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White Squall at the fuel dock - 55 knots plus!

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/12/2010 : 06:49:23

I was going to title this "How I could have lost my boat at the fuel dock!"

Anyway, over the past three years of cruising - or simply living afloat as the case may be - I have reported the uglier moments here. I benefit from the knowledge base and feel it is important to share, even though a Monday morning quarterback will undoubtedly be lurking!

Anyway - Ft. Myers Beach FL. We dropped the ball with a favorable forecast. OK, favorable in that I was going to have 15 knots of wind from the NW and seas 3-5... I've been bored lately transiting without a lot of wind, so I was pretty happy when the admiral agreed the window was good. We untied from the $13.40 an night city mooring ball and proceeded to the fuel dock to fuel up and water up. A dock hand tied us up and we proceed to take on fuel and water. As we fueled up we saw the skies darken a bit and then we spotted some lightning way off in the distance.

I do not have a lot of Gulf Coast experience, but I do know that water spouts can come out of nowhere even in New England, so I asked my wife to boot up and check the weather while I went and paid for the fuel. While I was at the office waiting my turn, the skies continued to darken and by the time I paid a few sprinkles were falling. My spidey sense was tingling, so I asked if I could remain at the fuel dock until this storm passed. - FIRST MISTAKE for those of you keeping score at home.

Since the dock hand and the cashier were so friendly, I chatted with them for a bit before heading back to the boat - SECOND MISTAKE for those of you with the yachtsea score pad.

By the time I reached our beloved C&C 39, the wind had picked up to about 18-20 and the rain was starting be a bit heavy. I threw out a third fender - we only had two fenders rigged as it was supposed to be a casual stop. You guess it - THIRD BIG ASS MISTAKE, keep those pencils sharpened as there is more to come.

I double checked the two lines which were attached to seemingly large cleats on the fixed dock. I did not however rig a spring line, nor did I attach the dock lines to the pilings as I assumed that the storm would pass withing minutes - FOURTH EVEN BIGGER MISTAKE! Some of you are screaming, "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play!"

The Zodiac was on deck but propped up on the port lifelines. I went forward in what was now very heavy rain and heaved it face down on deck. I did not tie it down as the winds were still building and the rain made it difficult to see. FIFTH MISTAKE - are we having fun yet? I assumed incorrectly that this storm would be like similar ones we have experienced that have passed quickly.

My wife is still working the internet for data and we turned on our radar to get a better look. The radio is crackling with MayDays all over the place with people in the water, etc... Coasties had their hands full. The waves were building and starting to push us into the dock with some force. The rigging was howling and the mast started pumping. With 58 feet of mast up in the air, it pumps when not facing the wind. My wife showed me the large cell that had developed above us and I checked the anemometer - 32 knots of wind. About then I noticed that the wheel was spinning violently from side to side. We had not locked down the wheel and the rudder was responding to the waves slamming her from her port side. SIXTH MISTAKE - although I remedied this by going out and locking it down. By this time the rain was so powerful that it was coming in thru the companionway hatch and was near vertical such that I have water drops in the nav station on the radar screen which should be very well protected. My cell phone was on the Nav Station - SEVENTH MISTAKE - It is now toast even though it only was exposed for perhaps 30 seconds to the blast while I went out to secure the wheel.

Thunder and lightning was everywhere around us and I was lamenting my - YES YOU GOT IT - EIGHTH MISTAKE for not removing the big ass and very expensive plotter from the cockpit and putting it into the oven. Suddenly I saw that our stern was MOVING!!!!! WTF???? I yelled "We are free" as I scrambled into the cockpit. I ordered the engine on as I unlocked the wheel. My wife started the engine although she later stated that she couldn't hear whether it started or not because the noise around us was deafening. My bow line was still attached (we were tied Starboard to) but my stern did a 180 and we were parallel to a long line of docked boats behind us. I thought we were going to wind up beam to all of their sterns causing considerable damage and possibly holing our boat or theirs.

It was then that I noticed our stern line floating behind us attached to several planks, and yes you guessed it, the big ass cleat. I initially asked my wife to set it free such that it would not foul our prop which was in gear and driving towards a piling such that we would not break free and run into the long line of docked boats. I changed my mind as she clamored into the cockpit because this was one of my favorite lines - my stern go to - and they are so damn expensive. So I had her haul it in and uncleat it from the mass of wood we were trailing. Possibly a NINTH MISTAKE as it would have made a great souvenir for Boat US Insurance.

