Hurricane staying aboard

[Blue Crab]

War stories of courage, valor, and command on CF?

Please.

[RaymondR]

AHA Mike Banks, you're the bloke who went up into the mangroves in the Hinchenbrook Passage and kept his boat damage free where pretty well all those which stayed in the Cardwell marina were heavily damaged or destroyed. Good work mate.

It's a bit of a concern that the engineer and architect folks who design marinas with inadequate allowances for storm surges are of the same school that design cyclone proof shelters?

[captivacapt]

If you love your boat, find a deep mangrove canal slightly wider than your boat. Get in there 2 to 3 days before the hurricane arrives. Use your dinghy to tie as many lines as you can to the base of the thickest mangroves. Your out of the wind and can loosen the lines if the tide rises. Lay out your weather gear">foul weather gear, make a pot of chili, coffee, and nap when you can in case you have to stay up all night. After the hurricane passes, just motor out and help the other sailors that were not so lucky. This is what I've done for 30 years.

[Cloroxbottle]

Originally Posted by Capt.Ty

I am new to life aboard a boat and I am going to be riding out storms on the boat I need guidance tips and advice. I am currently anchored in Englewood Florida on a 34 ft morgan. I was thinking about moving down to the keys if anyone knows of any hurricane holes in the areas that would be awesome as well!

1. Don't go to the keys.
2. Don't stay on the boat.

To give you some perspective, the Beaufort scale ends at Force 12...which is where the Hurricane Category Index begins.

More perspective...when Irma hit the islands as a Cat 5 hurricane, if you were to somehow magically extend the Beaufort scale, it would have been the equivalent of what...a Force 27+ gale?

These are the most powerful weather events on the planet short of major volcanic eruptions. They can intensify very quickly and change course in unforeseen ways.

What you are proposing is a very dangerous idea.

[masonc]

Originally Posted by Cloroxbottle

1. Don't go to the keys.
2. Don't stay on the boat.

To give you some perspective, the Beaufort scale ends at Force 12...which is where the Hurricane Category Index begins.

More perspective...when Irma hit the islands as a Cat 5 hurricane, if you were to somehow magically extend the Beaufort scale, it would have been the equivalent of what...a Force 27+ gale?

These are the most powerful weather events on the planet short of major volcanic eruptions. They can intensify very quickly and change course in unforeseen ways.

What you are proposing is a very dangerous idea.

I've been in at least ten major hurricanes, I live in hurricane alley. I make a living fixing hurricane damage (doing that right now). I work very hard to make our property less vulnerable to hurricanes, we got no major damage from Irma. Guess where the worst place to be for a hurricane is? Yep. On a boat. You're going to die.

[TigerPaws]

Originally Posted by masonc

I've been in at least ten major hurricanes, I live in hurricane alley. I make a living fixing hurricane damage (doing that right now). I work very hard to make our property less vulnerable to hurricanes, we got no major damage from Irma. Guess where the worst place to be for a hurricane is? Yep. On a boat. You're going to die.

On a boat. You're going to die.

[masonc]

Originally Posted by Capt.Ty

I am new to life aboard a boat and I am going to be riding out storms on the boat

It was nice to meet you.

You are literally safer getting off the boat and crawling into a dumpster to ride it out. That dumpster will be picked up by the wind, tossed around like a matchbox, rolled down the street, and end up under a bus, but you are still safer than on the boat.

The wind in the eye wall of a Cat5 will tear a boat apart, rip the mast off the boat, pick the whole boat up and fling it onto the shore. No mooring can hold it, I've seen boat with the whole nose missing where the Fiberglass just gave.
I've seen 40ft containers just disappear, a crane truck flip upside down, entire houses vanish.

[Aeronaught]

I rode out a couple hurricanes in Tahiti in 1982, both about 10-15 miles from the eye, apparently. EVERY boat with 3/8ths inch chain broke their rode and went on the beach. My boat and a Swan 65, both with 1/2 chain were the only boats over 40' that survived in that anchorage off Miava beach. Anchor was a 75#CQR, single anchor with a 110# anchor laid out on deck ready to go. Did not put out two anchors as needed mobility to dodge other boats dragging through the anchorage. It was quite a night, 3/4" nylon snubbers parting like cannon shots, running the engine on a slow bell to take some strain off the hook, seeing others drag by not being able to do a thing to help. Some say 'get off the boat', but when it is your only home and insurance is unavailable....staying and fighting it out is about the only real choice. Again, 3/8 chain is not strong enough....(look it up).

Ex Schooner Valkyrie

[TigerPaws]

Originally Posted by Aeronaught

I rode out a couple hurricanes in Tahiti in 1982, both about 10-15 miles from the eye, apparently. EVERY boat with 3/8ths inch chain broke their rode and went on the beach. My boat and a Swan 65, both with 1/2 chain were the only boats over 40' that survived in that anchorage off Miava beach. Anchor was a 75#CQR, single anchor with a 110# anchor laid out on deck ready to go. Did not put out two anchors as needed mobility to dodge other boats dragging through the anchorage. It was quite a night, 3/4" nylon snubbers parting like cannon shots, running the engine on a slow bell to take some strain off the hook, seeing others drag by not being able to do a thing to help. Some say 'get off the boat', but when it is your only home and insurance is unavailable....staying and fighting it out is about the only real choice. Again, 3/8 chain is not strong enough....(look it up).

Ex Schooner Valkyrie

While each person is welcome to make their own decision regarding stay or go, for me a boat/home is replaceable.

I am not.

[owly]

Originally Posted by TigerPaws

While each person is welcome to make their own decision regarding stay or go, for me a boat/home is replaceable.

I am not.

I hate to bust your bubble..... but you ARE replaceable ;-) We all are.



H.W.

[john61ct]

Yes the value of human life is grossly overrated

[dwedeking2]

No way am I doing all this painting and sanding again. Just stay behind me boat I'll fend off this hurricane.

[owly]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Yes the value of human life is grossly overrated

In some cases I can think of it has as negative value ;-)


H.W.

[TigerPaws]

Originally Posted by owly

I hate to bust your bubble..... but you ARE replaceable ;-) We all are.

H.W.

Well in MY very humble opinion the 3 of us (me, myself & I) are not replaceable.

You may be willing to go easily or foolishly but I am not.

[TigerPaws]

Originally Posted by owly

In some cases I can think of it has as negative value ;-)

H.W.

This kind of depends on where you are in the world, in many 3rd world countries life is worthless.