Conference unifix::sailing

Hmmmmm, interesting. There was little damage to boats in Marblehead 
(ours was unscathed) but the winds were only in the 60 to 80 knot range. 
Once again it seems that being at a dock is the riskiest place to be. We 
didn't even consider having our boat hauled for fear of having it blown 
over (which you report having happened). We went to Marblehead early 
Friday morning to take the mainsail and other gear off the deck and to 
lash down the boom and spinnaker pole. An amazing (appalling) number of 
boats were moored with single nylon pennants with no chafe protection 
and with mainsails and dodgers still up. The storm passed quite quickly. 
It occurred to us that a spring or autumn northeaster which blows for a 
couple of days could be more dangerous -- more time to chafe through 
pennants and docklines and people less careful about preparing.

Alan

Casco Bay, Maine fared rather well.   In So. Harpswell every boat was either
taken out of the water,  or moved to a sheltered location (the harbor here is
exposed to southerlies).  Not a single boat was lost.  At Falmouth Forside and
So Portland some boats broke from their moorings and were sunk or on the beach
but my friends there tell me most were OK.  Most of the boats in So Freeport
moved up the river to anchor in a more protected location and they seemed to all
be OK also.

We got hit with 50-60kts steady Friday night around the time of low tide, with 
gusts up to 75...lucky us.

I'm curious as to what kind of moorings/anchors made it and which ones didn't,
in what winds, etc.   For point of reference the following combinations made it
in a sheltered cove where there was no wave action (The Basin, New Meadows R.):

     Hunter 31     22lb Bruce + 13S Danforth w/ 8' chain and 250' rode each
     Catalina 27   13S Danforth w/ 8' chain and 200' rode
     Cape Dory 22  13S Danforth w/ 6' chain and 170' rode

All in 10-15' water (low tide) and good mud/clay bottom.

Postscript:  Going home Saturday I saw 3 big Irwins and a Hinckley (60-65')
going down the river back to Newport.  They had come up Wed to escape Gloria
they said.

     	Travis

I was holed up in the Merrimack R. in the marshes. As the full force
didn't hit us I felt somewhat 'over-anchored' (if that is possible)
for the realized 70kn breeze; but it could'a been the real thing and 
then I probably wold have wanted more. I have a 35' ketch, wood, 11 tons
net, fairly high freeboard (Wm. Garden design you know..). I had 2 45# CQR's
out with 12' each 3/8" chain and 200' 1" nylon, a 45# Hereshoff with 
6' chain, 100' 1" nylon and a 35# Northill with same. These were down in
hard sand over gravel. They were hardly dug-in (the Hereshoff the hardest).
I suspect if it happens again I'd upgrade the Hereshoff to 75# and 
perhaps replace the 2 CQRs with a 75#er and the Northill with another
Hereshoff; better in sand/gravel. Had lots of chafing gear but no sign of
chafe... Ya' make do with what ya' got; just get what ya' need...
Ed

I haven't figured out whether I'm one of the lucky ones in Marion or not. 

According to Tony Chamberlain in this morning's Globe, Marion was the hardest
hit harbor in the area. I've heard various estimates of conditions, 12-15'
surge, 100kt winds first from the SE and gradually changing to the SW. All the
water in Buzzards Bay eventually forced it's way in. 
 
There are 50 boats located in spots where they'd rather not be. Sixteen of them
are located on the rocks and seawall on the east side. Most of these have
serious damage, and a good number will probably be totaled. A few are located on
the marsh way up in the NE corner. The rest of the beached fleet is located on
the marsh directly across from Burr's. Some of these are badly damaged and a
couple that got sandwiched together are done for. My Sabre 34 is probably the
least damaged boat in the whole group. 
 
I've got a slightly bent rudder post, a broken jib halyard (don't know how??),
and a couple of small shallow gouges near the waterline on the port side. I may
have some hidden gelcoat damage where it's resting on it's side but the area is
grassy so I may be lucky. 

