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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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low, low, low your boat

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Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/15/2004 : 19:05:23

A north wind pushed the water out of our marina today, causing the lowest water level in many, many moons. There was muddy bottom showing that has not seen the light of day for years and years, according to the locals.

My C25's keel (partially down) was stuck in the mud and, after raising it, I had to cut two of the dock lines because the boat was then "hanging" in the slip. I was afraid it would rip the cleats out. Very strange.

Now I've got to monitor it so the longer, adjusted lines don't allow the boat to smack back and forth between the pilings when the water comes back up. Don't know how those folks with huge tidal swings handle it.

Steve

Steve Madden
'87 WK #5668 "Lorica"
Fort Myers, FL

Edited by - on

bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 12/15/2004 : 20:11:07

Steve, If you are really interested Perhaps you could find a marina around St. Johns in New Brunswick Canada. If they don't have the biggest tidal change in the world they are in the top two or three. "Bear"

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 12/15/2004 : 21:02:43

Steve,

When I first started sailing, I didn't know about the wind induced water level changes that occur rather frequently on Lake Erie. I discovered this phenomenon one day when I arrived at the marina to find my boat hanging from the dock because the [url="http://glakesonline.nos.noaa.gov/glin.shtml?station_info=9044020+Gibraltar,+MI"]<font color="red">water level</font id="red">[/url] dropped 3 to 4ft overnight, and like you, I had to cut a dockline or two to free the boat.

Since that lesson, I now account for a 4 to 5 foot tidal swing by using long spring lines with my short 2 ft stern line rigged to ride up and down on the springboard on the dock.

A week after I pulled out, the marina experience the largest level change of the season. Many boats were left hanging from the docks or sitting on the bottom like this C28...

Added link.

Edited by - dlucier on 12/16/2004 00:33:58

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 12/15/2004 : 22:07:03

Those of us with 7-9' swings have floating docks and, for tying off to pilings, square wood frames that slide up and down on the pilings, with eye-bolts for lines. Here, our 30' (approx.) ramp is at maybe 35 degrees at low tide and almost level at high. There's no way we could use slips with docks at a fixed level.

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 12/16/2004 : 08:02:06

We have experienced "saiche" tides here in the Houghton/Chassell area of Nortern Michigan as well. In one recorded instance the water depth rose an average of 10 feet, with a high of 14 feet, during the event. The saiche is however, not soley wind induced. Although wind may be a factor, it's primary driver is a severe drop in barometric pressure passing through the area. The water glass barometer is an example of how this works. I experienced it myself two years ago when, while standing with one foot on the dock and one in a row boat, the foot in the boat began to rise suddenly, and the water flooded over the dock, a two foot increase in water height. Our marina is in a small bay which is connected to Portage Lake by a narrow channel. The channel markers were laying on their sides because of the out-flow of water during the event. There were actually white caps in the sheltered channel on an otherwise light, breezy day. The events passing lasted about 20 minutes.

In it's most severe form, saiche activity can be dangerous due to sudden flooding. Steve experinced the opposite effect.

Al
GALLIVANT #5801

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Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 12/16/2004 : 11:03:47

One of the guys at the marina yesterday mentioned that his waterglass barometer sank completely to the bottom Tuesday night but none of us connected that with the water level change in the marina... we only thought it portended the colder, north winds yesterday.

Thanks for the enlightenment.

Steve

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roberoo
Navigator

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USA
182 Posts

Response Posted - 12/16/2004 : 17:46:45

Like Don I am in Lake Erie, I dock at Erie Basin Marina which is atr the extreme east end of the Lake in Buffalo, New York. When the wind changes we will get extreme shift in water depth. I have never hit bottom slip has 12 ft beneath the keel. I use snubbers on all of my lines. It probably would not help in a drastic 2-3 ft change. But it has seemed to work well for me all of the last two summers.

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 12/16/2004 : 23:47:16

During our recent hurricane season we had a six foot tide surge at our back door. This put the water four feet up in our yard and at the bottom of our dock stringers. We dock the boat with four lines with snubbers which are attached to the piles at a point level with the gunnel at normal high tide. The line is then adjust with a little tenson then backed off eight inches and secured to the pile. Between the snubbers, the normal line stretch and the extra eight inches we had no problems. Of course we had additional lines on her just in case, but the four primary did its job. I have never measured how much additional line three wraps around gives you, but it appears close to 18-24inches when the snubbers are stretch to there max.

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.