparation.
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Old 21-12-2017, 11:52   #12
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

Also from Marathon. Large harbor, large mooring area, EVERY mooring ball in use for storm. Eye witnesses report random individual vessels broke loose, eventually creating tangles of boats that plowed the mooring areas and continued to plow as wind direction changed. Almost all mooring balls remained in position after the storm, so chafe and plow collisions probably account for most of damage and sinking. The bridge didn't help of course. We say yes to insurance, yes to proper prep. We had both but we lost our beloved home of 29 years due to other loose vessels. FWIW.
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Old 21-12-2017, 12:50   #13
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

If the editor would have:

1. Lost the frames, and

2. Grouped by location with overlaid titles

it would have helped a lot.
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Old 21-12-2017, 12:52   #14
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

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Originally Posted by gwbull View Post
Also from Marathon. Large harbor, large mooring area, EVERY mooring ball in use for storm. Eye witnesses report random individual vessels broke loose, eventually creating tangles of boats that plowed the mooring areas and continued to plow as wind direction changed. Almost all mooring balls remained in position after the storm, so chafe and plow collisions probably account for most of damage and sinking. The bridge didn't help of course. We say yes to insurance, yes to proper prep. We had both but we lost our beloved home of 29 years due to other loose vessels. FWIW.
Sorry to hear! Sometimes the best prep can’t help.

I was lucky in that loose boats went east and I’m on the west side of the waterway. The boats that got loose simply floated off their lifts, weren’t raise up, weren’t tied down.
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Old 21-12-2017, 14:17   #15
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Re: Video of boat damage: Hurricane Irma in Florida/Keys

Makes me glad to be in the Great Lakes. I have NO idea of how anyone could prepare for a storm like that and I'm willing to bet that many who did prepare still suffered damage of some sort.

Best wishes to all who lost boats, homes, and people to the storms--in the Islands, Florida, and the entire Gulf Coast.
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