I was pushing the engine hard and driving straight into the wind towards the piling that our bow line had wrapped itself around. Note: It was still attached to one of those cleats that we had just ripped off. Suddenly in a great big gust, the upside down Zodiac blew straight off the deck and flew about 20 feet or more before landing right side up and floating towards a floating dock near the Marina's inside dry haul storage building. Some guy pulled it out of the water and secured it for us even though he had his own problems. All of the boats gouged the pilings during this storm. FLOATING DOCKS RULE!!!!!

Meanwhile back in the cockpit, I am pushing my engine to it's limits and worried about the one bow line which could fail at any minute. I asked my wife to take the helm while I went forward and secure more lines to a piling. I fell twice but managed to get two lines around a piling such that I now believed we weren't going to go anywhere. Meanwhile, two stinkpotters - one a 41 footer - came in and tied up at the very same fuel dock we had just involuntarily left. I am not happy and the first one had his bow directly in front of mine and if they tied down to any of the remaining cleats they too could have wound up hanging next to me.

Meanwhile a Hunter 45 was driving around in circles out front, and all of the boats in the marina were bouncing wildly. Jibs and Jenny's came loose, I saw boats get their rigging locked into the boat next to them until something broke. I yelled down below, "When is this going to end?" My wife reported it was going to hover over us for awhile. By then I was soaked, cold and in need of a reprieve. I came below with the engine still in gear, AP on and dried off and changed into full foulies. Are you ready???? Still have your scorecards out? TENTH MISTAKE!!!! I did not gear up - no time. Foulies do you no good if you are not wearing them.

For those of you who are prone to be critical of those of us who actually do stuff, you can add extra points for my cracking a beer and just sitting on the companionway steps with a wild look in my eyes. I was wiped, whipped, whatever. We were safe, safe enough, the boat held up although the rub rails look like they went thru WWII. And if anything else had happened I was ready to jump on the dock and buy the nearest Winnebago.

Just kidding...

The storm finally abated. The aftermath was astounding. The roof over a common area in the marina blew off. The top of the tall antenna tower across the way at the Coastie station was gone, and the Coasties and other Law Enforcement folks were buzzing about looking for boats, kayakers, etc..

Finally, we limped into a slip. This has got to be the worst and tightest marina I have ever had to drive into. We had to pick up a slip because - GET READY, this one is good. I violated my provision before passage rule - MISTAKE NUMBER 11. We had little to no food except for a lot of stuff in cans, pasta, etc. which we could have consumed, but not after a storm like that. (We were running up to Tampa/St. Pete and knew that a store was four blocks away from that marina and the store here is like 4 miles). So off to a restaurant we went.

All in all it could have been worse. Our bow pulpit needs to be rebedded, the rub rail is destroyed in a couple of places and the paint on our sides is scratched. We did not lose the boat. We did not damage any other boats. We did not get hurt. All of these were possibilities.

In the end, we did OK and we will see what our insurance with Boat US does about the marina that does NOT attach cleats to the beams but rather the planks. Admittedly, we learned a few lessons about getting complacent and we will never again fuel up with out three lines and multiple bumpers at the ready. Nor will we trust a docks cleats. And I'm sure there are a bunch of other lessons in here, I just haven't had time to assimilate them all.

sten

Edited by - redviking on 04/12/2010 07:11:06

Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 07:42:51

Sten, Seems like you have more excitement at the dock, at anchor and and on the ball than most of us have while sailing.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5904 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 08:14:38

Sten,

Excellent post!

The best sailors are usually their own severest critics, and you're obviously a very good sailor! Sorry for your problem. Sometimes we just don't see trouble coming, despite our best efforts.

Edited by - on

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 09:02:23

Sten,

Thanks for the lessons! A bunch of us will now surely remember to avoid those mistakes.

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
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Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 09:22:50

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Steve Milby
 Sten,

Excellent post!

The best sailors are usually their own severest critics, and you're obviously a very good sailor! Sorry for your problem. Sometimes we just don't see trouble coming, despite our best efforts.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thanks to all... yeah, I am my own worst critic - all good sailors should be. I am afraid to post, but will anyway, that had a C250 or similar been in the same situation that the hull would have certainly cracked and/or holed. The force against the dock was incredible and the noises heard inside were just amazing. In a way, we were lucky that the stern cleat on the dock gave away, as at least then we were able to drive into the wind and not suffer too much more direct hull contact.

sten

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 10:43:56

Yepper.. and it is hard to explain why we do things certain ways all the time .. I'll bet you will always have a hankering for a piling when you tie up.

