Time to start thinking about pulling the boat, but ....

[Fortunate One]

Well its time to start thinking about pulling the boat out until the storm passes, but I'm not convinced the land at marinas are high enough to avoid a storm surge from floating the boats off their stands anyway.

And the thought of sail boat domino just gives me a pit in my stomach.

I've made arrangements to pull the boat, but it seems to me the best scenario is to find the best place at the marina where boats have been pulled and tie the boat down as much as I can and hope the docks don't float away.

What's everyone else doing?

[storm petrel]

I have tentatively scheduled a haul for Saturday.........if the storm trends West, we should have the benefit of it's losing power after it hits land. AND......less surge (I hope). If I thought we were gonna get less than 80 mph winds and not too much surge, I'd leave her in the water. It's looking more like the storm might hit the Carolinas and/or go inshore a little bit......I'd think that would take some of it's strength away. I guess it's wait n see ?

[backman]

My view is the same as yours Mike - I am in as safe a corner of a well constructed and modern marina as you could ask for; I am completely protected from N, NE, E, SE and S winds and only marginally exposed with 200 yard fetch to SW -> NW winds. I have 6 new 10' high pilings to tie onto and can double/triple up on those.

I have the same concern - my pilings reach to the height of the lot; if I float off those - what good is being on land anyways...

[Relentlessfishing]

I am choosing to leave my ride tied up,I have gone through the same scenarios. I feel for me the marina yard is just to risky. Where I am with the moon tide coming the parking lot floods a bit anyhow.I would rather have 10 feet of piling for the docks to have to ride over before it becomes a concern. The option I have here in CT is to run up the CT. River, with the amount of rain we are supposed to get I think that is a kamikaze run in its self.

Good luck to all I hope no one fares to badly and we are back in the deep in a couple of weeks

[iguana1]

Staying in and keeping Saturday open to make a last minute run for Maine if it turns into a big one. My marina's plan is not to haul as there is not enough elevation to store at safely.

[Fortunate One]

I was just watching a video of a weatherman in the Bahamas getting buffeted by a steady 60 mph wind and driving rain. UHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Not good.

If we stay in guys it might be best to close all through hull fittings, tape over all hatches to minimize water entry, I'm also going to take the canvas down as well as antenna anything else that will most likely get a work out in the wind.

My tanks are full to the rim. I'm hoping keeping her heavy will keep her from bobbing like a cork. But I guess the rest of the boats on the dock will also have an effect on the way the docks handle it.

There's a 50' trawler tied to the finger next to my boat. He has to be one heavy S.O.B. too. It's those sail boats I get concern with. Damn masts could do damage i

As if the boat thing isn't a pain .... just learned my idiot neighbor who's house is south of mine, went to of all places Montauk to spend the weekend with friends. Do you think he bothered to remove his patio furniture and other potential missals from the yard prior to leaving.... Nope..... What the heck goes through peoples minds these days?

[LadyB]

In these types of situcations it's that other guys boat that didn't do such a good job securing his own boat that breaks free and damages the boats around him. I spend more time helping others tie off to prevent damage to my own boat.

At least the water approaching the cape is cooler and should have an effect on the wind but we could see 90 mph which is no picnic and will cause some damage. Looking like it may cut through central mass by most of the models. Everyone needs to be proactive in helping others secure boats in the harbors.

[Capt Fred]

I am on the edge as to whether the boat is better off on the slip or in the parking lot. I have seen our parking lot flood 2 feet deep from a small blow with moon tide. Tomorrow we will have a much clearer picture

[MarkP]

Track looking good for us on teh Cape this morning. @Mike, dunno if you have the time, but there are a ton of boats from down south parading into Portsmouth and Wentworth...

MarkP

[Parapapam]

A couple things to consider:

1. Wind isn't really the issue if you are in a secure harbor. It is storm surge. As long as your harbor doesn't have a long "Wind Reach" worry about the surge. What will your harbor look like at full moon tide plus 15 feet? Ya, you have a million pound mushroom anchor that you are tied to with titanium chain... But if you don't have a long enough anchor rode, you boat will be pulled under and sink just the same.

If it does have a long reach (Edgartown, Nanatucket, Lewis Bay, Waquoit... even Chatham) then also worry about wind/waves.

2. Insurance - I was warned that most insurance policies (at least in MA) have a sentence about "taking all reasonable effort to secure your vessel." This lead to a conflict I had in my old marina (it was mention above also). If the surge is high enough to lift the floating piers over the pilings, it will flood the parking lot and floot any boats moved there. Our parking lot was not really more secure than leaving the boat on the dock.... but what will the insurance company think??? Did I "taking all reasonable effort to secure my vessel?"

3. It is the other guys boat that gets yours.... No matter how secure your boat is, they all need to be secure or none of them are.

4. If you are anywhere near the eye, you must protect from wind from 360 degrees. As the eye passes over the wind will rotate from all points on the compass.

5. Take off all canvas and lower all antenas. Tie everything down. Take as much as possible off the boat... even stuff you don't care about (like 5 gallon buckets, etc). They can become airbourne rockets... Tape the old winter shrink wrap over all electronics (if you can't remove them).

6. Turn off anything electronic (except bilge pumps).

7. Put every bumper you have out and secure them well.

8. Look over head. Could the tree fall on my boat? What about those wires?

Some food for thought....

Mike