Storm lines

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Aug 25th, '11, 08:06

I put in a call to the insurance company last night should make sure I confirm my coverage this morning.

My boat is on a river about 1 mile north of the bay and I am planning on it remaining there.

The question is what's the best technique for adding additional lines? My slip has two poles set towards the bow. Cleats on the stern at the dock. Additionally there is a guard rail 3 feet in from the bulkhead that I could tie off too. Thankfully no boats to either side of me.

Currently two bow lines, stern lines crossed, and mid ship cleats with lines running forward to the poles. I've got plenty of line. Of course the way the boat is tied up puts the transom within a foot of the bulkhead. I'll adjust that and leave myself more space.

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » Aug 25th, '11, 10:51

Others may disagree but...... my plan is to wait for high tide and tie it as tight as possible. Better hanging than banging. It's the snap at the end of the line that does the damage..

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Aug 25th, '11, 12:14

Concern is also tie down points

Cleats on dock can easily pull loose, I'll run lines to the guard rail in case the cleats give way.

Also concerned cleats could break loose on the boat, not sure if it is a good idea to consider tying off on the tower stantions or not.

Thankfully mike I took your advice a few months back and have 3 sets of dock lines including 2 sets of 5/8.

Ed Curry · Post by **Ed Curry** » Aug 25th, '11, 12:28

How high are the poles? If there's a chance of the rubrail rising to the top of the piling you run the risk of holing the boat. Mikes method may help with that. I would drop the anchor well in front of the boat and set it good, the higher the tide the more it will pull the boat away from the dock. Make sure you guard against chafing.

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » Aug 25th, '11, 12:33

I wouldn't worry about the cleats too much. When they found Suzy, she had pulled the piling out of the mud....

I wouldn't tie to the tower. Too much leverage there, unless you tie right at the base of the leg. Also, most dock cleats are thru-bolted. I wouldn't worry too much about them either, but I would also tie off to the piling under the dock.

Rubber snubbers help a bit too.

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Aug 25th, '11, 13:02

Mike if you wait until high tide on Sunday morning you may not be able to get down to the boat due to flooding or road closures.

I will tie it off the best I can mid day on Saturday and hope I can get back down later to make adjustments.

marty · Post by **marty** » Aug 25th, '11, 13:05

pull my rampage out yesterday, to many memories of gloria

RussP · Post by **RussP** » Aug 25th, '11, 14:03

Pete, put a second set of lines on with a foot or two of slack on the second set. If you loose a line the second one will take over. Chaffing protection is also a good idea. You can never have enough lines during a hurricane.

Good luck,
RussP

TailhookTom · Post by **TailhookTom** » Aug 25th, '11, 14:18

In addition to extra lines -- especially spring lines -- I always put the big orange anchor balls around the boat. Might have done nothing more than humor me, but the thought of several large polyballs on each side and stern at least made me feel good!

Capt.Frank · Post by **Capt.Frank** » Aug 25th, '11, 20:30

I move my boat out of slip and tie off in the middle of canal 100+' wide. I use chain around pilings with shacked to eye on end of rope. The therory from a marina owner I worked for was the chains cuts dpwn on the chafing. Weight keeps lines low down on tree of dock. For years he tied all the big boats up in the swamp around here for storms.
I remember one year we had 10+ boats a couple 50' carolina customs, vikings, Albamarles,Carolina classics and CC. We were just finishing up a eco kayak tour comes around the corner of this creek and go what !!! The guide was pissed not realy back to nature he promised people.
My fingers are crossed.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Aug 25th, '11, 22:30

I am in a lagoon. Unfortunately I can not hang the boat in the middle of the lagoon. Going to secure a couple of 2x4's to the pilings hoping that if she rides above the piling the 2x4 will force it out so she does not sit on the piling.

Biggest surge we have ever had back there was 6 ft. Been there 30 years. We could beat it this year.

Hyena Love · Post by **Hyena Love** » Aug 26th, '11, 09:22

If worried about the cleats on the dock, add some cleats or add some thru bolted eyes, assuming you can't access the piling supporting the dock. If you need extra line, start cutting up the anchor line. Its cheap, and you likely have 600 ft. of it on hand.