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Prospector
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Canada
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Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 10:44:15

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 
I am afraid to post, but will anyway, that had a C250 or similar been in the same situation that the hull would have certainly cracked and/or holed. The force against the dock was incredible and the noises heard inside were just amazing.
sten
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Is it possible that a smaller boat would have shown less area to the wind, and there fore not have been blown as hard into the docks? I know our boats are lighter and have less power than yours, but in this situation, you had ??,000 pounds of boat being driven into the dock with each gust while a smaller boat would decrease the weight crashing away at the dock by more than half.

Just thinking out loud. Sometimes I think the motion on the small boat is big, but we might bounce off what you might crash through/into/on to. I suppose we could speculate for hours on this.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 10:46:13

Wow! Good work--we can't foresee everything that happens to come along--sometimes we can only react, and hope we react well. You're wife firing up the engine on her own was one of the good reactions!

So how would you say that 55 knots compared to the "40s - 50s" in the Mac 26M video?

Just a few knots stiffer??

Reviewing your self-flagellation, I suspect that if you had run a springline doubled up to the same cleat you ripped out, the only difference would likely have been the springline wrapped around your prop. That wouldn't be a "mistake", but it wouldn't have helped!

Are you thinking now you should have left the dock? Was open water accessible on that short notice? I've shied away from some gas docks in some much "tamer" conditions (like 20-30).

Glad you can smile about it (based on your story)...

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
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Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 10:53:51

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 Is it possible that a smaller boat would have shown less area to the wind... a smaller boat would decrease the weight crashing away at the dock by more than half...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">But the smaller boat has a lot less laminate in the hull, a lighter-duty rubrail, hull-deck joint, rigging, etc., etc. It probably evens out. Hope we never find out!

Edited by - on

Ben
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USA
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Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 11:48:25

Wow! It's certainly not an experience to be sought out, but it sounds like you responded better than most people would have and you have an exciting story to tell at the end of it all. Hopefully the financial ramifations aren't too painful.

Edited by - on

glen
Captain

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359 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 12:01:18

This makes my brief 70 knot encounter seem like a walk in the park. Great job, I know of many boaters that would have just stood there unable to do anything. We can all look back on our would of - could of - should of stories, But when it hits the fan you need to react. Not only did you handle the moment, but you are lucky to have a wife as capable as you describe. Again I know of many boating couples, where putting the beer in a coozie (that has an anchor printed on it), is a nautically capable as the wife gets. My wife knows what she is doing, and many other people are also blessed with talented partners (so no nasty grams on my remarks - OK). PS I love this one line of yours, it speaks volumes
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 For those of you who are prone to be critical of those of us who actually do stuff, <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

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Don B
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USA
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Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 12:24:37

Great write up Sten! Sounds like you an your wife make an awesome team. Did this happen yesterday? Yesterday morning, with coffee in hand, I took a look at Klystron (http://www.baynews9.com/Klystron9.html)and to the south could see a series of dark red images moving in off the Gulf...knew somebody was going to get their socks knocked off. I've been in Florida since 1980 and am still amazed at the intensity/severity of these storms which appear literally out of no where.

Thank goodness you both escaped without serious injury.

Edited by - on

piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2010 : 15:22:24

Sten, what a great story. I hope many here take the time to read it. Sounds like you did everything right to me. You thought with a clear head and did so calmly in an extremely chaotic time. Bravo to you and your wife. Whatever you do, do not lose her!
BTW, you outta post this story in Sail Magazine. They have a section called, On Deck- Voice of experience. This would definitely qualify and benefit other sailors.
Steve A

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
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Response Posted - 04/13/2010 : 04:10:11

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 
I am afraid to post, but will anyway, that had a C250 or similar been in the same situation that the hull would have certainly cracked and/or holed. The force against the dock was incredible and the noises heard inside were just amazing.
sten
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Is it possible that a smaller boat would have shown less area to the wind, and there fore not have been blown as hard into the docks? I know our boats are lighter and have less power than yours, but in this situation, you had ??,000 pounds of boat being driven into the dock with each gust while a smaller boat would decrease the weight crashing away at the dock by more than half.

