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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Hurricane coming - what to do

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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/22/2008 : 06:38:45

After seeing the pics that GaryB posted and the damage done to some boats and little to others, I thought it a good idea to get us thinking about 'what to do'

Assuming that we didn't have the option to pull the boat or motor out of harms way, so the boat is stuck in a Marina with hundreds of other boats, what should we do?

I'll start the ball rolling: The pictures seem to shout loud and clear... pull and stow all the canvas and the outboard.

Paul

Joint Decision. (Sold)
PO C250WB 2005 Sail # 841.

Moved up to C34 Eximius

Updated August 2015

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 07:36:30

On a 25, drop the mast, down is so easy to do.

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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2015 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 07:50:04

I think you always need a "plan b". In other words, an alternative place or "hurricane hole" where your boat has a better chance of surviving.
If you're stuck with no plan b, I'd try to face the wind, stow the boom, make sure the halyards are tight, double the dock lines, do something to minimize line chafing. Many bumpers on the dock and the boat ......... double check that all windows and hatches are secured, make sure there's nothing loose on deck, in cockpit or coamings. Then pray.

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GaryB
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USA
4312 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 08:00:44

The first few pictures are of my boat in my hurricane hole. As you can see I stripped the boat down to the mast and would have lowered it if I had had time to do so.

I figured if it got destroyed I could sell the sails and boom and other items from the boat and at least recoup some of my investment.

When I put the boat in the slip I thought the storm was going west of the marina and the wind would be out of the south. As it turned out it went right over the bay and the wind was out of the north and east. I'm glad I had taped the companionway up to keep out the rain.

Edited by - GaryB on 09/22/2008 08:21:38

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 08:33:00

I added cleats midships and I've normally got double spring lines. It was easy to add the cleats, put the cleat on the deck, mark the holes with a punch, drill the holes, cover the holes and bolts with a bedding compound, drop the bolts in and tighten the nuts and washers on the inside. I put them just behind a lifeline stand in the front and just in front on one in the back to keep the lines from getting caught on them. I also used a low lying cleat.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 08:57:46

Paul,
I think you want to have a Plan-C as well, depending on the direction the hurricane is traveling. Presuming you're on the eastern FL coast, the eye is going to (generally) either pass north or south of you, with the wind direction essentially reversed from one to the other. If you get hit with the eye, you're going to get 360° of wind and you're screwed no matter what you do, but if the wind's on one side or another, you can have a plan in place. This gets problematic if the eye is bearing down on you because you have to make a choice and then hope it's the right one because other things like your own survival & time till strike come into play. I think you want to have two hurricane holes in your pocket, one for a northern strike, one for a southern strike, and then a batten down the hatches, double up your lines & chafing gear, stow everything that can move somewhere else plan for an eye strike.

Here's an article I found on it: [url="http://www.yachtsurvey.com/finding_refuge.htm"]Finding Refuge[/url]

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 09:35:38

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by delliottg
 Paul,
If you get hit with the eye, you're going to get 360 of wind...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">With a direct hit (eye going right over), you get a precise 180° shift with an eery dead-calm and bright sun in between. In an indirect hit, you get a shift such as NE to SE, or NE to NW, or similar, depending on the side you're on and the direction of the storm.

Boat yards can become mayhem, too... You have to look at ground vs water storage based on how either will handle the expected surge, how other boats around you will be secured, what else might get involved (trees, flimsy boatyard sheds,...) If you have a trailer, you might want to just take the boat to Minnesota for a couple of days.

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redeye
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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 10:52:55

I agree with the mast dropping as being very important. The PO of my boat lost Two masts in storms. They got hung up with the boats next to them. It would be nice to get comfortable with raising and lowering the mast. I've done it 3 times with 3 crew helping, but I'd rather have had a crutch & fulcrum method for one person operation.

And then how to tie it up well with it down.

Good thing to be thinking about.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 11:09:38

Ray, in that situation, I'd try to secure the mast (and furler) ashore if possible. Most marinas I know of have racks... Leaving it on-board means it's hanging over, just waiting to damage or be damaged by something.

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 11:31:22

Although I didn't think of dropping the mast in my first reply, I bet I would have if in the situation and Frank's suggestion is the most important thing you can do in ultra high winds I think. And of course Dave B added some wisdom as well, why not take the mast and rigging out of harms way? Cool stuff, you just never quit learning around here!!

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 11:41:03

Very Good point, thanks for mentioning that. I can't thank you guys enough for reviewing my posts, you just don't get to talk to enough people with any experience with these kind of things.

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piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 12:45:37

Being an insurance agent, make sure you pay your policy premium. Also if you have BoatUS, there is a Hurricane Prep clause in the General Conditions that states if there is a hurricane watch, they will pay 50% of the cost up to a maximum or $1,000 to have your boat moved by a professional or haul-out.
Steve A

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2008 : 13:16:16

Dave,
I've read several accounts of locating hurricane holes & how the wind clocks around as the eye passes. Some say you'll go through a 180° shift, others 360°, and this graph from NOAA seems to show a roughly 360° shift as the eye passed this particular buoy off the coast of FL during Bertha in 1996:

(left side shows wind direction & barometric pressure, line WDir1 shows the greatest direction change, you can see it jump from the top of the scale to the bottom at around 10-11am on 7/11)

Here's the referring page from [url="http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/educate/hurr.shtml"]NOAA[/url].

I'm not trying to be nitpickey, just wondering where you got your information, I like to read about stuff like this.

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