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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Ice damage at marina

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pfduffy
Captain

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USA
317 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/18/2011 : 20:21:01

Took advantage of the warm day here in NJ to get to the boat and start on my long list of spring projects. I had not been down to my marina for several months. I was surprised / disappointed to see significant damage to most of the slips. More than half of the finger docks are pointing 45 degrees to the sky and hundreds of pilings have been heaved up or knocked over. No one from the marina management was around, so I don't know about their repair plans or schedule. No repair work has been undertaken as of yet. I would be surprised if this damage will be repaired in time for my hoped-for April 15th launch. Of course, I am paid-in-full for the season.

So the question, assuming that my slip is unavailable come April 15th, what recourse do I have? I don't expect to be able to speak to the marina manager until early March.

Pat Duffy
1984 SK/SR #4113
Slàinte

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 02/18/2011 : 20:38:24

Is your marina in a tidal area? If so, when you talk to them, be aware of the basic problem and how it can be mitigated. When ice forms around pilings in a tidal area, it can "grab" the piling and lift it out of the bottom. Every tide cycle can lift it further. (The downward force is not nearly as effective at driving pilings down into the bottom as the upward force is at pulling them up.)

My condo complex has very significant ice, and about a 3' average tide range. We run circulators (propellers on electric motors) to draw warmer water up and prevent ice from forming around our docks and pilings. This year was the worst in the six years I've been there, but while the river was completely frozen, the area around our dock was totally unfrozen because of our circulators. Running them (when temps were below freezing) cost us around $25 per day to protect 24 slips. That's not insignificant, but neither is bringing in a barge to reset pilings, or to buy and install the floats under the docks, which can be punctured by the ice.

Apparently your marina placed a bet, and lost.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 02/18/2011 20:41:08

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2011 : 09:20:28

Our marina has 1/2" flexible tubing w/ pin holes running through the entire basin, below the surface, between the slips and pilings, all around. They pump air through the tubing and the bubbling keeps ice from forming, seems very effective.

Our first slip was a sublet of a residential slip, they employed the practice of sleeving a length of PVC - of a diameter greater than the pilings - around the pilings. When ice forms, it grabs the PVC which rides up and down w/ the tide, sparing the actual piling. Pretty slick idea!

Edited by - jerlim on 02/19/2011 09:25:48

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1776 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2011 : 11:31:55

Pat:

To your question -- I would expect that a tidal yard/marina would have experience with such situations and will be making necessary repairs starting in mid-March. If you are an early in customer they may place you on a different slip until they cascade through everything and are back to 100%. If not, they may (but don't count on it) discount your summer dock fee a bit. Read your contract -- winter AND summer to see what liability they do or do not have for what.

Following up on the above comments, I would be asking them why they kept finger slips in all winter and/or did not have bubblers/circulators set up for extreme cold. If you do not get a satisfactory response then check out other local marina's with the gained knowledge that this January has provided.

Edited by - bigelowp on 02/19/2011 18:54:50

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2011 : 14:58:12

I would hope you could call or email your marina staff and get an answer now. Someone must be on duty over the winter, with all that valuable property under their supervision.

We have circulators around our marina in Maryland, and the thin or thick ice that forms outside the marina, with fixed docks, is kept away from the boats tied up over the winter.

Good luck.

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pfduffy
Captain

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USA
317 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2011 : 12:05:37

Went back to the marina today and was pleased to see that work to repair the damage was underway. Marina manager indicated that if my slip is not available for an early launch, he will put me in one that is until mine is ready.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2011 : 14:59:31

That's good news. Hope everything works out well for you.

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