Just thinking out loud. Sometimes I think the motion on the small boat is big, but we might bounce off what you might crash through/into/on to. I suppose we could speculate for hours on this.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

It is possible that a lighter boat might have bounced off the dock better, but again the forces of the wind and the waves was the real issue. I owned a C25 and I am pretty sure she would not have made it without some hull damage. The forces caused 3 bumpers to pretty much flatten.

Also, I think that instead of ripping the dock apart, the cleat on a C25/250 would have probably given away first.

sten

Edited by - on

redviking
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USA
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Response Posted - 04/13/2010 : 04:22:31

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave Bristle
 Wow!
So how would you say that 55 knots compared to the "40s - 50s" in the Mac 26M video?

Just a few knots stiffer??

Are you thinking now you should have left the dock? Was open water accessible on that short notice? I've shied away from some gas docks in some much "tamer" conditions (like 20-30).
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I couldn't see the instruments after about 45 knots. Someone told me it reached 55 knots which is at least Force 10 if not Force 11. It's hard to compare with the Mac 26 video as we were on inland waters - just inside, so we were experiencing short chop which is pretty destructive. The waves never got higher than 5 feet or so, but that is enough to crash over the docks.

My wife and I both agree that we would have been better off had we been offshore or away from the dock. We only had an 80 mile run - which for an overnighter is pretty short, so we were not up at dawn like we normally are when we are doing an overnighter. Had we left earlier, we probably would have still run into the same storm, but we would have been safely offshore.

Had we known of the intensity of this storm while at the fuel dock, we probably would have untied and driven around or dropped a hook and driven into it. The Hunter 44 - I met the guy - that was driving around out front during the storm suffered no damage, although he did start having engine trouble which caused him to tied up to the bridge briefly.

sten

Edited by - redviking on 04/13/2010 04:25:07

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
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Response Posted - 04/13/2010 : 04:36:27

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Don B
 Great write up Sten! Sounds like you an your wife make an awesome team. Did this happen yesterday? Yesterday morning, with coffee in hand, I took a look at Klystron (http://www.baynews9.com/Klystron9.html)and to the south could see a series of dark red images moving in off the Gulf...knew somebody was going to get their socks knocked off. I've been in Florida since 1980 and am still amazed at the intensity/severity of these storms which appear literally out of no where.

Thank goodness you both escaped without serious injury.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Sunday morning. My fuel receipt says 11:10 so shortly thereafter.

sten

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
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Response Posted - 04/13/2010 : 04:47:03

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by piseas
 Sten, what a great story. I hope many here take the time to read it. Sounds like you did everything right to me. You thought with a clear head and did so calmly in an extremely chaotic time. Bravo to you and your wife. Whatever you do, do not lose her!
BTW, you outta post this story in Sail Magazine. They have a section called, On Deck- Voice of experience. This would definitely qualify and benefit other sailors.
Steve A
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thanks! Yes, she is a trouper especially for a Kansas girl who is afraid of tornados et al... We never had time to be afraid, just save the boat the best we could. Interestingly enough, 2 years ago in Charleston a similar storm blew in while we were at the mega dock and my wife decided to seek shelter - in a fully glass enclosed gas station. I later explained that the boat was a safer place to be and this time she was all about what can I do. She is a keeper!

As a side note, there are several singlehanders that we have met over the last 3 years while out here and uh, they all keep in touch with HER!!!! When they Skype in and find me, they are always like "Oh, ok, well I gotta go. Tell Steph I called."

I can't blame them, a good cruising partner is hard to find. They must be waiting to see if I fall overboard or something - as if.

I was listening to the radio and heard the jingle "I sold my wife dot com." Oh wait that was the punch line.

sten

Edited by - redviking on 04/13/2010 04:48:41

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2010 : 06:57:08

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave Bristle
 So how would you say that 55 knots compared to the "40s - 50s" in the Mac 26M video?

Just a few knots stiffer??<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">...It's hard to compare with the Mac 26 video as we were on inland waters - just inside, so we were experiencing short chop which is pretty destructive. The waves never got higher than 5 feet or so, but that is enough to crash over the docks...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">That was more of a rhetorical question... I don't think that Mac could have had sails up in your conditions--they would've been in trouble under bare poles with that water-ballasted planing hull.

The Hunter tied up to a bridge?? I have no way to picture that, but it sounds dicey.

Edited by - on

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