Marina Taina (mooring or marina)? Difficult decision!

[Cpt Balu]

Hi all,

We have to make a difficult decision. We are already abroad and our boat is in Tahiti (marina Taina) on a mooring but is getting checked every 2 weeks.
For the cyclone session all land dock been full but we could get a spot in the marina which is quite expansive and we have no guarantee that afterwards we find a free morning again.
So we need to make the decision if we keep the yacht (monohull 10,5 meter) on a mooring maybe with an extra anchor or if we put it in the marina during the thought 3 month with the risk paying 900 euros a month afterwards if we find no free mooring.
We have heard that mooring should be fine and in case of a cyclone a marina is not really more save as boats are to close together.

What are your thoughts and experience?

Many thanks,
Lasse

[Paul L]

It's the proverbial stuck between a rock and a hard place. You are betting on the odds either way. Do you have any insurance restrictions? If I thought the marina was reasonably secure during a smaller cyclone, then I'd probably go that way and worry about finding a mooring afterwords.
If I elected to rely on a mooring I'd dive the mooring for inspection and run a separate line to the block. Lots of chafe gear and hope for the best.

[Cpt Balu]

Hi Paul,
Is the forum “anchoring&mooring” the right place for it?
Yes the yacht is insured but if the wind is above 32,7 m/s only 70% if in a marina or on a mooring.

Br Lasse

[Paul L]

What a crazy insurance restriction. 30% discount for winds over 64kts. But it is what it is. Seems like you are covered for a total loss, so given the limited choices you have you are just gonna have to pick one and go with it. The moorings there have had there fair share of problems and expose you to other boats damaging yours.
If you select a mooring it would make sense to have it inspected. Also, some of the moorings are less exposed than others.

Good luck.

[Boatguy30]

What does the mooring cost, out of curiosity? 900 euro for the marina per month?

[JPA Cate]

Consider the pictures of the marinas in the Florida panhandle from this year. Your boat can be destroyed in the marina by a bad enough storm, and might actually be safer on the mooring, where she can lie to the wind. Especially so if the mooring field is all serviced regularly. If not, neither is very good, but at least on the mooring, you may have less concern about damage caused by flying objects. From what I've been reading, the marinas are already booked at Papeete, so it may be a moot point.

If it turns out that it has to be the mooring, then put all your considerable effort into making the mooring safer, remove all the sails, weather cloths, and even the dodger, if possible. Make sure the drains are not clogged. Use chafing gear on the lines, and have backup snubbers also attached below the float. If you do not have midships cleats, consider using the mast base to secure them, but protect them with the chafing gear, there and where they exit the bow of the boat. Do not expect anyone to try to come and help your boat during the storm if a cyclone strikes: they will have obligations that will keep them away.

Good luck with it.

Ann

[Cpt Balu]

Thanks already for all that great Tipps. Mooring is around 160€ a month. Yes marina depends very much on the size but for 40 feet around ~450 offseason and ~900 season.
Is it possible to have an anchor down to support the mooring or in case the mooring breaks, or is that stupid as the two will tangle?

We have striped down the yacht on deck and someone maintaining an checking the boat frequently.

Br cpt balu

[JPA Cate]

If you have the line, you could attach a back up mooring line to the eye on the block, possibly, but in your shoes, I would ask the people who provide the moorings what extra they will permit you to do, because you don't want to do something that will void your or their insurance. You might leave your anchor lashed down on deck, with chain and rode, so it could be deployed if the boat took off from the mooring, but again check with them. They will have some plan, maybe.

Addressing the chafe issue is the next important thing after removing what you can to reduce windage. You can buy kevlar chafing gear; you can make it from leather, but really thick leather is hard to come by. What we have the most of is for shoe uppers. Upholstery quality, but so thin I don't know if it would see you through a cyclone.

This is just one of those situations you have to make the best of, too bad you can't take the boat to NZ, and leave it south of the cyclone belt. It is a long way back, all to windward, but you can leave a boat there and not worry.

Ann

[roverhi]

If the protection from waves is about the same, I'd be happier on a mooring as long as the mooring anchor and chain large and in good condition. The critical area is the pendant attachment to the boat. Have multiple lines to the mooring ball like four or more if they can be fit. Chafe can saw through a mooring line in short order. Chafing gear is of the utmost importance. If needs to be long to be sure stretch in the rope doesn't pull it through the chocks.

In a slip you have to worry about the docks handling the load of all those boats in high winds and waves. With storm surge, the docks may float off the pilings or a put unsurvivable tension on mooring lines. Violent motion on short mooring lines can pull out cleats on the dock as well as the boat. There is also the issue of out of synch boats banging their masts together, btdt.

[Cpt Balu]

Thanks.

Just found out that the Marina send their own divers to check the line on request, it is a free service, and they always perform the check quickly after request. But I will have an additional diver to double check

[Cpt Balu]

And we have 3 good lines attached to different parts of the mooring. And they are getting adjusted and checked for chafing. So fingers crossed