In article . com,
"boatgeek" wrote:
When isabelle remnants came up the Chesapeake, we had a bit of a storm
surge. Those at the marinas survived fairly well, but if we had
another foot of surge, ever single boat would have been destroyed as
the floating piers would have come off the pilings (they went to the
top of the caps on the pilings as was).
Those on the moorings would have survived a strong surge better, but
had the wind been stonger, they too would have been very vulnerable.
In a hurricaine, you don't want your boat to be around other boats so
both aren't great. Most marina's make the point moot by forcing you to
evacuate you boat anyway. Should I have to choose one, I'd pick a
marina, then I could have the insurance agent drive to the wreckage
fairly easily 
This was just about what I was going to say, same storm, probably the
other side of the Bay. Our marina was rebuilt to a foot higher than the
last 100-year storm. The surge went a foot above that. The worst damage
was a bent stanchion and a radar dome destroyed by a roof. Had it gone a
foot higher, they would have had to cut a few of the boats free.
A couple of marinas not so well built are still not operating.
At Kent Narrows, boats hauled for the storm --usually the best idea--
floated off their stands.
One funny story: A floating dock with a bunch of boats in Baltimore's
Inner Harbor floated over the pilings to freedom. A couple of
liveaboards motored for some hours to keep water under everyone's keel.
Had the storm not tracked 100 miles west of the orginal prediction, I'm
not sure that boating on the Chesapeake would have survived.
I'm usually most comfortable when the boat's on a mooring that I have
inspected and trust, but when Momma's feeling nasty, there's no such
thing as safe. I think I'd like to be in a good mangrove or canal with a
lot of LONG lines tied to a number of strong anchor points.
--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
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