Storm Prep - Not Enough Cleats

[offline]

So TS Irene looks to be making its way to us as a TS or Hurricane and I am starting to consider how we'll prep the boat for the storm. This is the first time we'll have her in the water for a storm.

We are at a private dock on a narrow section of the intracoastal, no other boats nearby.

The dock is well built with three deep pilings on the the dock side and two pilings on the water. (see pic)

I have plenty of dockline available to me as well as four fenders and two anchors (18 lb Danforth and 8 lb Danforth)

The boat has four dock cleats, two at the bow and two at the stern. Strong toe rails and two small small cleats in the cockpit.

I want to run multiple dock lines but my fear is that we don't have enough room on the cleats to properly secure them...

My thoughts were that I could run some additional lines to the toe rails from each piling... but will the rails hold up. This is a pre Hughs Columbia so it is very well built.

Another thought was to secure some docklines to the sheet winches. (will they hold up under this type of load?)

I don't think that this storm is going to be severe enough to take her out of the water, but that is an option as I have a yard 200' away and I could certainly schedule some "emergency maintenance" if you know what I mean....

Am I missing some other options? Thanks in advance for the input

[zeehag]

put an anchor out into the channel and use pilings for lines --lots of antichafe--firehose is great for tying to pilings. i am using all my 5 cleats on dock and i have plans to use pilings as well here in mexico....keep away from the dock and pilings with the anchor.

[offline]

OK.. bit were can I run all those extra lines and secure them? Think I am ok going to my toe rail?

[zeehag]

i used to back up my mooring lines to my keel stepped mast--- i also use
a block of something in the loop of the lines i use so they dont go thru the hawse holes...if the cleat breaks...
the toe rail could be chafed badly--keep an eye on it thru the mayhem of storm action...if you are protected form bounciness and surge and wind action, you are golden.

[MarkJ]

I would prefer to run them off the sheet winches then you have an easier job adjusting them during the storm.

Are you going to remain on board? <-- this vexed question is that more boats survive when someone is aboard, however at the cost of your own personal safety.

Maybe secondary lines from your toe rails? I.E when the cleats have pulled out of the deck, the winches ripped away, then whats it matter if the toe rails go too if it saves your boat?

[MarkSF]

There was a discussion on this a while ago on SailNet, and several people suggested minimising windage on the boat. The means taking the sails down completely (not just furling the jib but stowing it below) and anything like a dodger too.

This way you reduce the load on your docking lines and cleats.

Make sure the boom is securely lashed, don't just depend on the mainsheet cleat or traveller.

Anything that can work loose can do real damage quickly. I saw a post where guy had the boom come loose from the mast and over a day or two the rubbing practically wore through the mast.

[GordMay]

Your sheet winches, mast, and toe rails are all (probably) more secure than are your docking cleats. Use everything available, and heed zeehag's & both Mark’s good advice.
Good luck!

[HopCar]

I think you would be better off getting up a river or canal. If you can't, it looks to me that your outboard pilings are going to be the key. If they can keep the boat from being beaten against the dock you should be ok. You might put your anchors out as well. Don't forget that you might have to deal with very high water. How high are the pilings? I saw boats that were center punched by short pilings after Hurricane Andrew. Take all of your canvas off the boat. Don't leave any furled sails no mater how tight they are furled. I went over to Punta Gorda after Hurricane Charlie. I think every furled jib had unfurled and been torn to shreds. A lot of sail boats had lost their masts. Your winches should be through bolted and quite strong. If you think you are going to haul out, you should have made arrangements with the yard several months ago, everyone else did and there may not be room. Call them tomorrow and see what their situation is. Don't stay onboard. I lost a good customer to Andrew when he tried to ride it out onboard. They just found his remains in the mangroves a few years ago.

[offline]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Are you going to remain on board? <-- this vexed question is that more boats survive when someone is aboard, however at the cost of your own personal safety.

