Tropical storm Isaac

[Herschel]

Since it looks like Isaac is going to come up the west coast of Florida and into the panhandle, I thought it might be useful for some of us that are in its path to talk about what they are doing to get ready, and later how things turned out. My Admiral and I and our 26X are veterans of 04's Charlie, Jean, and Francis, not to mention several scares since then. I elected to keep the boat in our slip on East Lake Tohopekaliga in St. Cloud, Florida, and just secure everything well given that we are in the 30-40 percent probability for tropical storm winds at this point. I am expecting about 40-45 MPH winds. I went down to the slip Friday and took down the bimini, dodger, and boom/mainsail combo. I have six mooring lines going every which way, most either doubled up or over-sized lines. We do have a fixed pole between slips so that gives us control on all sides. I wrapped the furled jib with two cords and took down the jib sheets. Compared to my fellow mates in the marina, I don't think my boat is going anywhere, but I could end up with some of those guys' boats on top of mine! Why didn't I recover the boat and store it on the trailer? I just got it launched and in the slip a couple of weeks ago, and it was a long hot day getting that done. The worst damage I have had to the boat was in Charlie when a tree fell on it in my yard! So, having seen a number of boats come through pretty bad storms in marinas, I decided the odds were in my favor to leave it where it was well secured and prep-ed. The only thing I am a little "iffy" about is that I left the shore power plugged in and on. I made sure the cord was well secured, but I may be pushing it to leave that on. I figured the worst that could happen is that the power goes out, in the mean time my batteries are staying charged! Any thoughts, feedback or other ideas?

[c130king]

Might be a good idea to removed the foresail. Lots of windage.

My "new boat" (Catalina 310) is in a slip in Gulfport, MS. I have a friend (previous owner's son) and we are debating moving the boat to the back bay to the "Hidey Hole" they used during Katrina back in 2005. Or just doubling up the lines, removing the foresail, removing shore power, securing the boom, and otherwise getting everything secure.

If the storm stays as progged and hits around Mobile (or hopefully further East...no disrespect for my FL buddies... ) the winds are forecast out of the North for Gulfport so that should reduce tidal surge. And the new marina at Gulfport is pretty well protected so big waves shouldn't be a problem.

Timing is perfect. Storm hits Tue/Wed...I retire on Friday (in Virginia) and won't get back down to MS until Sunday with Konig in tow. Why couldn't Isaac stop for a Mojito and a Cubano down South for a week or so...

Cheers,
Jim

[raycarlson]

make sure insurance policy is paid up, since your playing the odd's instead of playing it safe.

[Russ]

I would pull it out. Who knows what other boats will be like.

[K9Kampers]

If in doubt, pull out...

I wonder if the Cpt. of this blue hull said "Doh! I coulda had a Macgregor!"

[Herschel]

I am watching the forecasts. We are still in the 30% for tropical storm force winds (39+) and not in the 50 MPH projections at all. I appreciate the conservative guidance to just be sure and haul out. That is my usual stance. I am usually the only guy in the marina whose mooring lines are "doubled up" in standard Navy fashion. I am going to hold pat at this point. After all, this is an inland lake without tidal surges at a new marina with good breakwater barriers. I know I am taking some chance here, but I believe it is a carefully calculated one at this point. I do agree that the greatest danger may be from other boaters that are not securing their boats properly.

[NiceAft]

Sechel is advised

[Catigale]

Everyone forgot their fenders????

[Sumner]

I am watching the forecasts. We are still in the 30% for tropical storm force winds (39+) and not in the 50 MPH projections at all. I appreciate the conservative guidance to just be sure and haul out. That is my usual stance. I am usually the only guy in the marina whose mooring lines are "doubled up" in standard Navy fashion. I am going to hold pat at this point. After all, this is an inland lake without tidal surges at a new marina with good breakwater barriers. I know I am taking some chance here, but I believe it is a carefully calculated one at this point. I do agree that the greatest danger may be from other boaters that are not securing their boats properly.

It looks like at this point you are safe in Orlando. The "tropical storm force winds (39+)" are for wind speeds of 39 to 73 ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffir-Sim ... cane_Scale

...but if they are projecting less than 50 where you are then I wouldn't worry too much, but I think I'd want to get the furler down if at all possible. Looks like right now...

http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/tracker

...you are out of any major wind predictions.