That's the good news. The bad news is that the marsh is an environmentally
protected area and at the moment we can't get permission to move equipment in to
recover the boats. Most of them are close enough to water that they may be
recovered with a crane operating from a barge, but there's a dozen or so of us
that are too far in. The marks that my keel made as it bounced it's way in
indicate that the boat crossed 300-400' of soft, grassy marsh before coming to
rest about 150' from the nearest water. 

The current plan is to lift them out by helicopter. Unfortunately the only one
available in this area has a load limit of 8,000lbs. There is another somewhere
that can lift 16,000lbs but because of the extremely high operating expense it
will be necessary for the insurance companies to pool resources and coordinate
the effort. 

While the boats that broke loose may look like they suffered the most 
spectacular damage there are considerable problems for boats that stayed put.
Lots of hull, rigging, bow and stern rail damage. Maybe more total dollars
than the boats ashore.

In hindsight I'm not sure what I should have done differently. The mooring was
new this season. The pennant and chafe guard were oversized and in excellent
shape, the biggest that would fit through the bow chock. Also I had added a
doubled 5/8 line through the other chock. Maybe chain would have been better but
another boat that did this simply lost a couple feet of the deck and several
others dragged their mushrooms ashore with them. Oh well.

I'll post an update on the salvage as it progresses.

John

Re .4:      Can you tell if the pennant broke, was chafed through, or some other
part of your mooring setup failed;  or if an upwind boat may have smashed into 
you and broke you free??
   Travis

The pennant snapped just outside the chock. My first thought was that it was 
due to chafe but the leather doesn't show much abrasive wear. It really looks
like an explosion with a lot of tiny little shrapnel holes. The strands were
all severed at exactly the same spot. The 5/8 lines were no contest. It appears
that they just stretched and broke a strand at a time. The first strand may
have broken due to chafe (I used clear plastic water line for a jury rigged
chafe protection) and then the rest followed suit.

The latest word on salvage:

The land owner who controls access to this area is away on business and will
be back later in the week to discuss the situation. He is probably going to
be friendly assuming that the insurance companies guarantee to reimburse him
for any damage that may be incurred by trucks and cranes. Even so this doesn't
mean that the equipment can get to the boats. The Marion Conservation 
Commission and the Mass. DEQ have to meet and decide what kind of access if
any can be allowed on the marsh. Tonight the owner of a 'skycrane' company is
flying in from Calif to assess the situation. He has four helicopters big
enough but the closest one is in Ohio. Whatever happens, only one coordinated
effort is going to be allowed in to get all boats. They are not going to 
allow independent salvage operators in to make a fast buck plucking the easy
ones out. According to Burr the insurance companies are not going to question
recovery costs unless they exceed 20% of the value of the boat.

The saga continues....

John

A tale of two hurricanes: Elena and Gloria

In the past month, I've lost one catamaran in Florida to Elena and came
through Gloria without even a scratch to my CAL.  How ironic: my
catamaran was being sold through consignment and ended up smashed by
waves while sitting on a trailor at a protected St. Petersburg sailboat
dealer.  That was last month. My CAL was a sitting duck at a dock in 
R.I.

After watching boats from all over R.I. hole up in the protected harbor
at East Greenwich, I decided to leave my CAL at the dock and hope for the
best.  I was lucky - my boat was completely untouched.  Just a couple of
miles away, Masthead and Brewer's Marina got hit pretty hard. It's a
strange picture: Masthead and Brewer's situated on NE corner of
Greenwich Bay must have taken the brunt of the surge, while boats
further up the harbor faired very well.  In fact, you have to look hard
to find much damage in the inner harbor.

