Hurricane Irene Preparations

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GeoffSchultz
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Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:39 am
Location: BlueJacket: Guatemala
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Hurricane Irene Preparations

Post by GeoffSchultz »

I was just wondering what people are doing with their boats with regard to hurricane Irene.

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

unfetteredalexandria
Posts: 128
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:57 pm

Re: Hurricane Irene Preparations

Post by unfetteredalexandria »

Removed all canvas, loosened dock lines, installed fender board near piling. My slip is very well protected, so it's primarily storm surge that will get us. If this is no worse than Isabel, we should be fine.
1984 round-mast Freedom 25
Western Shore of the Chesapeake

yarrow
Posts: 210
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 6:38 pm
Location: providence RI

Re: Hurricane Irene Preparations

Post by yarrow »

my F25 was located in Wickford Mill cove on a mooring, this is what I did:
boat prep:
balasted down: fill fuel and water tanks
took mainsail off
took boom off
pulled jack lines forward and used line to attach to bow rail
back stays on
main haylard to main sheet traveler (centered)
kite halyard attached to bow deck
secured all gear aft in cabin
tied tiller to center
mooring prep:
cleaned chain
upgraded tackle and wired all shackles with stainless wire
added safety swivel shackle on main chain and attached line from this to mast
added 2nd penet
added safty line from owners to mast

outcome:
saw boat on mooring with est 40-50 kt winds, most other boats just settled in but my F25 with winged mast was sailing and tacking for the top mark. it was interesting to watch as it powered up then was foxes to tack. after the storm boat was safe min water in bilge.

things to change:
1.not much want to try a sea anchor or maybe a 5gal bucket with holes cut in it hanging off transom might settle boat down?
2.or rotating mast 90 degrees, but concerned as mast is not strong sideways!
82' F25 winged spar, inboard diesel
95' B3 I-14
providence RI

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: Hurricane Irene Preparations

Post by GeoffSchultz »

Glad to hear that you made it through OK. We were watching the WBZ's coverage on Sunday morning from Marion when they panned to a sailboat that had broken free from its mooring. It crashed into a dock and then went aground.

We have a friend with a 52' Swan whose entire hurricane plan was to move his boat from the end of the T-dock to the fuel down at East Passage. Didn't pull any sails or anything. Duh!!!! I hate to say it, but it's people like that who get what they deserve. Luckily I don't think that he had any damage, but that's a stupid roll of the dice.

You need to take these storms seriously. Yeah, it's a pain to do the prep and then put everything back into place, but just consider what the downside of not do the work could be.
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

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rvivian
Posts: 210
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2010 2:08 pm

Re: Hurricane Irene Preparations

Post by rvivian »

After a friend of mine and many others lost their boats during a hurricane that hit Galveston several years ago the Houston yacht club prepared a Hurricane Preparedness plan for the club.

Some info pertains to securing your boat, other to finding a "hurricane hole" and other parts are procedures for the club to haul and store boats ashore.

If there is interest I'll try to find it and contribute a PDF to the files section.

Hurricane are rare in Puget Sound.
Heart's Desire
Freedom 30
Shelton, WA

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: Hurricane Irene Preparations

Post by GeoffSchultz »

rvivian wrote: If there is interest I'll try to find it and contribute a PDF to the files section.
Sounds like a good idea. Why don't you post it in the Manuals and Documentation section.

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

rds
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:32 pm

Re: Hurricane Irene Preparations

Post by rds »

I put my boat into the marina during this hurricane. To make long story short I tied her between floating docks with something like 12 3/4' and 1'' lines in total. The center of that hurricane went someshere about 5 miles from that marina. When I came back on Monday to my surprise I noticed that 2 ropes out of 12 were torn apart. and 2 more ropes were almost completely gone due to chafe in several places ... Strong winds were going on for probably half of Saturday and were gusting into the night. Looks like I underestimated the strength of those winds (wind started from East and shifted via the north to west later..) I guess my boat would be in trouble if hurricane was moving slower and strong winds were continuing longer.

msheehan1
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:40 am

Re: Hurricane Irene Preparations

Post by msheehan1 »

My F32 sat quietly on the mooring in the Point section of Newport until 2pm(east wind until then) when the wind shifted from the south. Then it rocked and rolled.

All I did was take off sails and canvas and added an additional pendant line. No chaffing or damage to the boat.

I feel lucking know one knows how these storms will turn out.

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