What to do when a storm hits on the open water?

[midway]

Where I am I leave the house on the water, run about an hour to the sound and beach. The storms build on the West side of the house and I am an hour East, so when I think one is starting to build I say lets go, wife used to say no I want to stay a little longer, one day when we stayed a little longer we were caught about 10 minutes from I95 bridge and all I could do was look under the windshield over the bow to make sure I stayed in the river and went to the bridge, dropped anchor and stayed till it was over. Now we leave when I think we should, she did not like that trip, lightening hitting all around us.

 

[Asureyez]

Re: Anchor..

I would have stayed anchored. In those type of winds there would be no way for me to safely dock at my marina anyway. I would have deployed my second anchor, probably off the bow, in what I believe they call "Bohemian style sp?". I would bunker down in the cabin, reflecting on the fact that I messed up getting caught in the storm. I am not busting on anyones seamanship skills here, because I have been in a similiar situation. A situation I could have avoided if I listened to my gut and simply gone home....

I think that Bohemian Moor is where we all sit on the bow and snap our fingers together and listen to strange zither music while the anchor drags ... :smt017

What you wanted to refer to, I think, is the Bahamian Moor where two anchors are set off the bow, set 180 degrees from the other. :huh:

 

[Asureyez]

In storms I have several fears

Being in a tight anchorage, having my anchor break free and being swept down on other boats or on to shallows or the shore is my biggest fear, not a lot of rocking seas and noisy wind. I'd rather be underway in 60 feet of water 20 miles from shore fighting four foot chop kicked up by a thunderstom's downdraft of 60 knots than be anchored in a cozy cove with thirty other boats and 30 on their way before the storm.

I know I'm talking from a 46 foot platform and many here have sub 28 foot Opens with no cuddy for shelter. Their circumstance and strategy is limited compaired to mine and yes, the small open boats basic 99% safe stratgey is to get the hell out of the way of a storm, get to a dock and off the boat and not how to ride it out.

Now recognizing the differences, for me if I can't get to a dock, which is my first preference, then I want to move from popular anchorages where "everybody" is to a deep anchorage with good holding ground that is as far from a unprotected shore line as I can get. IS there a potentially protected shore line behind a leeward bluff to protect me that I can get to and is it not crowded??? If so I'll jump at it.

I can storm anchor in 100 feet @ 5:1 with 300 ft. of chain in the lead and 200' of 3/4 nylon to follow from chain to the bow). I'll suffer being knocked around by some chop rather than being crashed into by a bunch of poorly "lunch hook" anchored boats and drug down to shore. Or worse me breaking free and twisting up in my own chain and then blown down on others or to the beach to be beat to confetti.

I've just had too much go wrong in crowded situations, their might seem to be comfort with the crowd but in fact the other boats are part of the biggest danger in storms.

As for lighting ... if there are choices to not be the highest ground I'll take them, but most often I'm it or too damn close to being the best ground. I might add that hanging close to a crowd of sailboats at anchor in a lighting storm? I promise you, you'll be their ground protection!

I can't speak for any one else's SR, but mine does have a ground plate for the bonding system as well as a ground plane for the radio.

What I must determine is whether or not the bow rails are tied into the bonding system. Good manufacturing design would say yes ... but I need to confirm this with SR.

If that is so then, the highest ground will not be my boat it will be a direct strike on the water as my ground is 2.5 feet under the waters surface and is the lowest ground. If the bow rails are bonded to the plate the boat is better protected than one might first think for a power boat.

Lighting does not run through the bonding system to ground in the water below the boat, it AVOIDS that ground path and anything attached to it in favor of a closer ground, even two feet higher ground matters.

Having been hit by lighting in the Gulf off Tampico, Mex. I can tell you the science works. Bonded boats are protected ... just make sure those bonding connections are clean and solid. If the bonding connections are corroded, loose or consist of mostly broken wire strands at the terminals you have a lighting rod and not a bonded boat and risk sinking from a melted through hull!

I know I harp on maintenance, but it is the difference between being safe and having a good time on the water in almost every circumstance and having all too interesting of a day.

To my way of thinking, when every other boater you know tells you you are nuts for spending so much time, energy and money taking care of your boat, you'll have it about right. And its times like serious storms and unpredictable circumstances that will expose the weakness of a poorly maintained or prepared boat, much to the skipper and crews angst and chagrin.

Weather and contending with it is apart of the seamanship and one of the many adventures of a boating lifestyle.

 

[Skip]

This is an excellent thread, and why CSR matters. And why CSR is the best boating forum on the web today.

I digress.

My only add: I turn on my running lights when the defecation hits the ventilation. We got caught in a severe thunderstorm on the Potomac last year. Running lights help commercial barge and tug traffic see me.

The river went from zero to 60 in about 10 minutes. We were at a popular anchorage. Lots of folks had left their boats anchored and had headed in on the shuttle to the riverside restaurant (Tims Rivershore II at Fairview Beach, for the Potomac CSR guys) I watched as several boats broke loose due to inadequate scope on their anchors or other anchoring shortfalls. We got Truly Blessed II's anchor up and secure, then we put the bow into the wind and got the canvas up. I turned on my running lights as visibility decreased dramatically. The river went from 1' to 4' slop in a hurry. I ran about 1200 rpms and watched as about a half dozen smaller boats pulled in behind me. I broke the big stuff and the smaller, open boats followed behind. this worked pretty well. I put the kids and the inlaws in the salon with jackets on. By the time we got back to the marina the sky was clearing and the river was much calmer. Gotta love the unbridled power of mother nature. We no longer leave the boat to go ashore to the restaurant if there is even a hint of severe weather. I also carry a Fortress anchor with 20' of chain and 200' of 5/8 rode as a backup.

regards
Skip