More ironies: I originally kept my boat at Masthead, but left following
a dispute with the owners on the saftey of the marina.  Masthead tried
to put me at the "E" dock - a tired,  decrepit floating dock connected
to pilings that you could move back and forth with your arms.  I was
fearful that our boat wouldn't withstand a gale at that facility (I
never fathomed a hurricane after moving here from Florida).  I'm not
trying to sound smug because I moved and the boat made it: had this been
a real hurricane with sustained winds at high tide - I doubt that my
boat sitting at a dock further up the harbor would have ever withstood
the surge.

A friend of my mine was not so lucky. His Sabre 30 (Hu Nu Too) broke 
from its mooring in Marion, was holed by a stone pier, and ended up on 
the beach with all the others.  God, I loved that boat and I was more 
devasted by his loss than I was of my catamaran.

Final thoughts about the hurricane: It was strange seeing many boat
owners underreacting to the potential severity of the storm before
Gloria hit.  My neighboring stinkpot's owner never showed up to make the
boat fast - and I tied the cursed boat up as best I could (I feel more
like sinking the stinkpot now that the danger is over).  I've also heard
boat owners talking like this: "well, the boat's insured and I saw some
great boats at the Newport Boat show".  Insurance?  The thought crossed
my mind (and I am collecting because of my catamaran), but it still
isn't right to sacrifice securing one's boat for the potential payoff. 
Sooner or later, we all pay for the high premiums.  But the real tragedy
is for the owners who loose their boat due to the carelessness of
others.  I guess this subject is my soapbox for the week ... 

Bob

Re .7
I saw your friend's boat (Hu Nu Too) on Saturday. It had hit the worst part
of the Marion shoreline. At first I thought it was OK as it appeared to have
come to rest partially covered by some very fine beach sand. Then it occurred
to me that there was no way for it to get where it was without climbing a 
pretty sizeable pile of rocks and then going airborne over the seawall.
Does your friend expect that it is a total loss?

There was a Sabre 32' nearby that looked to be in worse shape. It didn't make
it over the wall.

John

re .7:   I asked Masthead about improving boat safety as well.  They
         (early in the year) started removing the old breakwater
         and setting in a new one along with baffles, but even that couldn't
         have done anything.   A friend of mine was there when the storm
         hit and the water was at least five feet above the breakwater. 

         Quite correct about the greed of others causing the cautious to
         pay.  I took a great deal of care in securing my boat, providing
         padding in the places that counted, and in trying to make sure my
         boat would not roll into the mast of another near me.   Unfortunately
         some people who wanted to collect the insurance just let their boats
         break loose and play bumper cars in the marina, causing lots of
         damage on boats which is probably under their deductable or uninsured.

Rick
                                                                        
* I wouldn't have kept my boat on E-Dock either, it is too wide open.  
                                                                        

  Our boat is docked at the Cape Ann Marina in Gloucester.  We 
  sustained no damage at all.  The docks are protected on the south
  and east and the marina owner tied all the boats together along a
  side of a dock via their bow cleats (everyone backs into their slips).

  In addition, he took special care to lower everyone's antennas.
  He ran bow lines from boats that faced into the southeast to pilings
  that supported a parking lot made from fill.  He set anchors from
  bows of boats that were too far from pilings.  Empty cradles were
  lashed into one huge mass and he removed all the 55 gallon drums 
  that serve as garbage cans and the wooden saw horses that 
  delineate the parking areas.

  Finally, he refused to haul anyone saying that since he couldn't 
  haul all 350 of us, he would haul none.  He took a lot of heat on that
  stand and more than one 50 foot trawler left for the marshes as
  a result of his decision.  

  In the long run, he was vindicated because his docks withstood 
  the wind and tide.  He could have lost *big* if they hadn't!

Marion Salvage Operations - The saga continues

After numerous phone calls to my insurance agent, the adjustor on the scene,
the boat yard, and the boat hauling company who was going to bring my boat
home next Tue we now have the following scenario:

Royal and INA insurance companies are responsible for most of the boats ashore.
They have joined together and appointed Burr Bros Boats Inc to be responsible
for coordinating salvage operations. Burr has contracted with the "Skycrane"
company in Calif. to lift the boats out.