Nope not going to be onboard.... We're going to be 10 miles inland with, dog, cats, bird and kids at the house....

[zeehag]

folks here in mazatlan lash their sails wioth extra line to diminish windage without removal.. seems to work. i plan on doing that and lowering my tarps to just cover top of house sans windage...and i have 2 nice pilings as well as tying to 5 cleats with inch yacht braid and 3/4 inch 3 strand. i like 3 strand much better than braid....stretches best.
find a good place without wind and without surge messing with ye and ride the water up and down and watch wind blow over your head is best place to weather a big storm....

[Cheechako]

No midship cleats? The toerail is probably as strong as your cleats... chafe might be the issue on it.... maybe use a clevis... if youi're very far up the intracoastal... that storm may just be a strong wind by then. Be sure to tie up your main very well, and remove a furling headsail.

[offline]

Originally Posted by HopCar

How high are the pilings? I saw boats that were center punched by short pilings after Hurricane Andrew.

The pilings on the intracoastal side have about 8-9 feet at high tide... I could imagine that the dock side could very well be underwater in a storm tide.

[zeehag]

all the more reason to place anchor into channel for the rise and fall of water to keep your boat off the pilings while still attached to something....

[Ocean Girl]

Please keep tidal surge in mind. Do not ride out onboard. Chafe and tidal surge should be number one priority. fire hose , water hose, anywhere the line touches or will touch when tidal surge hits is a big weakness, will eat through lines in blink of an eye. I always like to tie up in sets. Think- when line set number one gives out the second set takes over, i might even have a third or fourth. Each set is a bit slacker then the one before, cause I am alway worried about tidal surge, wondering if the first set gave out due to the boat wanting to rise but unable because of my lines.

Strip boat, keep windage down. Winches ( run though blocks, so the pull is at the right angle ) is a good cleat, anything that has strong backing plates but remember chafe is usually hard to control on these items so, they should be in your second or third line sets not primary.
Hope that was helpful, remember chafe and surge are the biggest enemy.
Good luck,
Erika

Ps- chain makes for good attachment points where line, even with chafe guard, is suspect to get damage ( dockside of course). I have wrapped chain around a pier then attached my line which ran to the boat, I did this down in serendipity marina in palacious Texas where their cleats dockside are a joke.

[svHyLyte]

While you may not have enough time to obtain them now, a couple of things to look into is Tideminders, sliding Sail-track Cleats and oversized Inflatable Fenders. (These links are merely representative, other sources are available as well.)

When we are threatened with a storm I replace my standard dock lines with lines run through sets of Tideminders that will roll up-and down our pilings to adjust for surge. Although we have very sturdy deck cleats fore and aft and amidships, I have also added two extra cleats on either side of the yacht that slide along the sail-track and can be positioned as necessary for best advantage. Lastly, we have several 5’ long by 2’ diameter inflatable fenders that can be positioned along the rub-rails where the yacht is closest to pilings that might pose a hazard. As a matter of practice, when any tropical storm force winds are predicted, we remove all of the yacht’s canvas and sails and attach 1/8” dia. messenger lines to the ends of our halyards and lifts and haul them up to the sheave blocks, securing the messengers to the bow or stern pulpits, all in an effort to reduce windage and resulting loading on the rig and accordingly, dock lines.

Of course, if it looks like will be hit directly by a storm, we strip the yacht and anchor her out with storm tackle that we have pre-prepared. On a worst case basis I do not want the yacht in a marina where I am subject to the preparations or lack- thereof by other boat owners that have the attitude that they have insurance so why bother. We have several of those, all power boaters, in our marina that will not even go so far as to remove canvas fly-bridge enclosures.

As for the storm, the latest GFS Model on Passage Weather has the eye moving up the east coast of Florida and it may move farther east as the week progresses. Of course, that means the coast north of the storm will get quite a great deal of surge as well as wind and it might be just as well to anchor out.

FWIW…