Another tip - use some duct tape to tape down your hatches on the deck and keep rain water out of your bilge. Just cover the whole seam/gutter area. Power will likely be lost if its bad, and the pumps can run down a battery in no time if the storm stalls over you and dumps a bunch of rain.

Get that duct tape off as soon as the danger passes. Removing the residue four weeks later is a B.

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Aug 26th, '11, 09:54

Cleats look pretty good but not accessible to underside to have any idea how they are attached to the dock. Some old nails on the pilings that I need to remove.

The pilings are about 5 feet above the rub rail at the bow. Will move the boat further from the bulk head and triple the lines. Should be fine with a 4 foot surge, 6 foot will cause problems and 8 I will assume a total loss.

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Aug 26th, '11, 10:49

Looks like I will be staying in too!! Bummer.

Ed Curry · Post by **Ed Curry** » Aug 26th, '11, 11:06

I'll be riding it out at the dock as well. I usually add 1/4 and 3/8 lines and tie them tight to act as snubbers. I try to keep the boat from surging as much as possible

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Aug 26th, '11, 11:57

Ed your thinking is it that the small lines will hold it tight in place but break away if there is a massive surge?

Stay safe buddy! If we get hit with the worst of it and you need to scramble I'm 30 above sea level. Brick house with a slate roof been there since the 20s. If the phones don't work 70 wyandanch just south of sunrise off DPA on the east side. Just knock.

Ed Curry · Post by **Ed Curry** » Aug 26th, '11, 12:32

The small long lines will stretch and provide a bungy effect. I'm Trying to keep the boat as still as possible. I have 5/8 and 3/4 lines to make sure it doesn't go anywhere but I found in other storms that the larger lines start to chafe through pretty quickly. My thinking is the little lines will buy the big lines more time.
Thanks for the offer, I hope it doesn't come to that . I'm staying put as long as possible, but I'm no fool. I watched my house bending in the March storm. Me and my generators will stay one step ahead of the storm and I'll make my way back into the area as the storm moves on. Daughter wife and dog leave tomorrow morning. I'll stay behind to finish off the beer!

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Aug 26th, '11, 14:18

its going to take awhile to finish that beer in the bomar box

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Aug 27th, '11, 16:35

Did my best. smaller line nice and tight. Normal 1/2 in place and a set of 5/8 with a bit of slack connected to different points.

The good news is fire department boat was moved to my marina. Village employee friend monitoring the erea hourly and has my cell.

Nothing more to do.

Capt Dick Dean · Post by **Capt Dick Dean** » Aug 27th, '11, 16:42

I'm on Long Island's south shore. Bay Shore to be exact. The yacht Club basin faces the Great South Bay on the south side and there is a three foot bulkhead separating it from the Bay. If the wind should come from the south, forgettsboutit. The serge would come over the bulkhead.
My boat points WEST with two poles at the bow and a dock to stern. The weather here, so NOAA says, will start with the wind SE. Then we go east, northeast,northwest and then west.
Since the basin faces south, the wind and waves from the SE will not be too bad. As the wind goes East it gets better for me. Any where from the East counter clockwise to the west is good.

If the wind were to come from the south or south west I would move.

I took all the curtins off.

All the lines are double using at least 5/8ths. There are lines on both the port and starbd side tied amidships that hold the boat off the dock and these same lines hold the boat so it doesn't move too far from the dock as the wind pushes the from the east. These lines run parallel to the boat from the poles to the dock.

All the lines have slack. For the surge.

Get the picture?

A lot of boats left ... a lot stayed.

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Aug 29th, '11, 08:47

Mike,

I really need to thank you those small lines tied tight were a life saver.

I found some video on the net of my boat during the storm

http://babylonvillage.patch.com/article ... eo-7523229

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Aug 29th, '11, 21:22

Peter

Must be protected from the wind in there. The boats are not even rockin. Looks like a good spot to ride out a storm.

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Aug 30th, '11, 06:08

It's almost a mile north of the bay. You can see the trees blowing pretty good. Remember at that point in the tide everyone's lines were stretched tight. A good sign was that the village fire department moved their boat into the basin on Saturday night.

A few hours after that video I watched the chris and sea ray take turns banging the piling they shared. The sea ray took a nice little beating, minor stuff.

bertram31.com

Storm lines

Storm lines

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