Our Endeavour is on the coast by Port Charlotte...



... up on stands and is stripped. They won't even lift it out of the water until you have removed the foresail. We still had the main on at that point, but removed it before leaving and took it home and made a sailpack...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... index.html

....for it. I'm hoping she will be ok and think she should as we had winds of over 50 mph when Debbie sat offshore while we were there. I was sweating it when the early paths had it heading to Tampa just north of the boatyard. That would of been very bad considering where the path was and the boatyard was. The hurricane in 2004 or 05 went right over the boatyard and some boats where damaged.

If I had a Mac up there on the gulf coast I'd have it out for sure. The best to all of you up there,

Sum

===================================
Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Obelix]

"New Love" is on the trailer in a RV-storage in Holiday, she should be protected enough that nothing bad happen. We are outside the predicted "50+" zone and got large RV's all around us as windbreak.

I hope everybody else in this area, affected by the storm, will be safe and sustain no damages.

Good luck to all

Obelix

[Herschel]

They won't even lift it out of the water until you have removed the foresail.

I find this very helpful. Sometimes it seems like we can put in an awful lot of work trying to take care of our boats and not really know the level of risk we are avoiding (or taking). The fact that the marina will not pull a boat out and place it on jacks with out the head sails removed speaks volumes about what their experience is. I suspect they have learned the hard way to take that precaution. Since I tied my cleated and furled jib both with bungie and with velcro, it is hard to imagine how it could come unraveled, but this rule suggests that it can. Does anyone out there have first hand knowledge or experience with that happening?

[Sumner]

They won't even lift it out of the water until you have removed the foresail.

I find this very helpful. Sometimes it seems like we can put in an awful lot of work trying to take care of our boats and not really know the level of risk we are avoiding (or taking). The fact that the marina will not pull a boat out and place it on jacks with out the head sails removed speaks volumes about what their experience is. I suspect they have learned the hard way to take that precaution. Since I tied my cleated and furled jib both with bungie and with velcro, it is hard to imagine how it could come unraveled, but this rule suggests that it can. Does anyone out there have first hand knowledge or experience with that happening?

Here are quotes from 2 posts on this thread...

http://forums.macgregor.sailboatowners. ... 019&page=2

Locking down the furler will not prevent the furled headsail from blowing out, powering up, heeling the boat to a knockdown, smashing the boat against piles, and other general mayhem. Removing biminis / dodgers and other deck gear is the neighborly thing to do - they do tremendous damage when they go flying.

Just a few weeks ago I was over in Gulfport, and about midnight a thunder storm blew through. A boat two slips down from me, had his jib get loose. This is just your everyday thunderstorm, gusts maybe to 40 mph. It took three people over two hours to get it under control, and that was mostly because there wasn't much left of the jib.

Ruth and I saw a boat come in and tie up to the dock at the boatyard with the furler in and tied down. They left the boat for a day or so and the wind came up (under 50) and the sail started to bellow at the top of the furler and once the wind started to get it out I guess it just got worst and worst and flogged the sail till someone got on the boat and pulled it back in. We got there at the last of it.

I know that people leave the furler/sail up all of the time and leave their boats for extended time periods. We did when we left the Mac on the trailer in another yard for a couple months, but won't in the future. I did call that yard once and got someone to go check on it.

The yard where the Endeavour is has boats in it with the owners spread all over the country like we are since most use the yard for storage during the summer months as they are cruisers. Thus the owners can't get there and check on their boats or prepare them when a store approaches like say you can where the boat is nearby. The yard does have past experience so they have this rule,

Sum

===================================
Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[FAAbaddog]

All,

I just pulled "Fins-Up" off my ICW mooring and she sits on my trailer in front of my condo for now.

I will trailer her inland IF the land fall looks like it will be just west of Pensacola Beach.

Fingers crossed!



BADDOG

[Catigale]

I had wind pull 3-4 feet of furler out on dock even with a sail tie in the clew ring.....

[c130king]

I have my "helpers" removing the genoa from my Catalina in Gulfport, MS. And supposedly tomorrow afternoon sometime he is going to motor it around into the Back Bay to the "Hidey Hole" where this boat rode out Katrina back in 2005.

Jim