Irene

jav · Post by **jav** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 1:47 pm

Part of boating I guess but it's a crappy catch 22. If the media didn't sensationalize storms, people would't take precautions. If they keep sensationalizing storms, people will eventually stop reacting as well.

I've been watching this track very closely in multiple places. For my area, Narragansett Bay- NOAA had this storms Hurrican force wind probabilities @ 5%. The 50 knot wind probability was @ 30% and the 39 MPH probability at 60%. That was at 7AM this morning. 2 hours ago, the numbers were 5%, 20% and 50% respectively.

By those numbers, as the storm is getting closer, predictablity should be more accurate. If I accept that, the threat level appears to be going down for most coastal areas east of Narragansett Bay BUT- listening to the local news, one would believe the exact opposite.

Given just how inaccurate weather predictions normally are- how can anyone make an informed decision with such polarized data? You either err on the side caution and pull out -which for the last 20 years would have produced dozens of needless hauls OR you go by the numbers and stay in, but prepare as best you can.

I've opted for the later and have made out quite well over the years BUT- I know one day, I'm going to get caught out and will always second guess if "this one" will be the one that does it. I console myself with the knowledge that many boats that were hauled for the last major storm (Bob) didn't fare too well even the hard.

willietrojan · Post by **willietrojan** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:06 pm

I guess it's times like these that I'm happy not to have to worry about a boat

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:12 pm

Paul, I read it and called I'm covered 1k...and new canvas...or boat if she goes down.....

jizzzzz how did we make it without seat belts....

Heefus · Post by **Heefus** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:46 pm

Went down to the marina today. Put all of my bumpers out and left a message for the guy, in the slip next to me, to move down one if he can (we usually have an empty slip between us). Checked the spring line, all the other lines, and took down the stern cover.

We were going to ride it out in the marina, but we have all the kids at home. Fortunately, we are only 10 minutes from the marina, so I will go check her and adjust lines as necessary.

Got a new chain, for the chainsaw, and we keep stocked on canned goods. I also brought home my Yeti cooler and packed it full of ice for the weekend.

Hopefully all will go well. My insurance policy does not have exceptions for named storms, read that thing twice today to be sure, so all should go well. My marina is protected on 3 sides, with only a 20' inlet, so we are hoping for the best. Dad's sailboat is there too, but we have it on the trailer, and tied down with all the sails in the cabin.

Good luck everyone!

RWS · Post by **RWS** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 7:45 pm

take it from a Hurricane Charley CAT 4 survivor

blowing water can be forced in anywhere

duct tape your:

fuel tank vent
fuel tank fill
water tank vent
water tank fill
all engine room vents

take it all off the next day

RWS

Nancy · Post by **Nancy** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 10:06 pm

alexander38 wrote:stayed in the water..marina charging almost double to haul with no wash.

That's awful. Our marina is hauling at no charge. But we're staying in. Secured bimini. Have 9 dock lines! I'm sure it's overkill considering we're only (?) supposed to get 40-50 mph sustained with gusts to 70.

Scorpyon · Post by **Scorpyon** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 10:27 pm

An ounce of prevention...!

rossjo · Post by **rossjo** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 12:16 pm

Many insurance plans are worthless in a storm like this ... so what appears to be "responsible" may be a false sense of security.

Vitaliy · Post by **Vitaliy** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 1:04 pm

Hey Guys, Im currently in Norfolk and in all honesty its not all to bad, i have one boat in the eater and the F36 sitting on stilts in the parking lot right next to it.... the tides are still the same and its just windy and raining...

tripled up on all the lines for the Silverton 34 5/8 and moved her so no ones around and the Trojan 36 is sitting with 3 regular supports and 2 heavy duty ones on each side along with tie down straps to anchors on the ground so i would hope that she will stay safe.... unfortunately i read up on the insurance policy on the boats and they don't cover named storms so im SOL.... and i couldn't add it as apparently progressive has a rule that you cant change your policy within 96 hours of a declared named storm... frikin BS....

