Windy day on Powell

[Sunbeam]

Was quite windy on Powell today. A one-day front passing through (so a blue sky kind of windy). I hunkered down at the Wahweap end of the lake, and it was bedlam at the ramp (I had been going to take out, but changed my mind as even at 8 a.m. it was crazy/windy/busy there). Boats crunching each other and the docks, many pulling in without dock lines or fenders at all (or with, say, one polypropylene line not attached to anything) -- I guess they typically just cruise right onto the trailer and never use them (?). Also a couple of people who were injured (back, etc.) when their boats took waves hard coming in.

Sounds like it was much worse up at Halls/Bullfrog though (link to thread on Wayne's Words discussing it):

http://www.wayneswords.com/index.php?op ... 5&id=86213

How awful for the fellow who found out about his boat sinking

Is supposed to (continue to) die down tonight and go back to light and variable overnight and into the forecast future.

 

[jkidd]

Yes it looks bad down there. Be safe find some place to hide.

 

[Will-C]

Generally speaking the folks that use 1/4" clothes line and that yellow polypropylene for dock lines scare me. That stuff is hard on the hands; don't ask me how I know that. I like to take pictures of the most egregious offenses and send them to one of my boating mentors because it makes his skin crawl. I was once chided for using a couple 3/8" dock lines. He said anyone who uses less than 1/2 lines is considered a rookie.
D.D.

 

[Sunbeam]

Well, I use some 3/8" lines, but they aren't polypro. My main four dock lines are 1/2", but I have a couple of 50' lines that can be shore ties or auxilliary longer springs, or etc. and they are 3/8". 'course I'm not saying I'm not a rookie Actually my main "problem" with the 22 is the opposite: Everything that is appropriate "seems" too small to me, and it's hard for me to know when it's fine, but just the forces are a lot smaller, or it really is too small.

So far I'm happy with my 3/8" 50-footers, and they did yeoman's duty yesterday while tied up in the big wind, but clearly 1/2" would be stronger, and also easier on the hands. These 3/8" usually go on after I've taken up the main "force" with the 1/2' lines though. And they do stow nicely for 50' coils.

One other thing I noticed was there was little attempt by most folks to reduce windage of vessels (taking canvas down, etc.).

I will say this for the folks at the ramp yesterday: They were retrieving boats (getting them on the trailer) in conditions I never could have handled on the trailer/ramp side of things :shock: They had that part down to a well-oiled machine :thup So although some of the dock lines (or lack thereof) and /or "knots" were downright silly, there were also some displays of great skill. I also watched in amazement as one of the pro pilots pulled a barn-sized houseboat into the leeward side of one of the docks (granted it did partially pull one of the cleats loose, but he got it docked).

The derned wind hung on, too, and didn't *really* calm down until this morning (vs yesterday evening as forecast). Whew. So nice to just hear the happy little trickles on the strakes again, instead of constant wind