Tropical Storm Hermine

South of Heaven · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:00 am Post subject: Tropical Storm Hermine

My 25 is in my marina in Cape Cod. I'm preparing for the worst if Hermine or the effects get close to RI/MA and I don't want my new boat anywhere close to a dock!

I own a helix mooring in a fairly protected bay in front of my parents summer house. I'm gonna move my boat from the slip to the mooring on Saturday night after I get back from some boating. While on the mooring and hunkering down for potential big rains, swells and winds; what else should I be aware of??

I don't have many other boats close by to me but there is my neighbors dock which is about 50 feet (at it's closest) from my potential swinging radius.

I'm really hoping that this storm doesn't hit the southern coast of Mass. hard......fingers crossed.

thataway · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 9:24 am Post subject:

If you think that there is any chance of any named storm hitting where your boat is, get it out of the water and inland on its trailer, well above storm surge. I don't care how good that you feel the mooring is.

A good friend of mine, lived in St. Croix, VI, He had told me how safe his boat was on its Helix Mooring (As I recollect, he had 3 helix screwed in, and inspected yearly.)....He had been thru many hurricanes on the mooring. The next year, his boat was lost.

The dangers are not from wind, waves, any point of mooring failure, not even from cleat or attachment failure (with a bridle) But also from other boats coming loose--either on moorings or anchor--and hitting your boat.

I posted "good luck" to Marc Grove at Wefings, and any other C Brats in the area of the projected land fall.

South of Heaven · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:06 am Post subject:

Oh, definitely Bob. As of today they are forecasting winds of 15-25 knots with a big surge. If those numbers start creeping up into the 30's and 40's then i have no problem pulling the boat out. My marina will help me.

I'm not overly concerned right now but definitely keeping an eye out. I'll make my decision by Saturday night.

BrentB · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:53 am Post subject:

We boat in Charlotte Harbor, FL and storm surge in our canal can be a major issue with our docks under water and water in the back yard and close to the home but no inside flooding to date.
High water can last for days to weeks. Low water before a big storm can also be an issue and cant access the lift and docks. It depends on the storm intensity and direction.

Good luck

m2cw I would pull the boat to safe ground

Avidmagnum12 · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 12:08 pm Post subject:

One other thing to think about. On my 2011 CD25 if I get more than small waves on a mooring water starts pumping up into the boat through the scuppers! Bow up ..stern down.....bow down ....stern up...great water pump. I discovered this last year on a dive trip. Yes....the bilge pump kept up but turned on every 5 minutes or so. I'd hate to see what would happen if the batteries went down. Lots of water! Now we put in plugs when we dive off of a mooring ball. The scuppers system is different on other 25's and may not have the problem. Of course if the plugs are installed the cockpit is not self bailing. I only use them on a mooring ball or when we have 5 or so people in the cockpit.

The advantage of having a trailer boat is you can "Get out of Dodge". I've been in the Keys when storms were on the way. Bigger boats had to ride it out. I just towed it home.

Enjoy your 25....I know you will......Tom

PaulNBriannaLynn · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:46 pm Post subject:

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't getting nervous. This morning it was beautiful, not a breath of wind at all, fairly cool and sunny. In the last 20 minutes the skies have turned very dark.

Our boat sits under a very large oak tree on its trailer in our driveway and Ill be moving it out later today to the parking lot of my office where there's no trees to fall on it. It looks like its projected to be a direct hit to our location. Between 5 and 10 inches of rain, 60-70 mph winds all to coincide with a very large high tide, should be interesting in Savannah and the barrier islands.

South of Heaven · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 2:46 pm Post subject:

thataway · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:12 pm Post subject:

South of Heaven · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:31 pm Post subject:

ssobol · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:44 pm Post subject:

Might be a handful to retrieve in high winds. My 22 likes to swing the bow downwind when the power comes off even in a heavy breeze. A 30 to 40 mph crosswind when trying to dock or load a trailer would be fun even before you count the wave action.

Comfortably Numb · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 7:17 pm Post subject:

I echo Dr. Bob's good wishes above for Marc Grove at Wefing's and all other C-Brats in Hermine's path. Take care of yourselves and good luck. I'll be anxious to know everyone is AOK.

BrentB · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 8:29 pm Post subject:

Good Luck Marc

BrentB · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 9:09 pm Post subject:

Pedromo · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:45 pm Post subject:

Dr Bob and Marie:
I know you know exactly what to do.
Eileen and I wish you the best as you deal with the storm.
Pedro

thataway · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 12:26 am Post subject:

I have been at least a dozen hurricanes, including one at sea. (I am sure that many have been thru more than that.) They can be exceedingly dangerous. One thing many folks don't realize but if their boat damages other boats, which are properly moored, they are responsible for damage to that boat.

Hermine, appears on TV to be mild--but there are still a lot of hidden dangers. In this storm, the storm surge appears to be the major issue. The point of landfall is about 175 miles as the crow flies from our house. We have about a foot more water in the bayou--but no significant wind.

The weather channel makes a "show" out of events like this. In comparison to big storms, like Katrina,Rita, Ivan, Dennis etc which we had 11 to 12 years ago, it does not seem like much. But in places they are seeing wind gusts of 78 knots--tornadoes, and storm surges of over 9 feet. So it is certainly causing significant problems in the right upper (North East Quadrant) sector. If it had headed for our area, we would have been evacuated a day ago--boat, RV and vehicles moved to high ground. During Ivan, we had one boat in our lift over 15 feet above mean high water, and the other boat anchored/spiderwebbed between a number of trees and pilings. The storm surge was over 11 feet--over 80% of the houses in our neighborhood were not inhabitable, due to flooding, and trees falling on the houses. Winds hit 135 knots at a military base only 3 miles away, when the eye wall passed over.

Hopefully tomorrow Marc will weigh in and assure us that all is well!