Norfolk Naval base is shut down and they were flying everything out (H60's and E/C 2s) to key west for the last two days, also took a ll the boats out to sea... lets see what happens

jav · Post by **jav** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 3:11 pm

I went down to the marina this morning to prep for the storm. The overnight forecast took a turn for the worse and it placed the hurricane/tropical storm dividing line, dangerously close to my marina- in fact less than 10 miles. For the first time, I felt a little "doubt" about my decision to stay in (not that I had any choice- since they announced the warning- no one would commit to a haul out if you weren't already on their list).

As late as Thursday night (declared watch only), most of my dock mates were staying in- and so was I. Only a half dozen or so boats were out and my marina does not typically do storm haul out because they just don't have the staff. As I pulled into the marina this morning, my heart sank as my boat sat almost completely alone in the water. Everyone pulled their boat!

I went over to the marina manager and said WTF? I was told you don't do storm hauling? The manager replied that this storm has been so hyped, they felt they needed to. No one told me and I asked if they could still pull mine? I was told NO - their on their last 2 boats and their exhausted oh and by the way - I needed to remove my boat from the marina (per the contract). Really? I think I need to speak to the owner.

So I speak to the owner, explain the situation and tell him I can't leave with no place to go. I'll double all my lines and leave lots of room to the docks and do the best I can. A few minute into tying up in pouring rain- one of the workers comes over and tells me they'd haul me if I wanted... so I chickened out and had her hauled.

I get home and recheck the weather and you guessed it... the path is now even further away that it was last night and we are back to being squarely in the tropical storm region with only a 5% chance of seeing 75MPH winds. I love New England!

rossjo · Post by **rossjo** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 3:20 pm

Jav - tie her down good and you'l be fine.

I've weathered many tropical storms and a few small hurricanes here at my dock (worst was 90mph).

Personally, I'd rather been int he water than on the hill where the boat could get blown off the stand, but who knows.

Put on more lines and fenders than you think you'll need - easier now than when the wind blows.

Good thing about an empty marina - less problems from other boats and less likelihood of being hit by others' boats/debris (plus you can run long lines to other dock's cleats that wouldn't be available if there were boats there.)

Best of luck - you all will be fine if you prep ...

mr elevman · Post by **mr elevman** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 3:54 pm

just came home from boat rain and wind picked up nicely dubbeled up on the lines and set bumpers gong back after dinner may spend the nite yahoo the slip is tight so will have to let lines out if water raises over 3`4 feet marina is 1.6 miles down a lagoon so its slow to fill and to drain

rossjo · Post by **rossjo** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 5:29 pm

Glad to see she slowed to 80mpg max! Still rough, but beter.

At VA Beach now it seems ... hang in theer Paul et al.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 5:47 pm

Va Beach is south side too . I hope they along with us do well , We all ready had 1 death here a 11 y/o boy died . very sad

DOUGNASH · Post by **DOUGNASH** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 6:56 pm

I live in Brooklyn NY and boat on Long Island.

The storm is coming....I'm staying at the marina on the boat with a back up plan of a house available to me 3 blocks away, my cat Kojak, my first mate, is with me.

So I had the day off yesterday, so I set out nice and early for an adventure before Irene arrives, this was about 8:00am...

I took it slow, just enjoying the ride, was cruising about 10 knots...

Ummm, it was getting hot out, my cooler was real cold, look what it did to my water bottle...

I left Freeport headed East to Oakdale to hang out up the Connetquot river. I got there about noon, anchored for awhile waiting for my friends to meet me at a restaurant for food.

I docked overnight at The view in Oakdale and I left this morning about 7:30am without my GPS operational which was a total bummer, and add in FOG!!!!!!!!!!

Thank god for the ol' compass!

Just went under Robert Moses Bridge in the Great South Bay...

I got back around noon today to find almost all the boats in my marina on land, all the boats including the sailboats you see in the water are from marinas they evacuated from the barrier islands off Nassau County...

So I have 10 lines on the boat and will probably add a couple more, its a floating dock and I have Posts on either side, this is about an hour before high tide...

This is a sailboat across the dock from me, this might become an issue. Look at the 2 lines he has tied to the post off the bow, they are very low!!!

They are saying 5ft to 8ft surge, and next high tide is tomorrow morning at 7:21am, they are predicting Irene to come in starting 8am tomorrow morning too.

The marina already told me I can cut those lines if they become an issue..

Its not the wind but the surge that will be the worst...

I'll probably post again later....