My boat is 40', fixed keel, and is currently in New Orleans Municipal
Marina on Lake Pontrachain (Sand/mud/silt bottom).

With the upcoming hurricane season, and knowing that every boat in there
in '05 was destroyed (but not one in the Orleans Marina immediately
behind (inshore) of it), my mind has been contemplating methods and
options on what to do if I get (say) a weeks' notice of an imminent Cat
3+ hurricane.

My idea is to sail her out to mid lake and single-anchor with max rode
(so she can swing), after taking off all loose bits.

Or hiding her beneath the high bridge of I-10?

Opinions please!

--
Molesworth

Lake Ponchartrain can get pretty rough. Aren't there any hurricane
holes better than than over there? What about up one of the rivers on
the North shore ... the Tchefuncte for instance? Over here, people
anchor out on Gulfport Lake but it's much smaller and more protected
so they're just dealing with wind and rising water. Not waves. Even
then, a few sink. But mostly due to other boats breaking loose or
being run over by a runaway floating house or something. I think I'd
use the Mid-Poncartrain idea as an absolute LAST resort. Under I-10
might be a little better but not much.

Rick

On Wed, 16 Apr 08, Molesworth wrote:
My boat is 40', fixed keel, and is currently in New Orleans Municipal
Marina on Lake Pontrachain (Sand/mud/silt bottom).

With the upcoming hurricane season, and knowing that every boat in there
in '05 was destroyed (but not one in the Orleans Marina immediately
behind (inshore) of it), my mind has been contemplating methods and
options on what to do if I get (say) a weeks' notice of an imminent Cat
3+ hurricane.

My idea is to sail her out to mid lake and single-anchor with max rode
(so she can swing), after taking off all loose bits.

Or hiding her beneath the high bridge of I-10?

Opinions please!

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:49:34 -0500, Molesworth
wrote:

My boat is 40', fixed keel, and is currently in New Orleans Municipal
Marina on Lake Pontrachain (Sand/mud/silt bottom).

With the upcoming hurricane season, and knowing that every boat in there
in '05 was destroyed (but not one in the Orleans Marina immediately
behind (inshore) of it), my mind has been contemplating methods and
options on what to do if I get (say) a weeks' notice of an imminent Cat
3+ hurricane.

Get as far inland as possible on a protected river or cove. We did
that for hurricane Charlie here in south Florida and it proved to be a
good strategy if a trifle nerve wracking. Don't wait until the last
minute because lift bridges and locks tend to stop operating well in
advance. Getting upstream from a lock protects you from tidal surge
effects if that is an option.

My idea is to sail her out to mid lake and single-anchor with max rode
(so she can swing), after taking off all loose bits.

Really bad idea in my opinion. You are almost certain to lose the
boat on a large unprotected body of water like that. At the very
least, create a three point moor using the largest anchors and rode
you can muster. Use lots of chaffing gear.


Or hiding her beneath the high bridge of I-10?

Another bad idea in my opinion. Bridges become a focal point for
current and debris.

On Apr 16, 7:49*am, Molesworth wrote:
My boat is 40', fixed keel, and is currently in New Orleans Municipal
Marina on Lake Pontrachain (Sand/mud/silt bottom).
With the upcoming hurricane season, and knowing that every boat in there
in '05 was destroyed (but not one in the Orleans Marina immediately
behind (inshore) of it), my mind has been contemplating methods and
options on what to do if I get (say) a weeks' notice of an imminent Cat
3+ hurricane.
My idea is to sail her out to mid lake and single-anchor with max rode
(so she can swing), after taking off all loose bits.
Or hiding her beneath the high bridge of I-10?
Opinions please!

In '05 we rode out Rita by anchoring (2 anchors) in Bayou Bonfouca,
across the lake from N.O. in/near Slidell. Our boat survived Katrina
in a slip in a small marina up that same bayou although all the boats
on the hard were destroyed and half the other boats in slips were
sunk. Personally, I wouldn't anchor out in the lake and I definitely
wouldn't tie up under I-10, the causeway, or any other fixed position
on the lake itself. I'd recommend anchoring up a bayou. I had boats in
the '60s which survived Betsy and Camille too, when a lot of other
folks lost their boats.

My $.02,

Frank

"Molesworth" wrote in message
...
My boat is 40', fixed keel, and is currently in New Orleans Municipal
Marina on Lake Pontrachain (Sand/mud/silt bottom).


Seems to me somebody who lives in New Orleans would know how to spell Lake
Ponchartrain.

--
Gregory Hall

"Molesworth" wrote
My boat is 40', fixed keel, and is currently in New Orleans Municipal
Marina on Lake Pontrachain (Sand/mud/silt bottom).

"Gregory Hall" wrote:
Seems to me somebody who lives in New Orleans would know how to spell Lake
Ponchartrain.

They teach us to spell okay down here, they just don't teach us to
type worth a $#!t

Rick "Mid-Poncartrain" Phantman lol!

In article ,
lid wrote:

"Molesworth" wrote
My boat is 40', fixed keel, and is currently in New Orleans Municipal
Marina on Lake Pontrachain (Sand/mud/silt bottom).

"Gregory Hall" wrote:
Seems to me somebody who lives in New Orleans would know how to spell Lake
Ponchartrain.

They teach us to spell okay down here, they just don't teach us to
type worth a $#!t

Rick "Mid-Poncartrain" Phantman lol!

Hey, I'm still trying to remember to leave out 'u's!

--
Molesworth who lives near Tchoupitoulas..

On Apr 16, 3:17*pm, "Gregory Hall" wrote:
Seems to me somebody who lives in New Orleans would know how to spell Lake
Ponchartrain.

--
Gregory Hall

Yes, Greg, those of us from N.O. do know how to spell Lake
Pon*T*chartrain. You could maybe sign up for thaty typing class with
Rick. (wink)

Frank (and we know how to spell AND PRONOUNCE Tchoupitoulas, too)

On 2008-04-17 13:07:06 -0400, Frank said:

(and we know how to spell AND PRONOUNCE Tchoupitoulas, too)

Gesundheit!

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Frank wrote:
(and we know how to spell AND PRONOUNCE Tchoupitoulas, too)

..... for those who can spell it but can't pronounce it....
"Chop-a-to-lus"

Rick