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Waitin to git walloped
In article ,
(Parallax) wrote:
My sailboat (28' S2, 7800 lbs) is at a dock at Carabelle, FL with
fixed finger piers. The piling topss are no more than 7' above high
water. TS Bonnie is approaching. Options a snip
3. Tie her as best I can and check my insurance.
Option 3 may work but I might expect 10-12' storm surge and 120 mph
winds from the south as the storm goes ashore to the west. From my
dock, I can look due south along the shore to Dog Island Sound about
1/2 mile away, not exactly well protected from the south where the
wind will be blowing from.
If you haven't already, set your lines (at deck level) as long as
possible -- bow-out if you can't cross your stern lines normally.
LONG spring lines from well aft to the bow on both sides; none to keep
the boat from backing out.
If possible, cross the bow and stern breast lines to the second pilings
over: your neighbors' outside pilings, so you have extra length.
Start the motor and try to drive the boat into the dock, pilings and
such. Adjust the lines until you can't hit anything despite your best
efforts and lock them there.
Then move the lines to the top of the pilings and "pin" them with a nail
bent over them. Thus, when the boat rises to the top of the pilings,
your lines will be properly set and you'll have another 5 or so feet
more surge. Remember that sometimes the tide goes out abnormally just
before; many boats were hanging from lines in our marina.
Put a full set of longer lines tied off at the boat and adjustable from
the dock. If the primary lines get too tight, they can be cut and
you'll still be tied on. (If you'll be on the boat, you can reverse, of
course; I'm allowing for others to adjust your lines in a pinch)
When Isabele came through, that's pretty much what most of our marina
did and only a few boats had any damage through a 9+ surge. We didn't
have appreciable wind, though.
Oh, and of course anything that can be removed from topside (sails,
bimini, dodger) should be below.
--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/
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