The big lift is due to take place on Oct 14th and 15th. Don't plan on
sightseeing. The area will will be blockaded by Marion police and only
boatowners will be allowed access to the yard. I don't know how tight this will
be but I was told not to bring anyone with me. Naturally I'll be videotaping.
It's not everyday my boat has a chance to fly. 

Boats that will float, such as mine, will be placed on moorings where they'll
get an initial checkout (engine, transmission, pumps, leaks, etc.). Later 
they'll be hauled for an insurance survey and repair estimate. I've got some
interesting info about this process which I'll place in the note on adjustors.

The adjustor, by the way, is not very excited about using a helicopter. He 
thinks that the difficulty in placing slings makes the potential for further
damage much greater than it appears. He's very concerned about hull distortion
causing joinerwork problems.

My immediate problem is to strip the boat. I have to remove EVERYTHING. This
means not only the obvious like sails, and anchors, but everything not
physically attached to the boat. I even have to siphon the water tanks. I can't
drain them into the bilge since that's not the bottom of the boat right now. 
If the yard had the manpower to do this I could have insurance foot the bill. 
They don't have the people so I've got a bunch of dinghy trips ahead.

John

Well, 'Shibumi' is back in the water. Some of you may have seen coverage in the
Globe. The front page photo shows a couple of feet of the bow sticking out of
the lower left side of the picture. WBZ-TV news also had coverage. 

The skycrane is almost beyond description. We get pretty used to having the Bell
Jet Rangers around all the time but they pale by comparison. This thing is HUGE
and LOUD. It could straddle a Greyhound bus! The job took a lot less time to do
than the boatyard expected. They had planned on two days but the whole thing
took half a day. They started at 8:15am in very dense fog and lifted 8 boats
before quitting due to poor visibility. Then after a couple of hours delay they
lifted another 17 boats and were done by 1:15. They then flew over to
Mattapoisett and then to Wareham to get two others. 

The whole thing was planned like a military operation. The crews were divided
into a Gold team and a Blue team with each team divided into a lift group and a
drop group. They charted the location of each boat and assigned teams so
that they could alternate between boats in the sequence. Various drop zones were
based on where the nearest deep water was and whether or not they expected the
boat to float. Each team had enough time while the other team was working to
run or be ferried to their next boat. Everything worked perfectly. According to
the log, recovery of 'Shibumi' started at 8:19 and finished at 8:22. 

My insurance company rep said that the final tab is going to be a lot less than
it first appeared. The helicopter part will be somewhere between $1500-$2500 and
with the boatyard charges added the total should be well under $5000. He said
that a salvage company in RI had just billed them $35,000 for a job with a crane
that was easier than most of these were. 

He also estimated that 85% of the boats that didn't break loose sustained some
sort of damage. My gelcoat scratches were much less severe than I originally
thought. They're minor to begin with and most are below the waterline. The ones
that aren't though are going to be hard to repair since they're mostly on the
blue boottop. It looks like it will have to be painted. 

A Sabre 30', 'Hoo Nu Too', mentioned in a previous note didn't fare as well.
It's got a vertical split in the hull from the deck to the waterline along with
a large compression dent that must have destroyed a lot of the interior teak.
That, plus it look's like somebody worked it over with an axe and sledgehammer
for a while. Real sad. A Sabre 32', 'Messing About', that has more damage
to the upper part of the hull and deck, was surprisingly able to float. 

For anyone insured by Royal there is an ominous note. The company 
had reduced it's sailboat business due to losses with the bigger boats. This
year they stopped writing policies for more that $100K. This storm may cause 
them to further reduce this limit or get out of sailboats all together.

John

PS: For those of you who have asked, 'Shibumi' is a Japanese word which roughly
    translates to: 

        'A mystical goal, a rare kind of personal excellence,
         a state of effortless perfection.'

    It was the title of a best selling spy novel by Trevanian a few years ago.