Ride Out Force 12 at Anchor?

[southpaw]

Read an informative article yesterday on this weather system on robertscribbler.com Click on 'see all comments' for more info.

This site warned of a hurricane with possible centre of 937mb before Matthew was even a named storm.

[mark maulden]

There is another Marina in Ladysmith called Ladysmith Maritime Society witha large guest dock. A little more exposed but its a nice dock.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Remember to take Ear Plugs. The soft foam sort that you insert into your ears. They make it easier to sleep, & you'll be able to hear anything important with them in anyway. Plus, even during the day the relief from some of the sound is helpful & calming. I never travel without them, & they stay in all of my luggage.

Buy your supplies as soon as you can. Including easy to make/pre-prepared food, water, first aid gear, flashlights & batteries, etc. Along with all of your supplies for the boat.
Synthetic long underwear rocks!

Oh, & get several medium/large size packages of Baby Wipes. They make it a snap to get cleaned up regardless of where you are. Whether in lieu of a shower, or just your face & hands. But that bit of refreshment works wonders for ones morale. And even if you don't need them, someone else might really appreciate them. I've been a big fan since way, way back.

PS: were it me, I'd snag the offer on the Sarca Excel. It's a very generous, as well as timely gesture. Not to mention funny signature line!

[DeepFrz]

Marine forecast has another storm, potentially the strongest of the three, coming in on Sat. The track isn't well defined yet so they weren't sure where it would land. Don't count on getting over to the mainland before Sunday.

[tinkrman69]

You say "some sailing experience"? and no storm experience? If the winds are going to be 40 to50 knots by the time you get there....just that can be life threatening for an inexperienced mariner. What kind of tender will you be taking out to the lady smith? A 15 or 20 foot launch or an 8 or 10 foot skiff? How do you plan on checking an anchor that is already set in 40 knot winds...I doubt diving it will be practical. If you can get out there on a big enough boat you can stow the sails and other windage concerns and let out more scope on the rode or rodes and add chaffing gear to them but go back ashore and hope for the best. setting a second anchor without a sizable tender with good power would be at least a two man job and some what dangerous, especially to an inexperienced mariner.

If she's been anchored there a while and it sounds like a fairly protected harbor, she might fair well. ask your Father what kind of ground tackle is down and is there any extra on board. And then think are possible broken bones, missing fingers or lost life, worth the risk? Time off the job doesn't sound to be worth it. Don't let dreams and desires get in the way of common sense. Don't hesitate to walk away from a battle to win the war later.

[TrentePieds]

Ladysmith is NOT Florida or the Carolinas, nor is Saltsping Island the meteorological equivalent of Haiti!

The LOCAL forecast at this time, Friday morning, is that THIS DAY winds in Ladysmith are going to be 7 to 12 knots, rising overnight to 15 knots sustained and gusting to 30 knots during the early morning hours. Then easing by Saturday morning to 10 knts. The duration of the "storm" will only be six to eight hours, I'm sure.

This is normal stuff for the Salish Sea at this time of the year. The Salish Sea is just a huge bathtub. It has a micro-climate all its own, and that climate is not predictable or even understandable on the basis of stuff leaned in the Caribbean or the North Sea - sez I, having come in King Arthur's time from the North Sea :-)

Yes, Ladysmith's "opening" is exposed to sou-easterlies, but it is only half a mile wide and totally bunged up with log booms and chip barges that form a floating breakwater against any swells that might arise in the piddling fetch of what, 5 miles or so? before Thetis, Kuper and Saltspring islands handle that job.

As the wind begins to pipe up, I would thing it's gonna go to sou-west, thus blowing across the harbour mouth rather than into it.

TrentePieds

[TrentePieds]

Local observations for Ladysmith at 1800 hours Friday 14 October:

Wind SW, 10km/hr (6 knots), gusting to 30 km/hr (17 knots)

Forecast overnight: Wind S 6 knts gusting to 8 knts

Saturday morning Wind E 15 km/hr (8 knts), gusting to 27 m/hr (15 knts)

Saturday afternoon Wind E 20 km/hr (12 knts) gusting to 41 km/hr (23 knts)

Thereafter winds reducing to the 10km/hr that is normal local wind for this time of the year.

Moral of the story: Don't get in a panic just because a Toronto outfit decides to get sensational :-)!

We had some blown down trees in Vancouver and West Vancouver and some power outages and some flooding around Victoria today. Nothing to write home about. It happens because Victoria is exposed to winds coming down the Straits of Juan deFuca and Vancouver is exposed to westerlies dropping down to sea level for the five and twenty miles across the Straits of Georgia. Ladysmith is in a tight little 'ole on the EAST coast of Vancouver Island.

On the west coast around Tofino, it was apparently somewhat snarky, sor of like 35 knots :-)

TrentePieds

[Rex Delay]

There is transient moorage available in Ladysmith. Tie to the dock and wait it out. It has not been that bad so far, just really wet. Take a dock and go next week.

[keithw88]

How did it go in the end?

[Dirk Williams]

Opportunity to learn here.

What would the proper set up look like regarding the origional post. Would two mamba anchors be better, with a 8x1 swing. How would you guys set up IF, you had to ride it out on the hook.

Dirk

[Cheechako]

It depends largely on the fetch.

[Dirk Williams]

"Fetch", tacking to a point! Or somewhere between 90d and 45d sailing. Are the definitions I've found.

Somehow neither seem to fit. Can someone articulate " fetch" in this particular application. Im trying to learn.

Dirk

[four winds]

Fetch, in this context, is the measure of distance of open water upwind of the boat.

More fetch, distance, means more affect on the water from the wind.

[Dirk Williams]

Four Winds,,thank you. I've got so much to learn.

So the Fetch will determine " rode" and snubber length. Due to swell height/Duration?.

I'm trying to picture this in my minds eye.

I get the more wind, more scope and rode paid out.

Thanks again.

Dirk

[four winds]

Yes, basically correct. While the water depth at anchor may be the primary consideration to determine scope, fetch is also important to consider.

I'm usually content at 5:1, but if exposed to considerable fetch and/or expecting winds over about 20 knots then 7:1 might be called for.

Many things to consider, depth, fetch, tidal range, currents, expected wind strength and direction (will it change while anchored there), and don't overlook what might happen to the other boats around you if a storm blows through.

Today for example, a front is approaching and winds will be strong for the next 36-48 hours. First from the south then clocking to the west. Unfortunately the local water troops just reanchored a derelict vessel just forward of my bow with the wind from the south now starting.

I chose not to move, so now I get to keep a watch on this vessel until the wind changes more to the west. Hopefully I won't regret the decision to stay in this spot.