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Devastating winter storm in British Columbia

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zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1297 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/21/2018 : 13:03:28

The White Rock pier, docks and sailboats were destroyed during last night's severe storm

A local sailboat co-op, with an inventory of at least 7 sailboats, lost most if not all boats.

Earl, my sailing buddy, who is a member of the co-op writes:

It appears the storm surge and big waves took the floating dock off its pilings with the boats still attached. I suspect we will have almost a total loss. Only the two larger diesel boats were insured, as we had started this year to become self insured to save the money we had previously spent on insurance. We are at year's end so there are not many funds left and the pier and dock are unusable anyway.

The first glimmer of good news - we heard last night that a sailor whose C&C 27 in moored Nanaimo is considering donating his boat to the Co-op.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIQft3EI2eE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV_ybzKv3W0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIZXbuNSrDg

https://globalnews.ca/video/4783237/white-rock-pier-collapses

Henk & Johanna
"Floating", a few off your "barnacles".
"Someday Lady" '95 C250WB #151 ('03 - 2016)
"Sea ya" 30ft Bayliner (04-2018 - 09-2018)
"Mariah" '96 C250WB #191 (05-2019 - 15-05-2023)
"Lady J" '00 C250WK #499 (05-2021 - 09-2022)

zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1297 Posts

Response Posted - 12/21/2018 : 13:22:14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgW3Z8vKUF8

Rescue of one person stranded on the White Rock Pier
Tragic smashing and sinking of boats

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 12/21/2018 : 20:21:07

I haven�t figured out where this �marina� is, but I�m surprised people are surprised by what I saw on the videos. This is not an uncommon scene on exposed areas of Fishers Island Sound, especially this time of year, even though they are substantially sheltered from the Atlantic. Tying a boat to an exposed pier like that is....

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5231 Posts

Response Posted - 12/21/2018 : 21:50:26

Dave, the town of White Rock B.C. is on a back bay behind Vancouver City (across the bay from Vancouver Island). Watching the video, it�s apparent that there was a great deal of �fetch� across an extension of the Puget Sound making a direct hit on the marina.

The very strong winds seemed to have been coming out of the southwest. It�s odd that the marina does not regularly experience severe wave action, however, there�s a short rock seawall out in front of the marina which should normally keep the wave action down.

The problem with this windstorm was that the wind grabbed a maximum amount of fetch and the resulting waves were overtopping and overwhelming the seawall. The waves lost little power crossing the wall, so pummeled the marina and the associated boats mercilessly.

Add to that �perfect storm� the fact that the marina�s insurance coincidentally lapsed this year.

The layout of this marina makes you wonder, �what we�re they thinking?�

It was very painful to watch.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 12/21/2018 : 22:04:19

If I were an insurer, I wouldn't be there!

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2018 : 05:40:04

Dave, The boats were blown from the marina having broke loose and ended up on the rock jetty. Still, Those are the chances you take by leaving boats in the water for the winter subject to winter storms. They gambled and lost. Just look at the storm we had yesterday. 2-3" rain, 50 mph winds...Think I'm going to check on my cover today.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Edited by - islander on 12/22/2018 05:54:51

zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1297 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2018 : 16:59:00

Went and helped my sailing buddies today with salvaging of the three boats high up on the rocks, wedged between massive logs. The other four boats the co-op owns, are de-masted, wrecked and in 5 to 15 ft of water. Floaties indicate their location

Worked with a bunch of guys stripping 3 accessible boats of anything valuable while another bunch of guys and girls cleaned a mile plus long strip of beach. Just carrying salvaged parts and pieces up is by itself a huge task.

In view of this storm induced tragedy I wonder how this all is going to be settled and who ultimately will have to make good.

Just the removal of the hulls is going to be a complicated and costly task not to mention, the heaps of rubble, lost hardware, lost outboards, sunken diesel engines, etc.

To repair the boardwalk will be by itself, a substantial chunk of cash and will affect the income of this touristy stretch of ocean frontage

How very sad being among the rubble of what were once, graceful, albeit, older ladies. Thankfully in all of this, no lives were lost

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1736 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2018 : 17:54:00

Most importantly, hope no loss of life. Nor'easter in our neighborhood have been known to cause similar damage. The lesson for all is that Mother Nature rules. Hopefully the sailing co-op can recover, and those who have experienced damage can get back to "normal" quickly!

Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5231 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2018 : 03:12:23

Looking back on a local weather station�s readings on the US side for Dec 20, Southerlies blew between 15-25 kts with gusts between 30-40 kts between 7:00 and 19:00 local time. 12 hours of very strong winds with 6 hours either side with diminished winds in the same direction. Looking at the fetch, I see about 50-60 miles of open water in the Straight of Georgia in that direction.

If the water depths near shore decreased rapidly that would add to the surf height, which looked to me to be breakers between 6-8 feet in the last video (with the copter rescue). It�s not surprising that these conditions created this carnage, my only question is whether this situation was relatively frequent, or everything had to go just right for this to happen.

The Pacific Northwest is no stranger to winter gales. Cold core storms out of the Gulf of Alaska swoop down ferociously every 4-6 days at peak season. They probably bring strong NEerlies as an offshore breeze. Unusually strong onshore winds with fetch were probably the culprit here.

Frankly, because the boat owners� association was self insured, recovery of this marina and restoration of the fleet will very likely take years unfortunately. Not sure how much civil authorities, even in Canada, will be willing to foot the bill.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 12/23/2018 03:20:58

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1736 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2018 : 19:24:50

very impressive (scary) video. Hope the damage was not as bad as it seemed, and am glad the person stranded was rescued!

Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5231 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2018 : 21:11:55

There is a video on YT showing the last guy being picked up by the Royal Canadian Airforce helicopter that lowered a rescue crewman down to the dock. They grabbed the guy and lofted him and the rescue crew to the remaining part of the dock near the shore. Both walked away without injury.

According to the CBC News reports, the mayor and town managers have vowed to rebuild the pier, regardless of cost.

If they do, the first order of business should be to raise the height of the Tee seawalls out at the end of the pier and extend them out double to wrap somewhat to quell any large or oblique waves that might affect the middle portion of the pier. That�s where most of the damage took place.

The eastern shoreline is littered with quite a bit of debris and last I saw there were still a 30-something foot sailboat stranded ashore as well as an open powerboat.

With any luck they�ll be back in action for next May.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 12/30/2018 23:07:57

C25BC
Navigator

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Canada
200 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2019 : 04:48:35

I keep my boat in Harrison Lake ( hour and half away ) apparently we had a close call losing one of our docks in that storm but they were able to tie off to a piling just as it blew up . We were out of power for 8 hours . Got lucky this time .

Angus
S.V.Tempus
#4748
1984 Catalina 25 SK/SR/Trad.

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