34 yachts blow over in Plymouth yard

Well, some of them may be close to write-offs even if they superficially don't look too bad.

When my boat was one a line blown over a few years ago, the mast broke in 3 places, the hull had an 8 ft crack with less visible damage and distortion for the whole hull length. Worst of all was the internal fittings on both sides looked as if somebody had taken a sledgehammer to them. Half the cupboards were just splinters and bulkheads were cracked and displaced backward and forwards.

I would have quite liked the boat declared a write off and got the second hand cost, but the insurance company insisted on a repair and it ended costing only about £500 less than a buying the same model boat in good nick secondhand. Oh, and we lost the entire season.
 
I have been to Queen Ann's Battery and seen how yachts are secured on the hard in some cases with round fencing poles and wedges, which always looked Heath Robinson to me. I keep my boat in The Netherlands at a marine with good solid steel frames of winter storage and I am sure at a fraction of the cost of UK marina charges. My sympathy to all those involved and I hope little damage was done.
 
I think you will find that the wooden poles and wedges is very widely used.... it certainly is in my boat yard and that doesn't seem to cause any problem.
 
I am sure you are correct regarding the common use of wooden poles and wedges. the propel arises when the boat moves slightly and the wedges move... result no more support. Therefore, the result of high winds in an exposed area is the damage we see at Plymouth. When I find out how to add a photo I will post a picture of the stand used at my marina in The Netherlands.
 
The wedges should be 'tied' together with cross braces.... in which case they should be just as secure as a metal cradle.... but sadly in this case, not secure enough obviously...

In some respects it is a better approach, as it allows the poles to be perfectly aligned with bulkheads etc for maximum support, as opposed to a frame which often 'fits where it touches' rather than in the optimum place...
 
Even more typical....

"In Saltash, on the Cornish side of the River Tamar, more boats were ripped from their moorings.

Lifeboatmen described seeing a number of unmanned luxury yachts drifting down the river, helpless against the wind. "

Whilst there are some excellent yachts around Saltash, it is not quite overweighed with luxury types.
 
Re: Even more typical....

[ QUOTE ]
Whilst there are some excellent yachts around Saltash, it is not quite overweighed with luxury types.

[/ QUOTE ] I think it's just journalese. In a journalist's mind the word "yacht" is always prefaced by the word "luxury", in the same way that the word "gorgeous" is always followed by "pouting". /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Edit: Wouldn't want anyone to think I am trivialising what's happened, by the way. Total bummer /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif.
 
I have just returned from QAB and it is indeed a scene of utter carnage in parts. The estimate is 26 vessels went over. It is interesting to note that among the yachts afloat in the marina there is little if any damage at all. There must be a lesson there somewhere.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have just returned from QAB and it is indeed a scene of utter carnage in parts. The estimate is 26 vessels went over. It is interesting to note that among the yachts afloat in the marina there is little if any damage at all. There must be a lesson there somewhere.

[/ QUOTE ]Yes, had the same sutuation at Conway Marina bout 10 years ago. Carnage on land, but we were OK in the marina. Main problem was the a***holes who leave their furling sails on.
 
My boat is in QAB atthe moment (afloat) so went down yesterday to check all OK. I do not think that the mast of the boat being up or down would have made any difference as there were motor boats that had been lifted and moved from there cradles. We had a chat with the two marina guys that were on duty whan it happened and they said that it was one gust of over 100mph that did the damage and it all happened in about 2 seconds. some gust
 
We're in MountBatten. Looked over towards QAB and couldn't believe what we saw - such a sad sight.

Some pontoon damage in Yacht Haven. Fingers trying to get away! One had bent the girder on the main pontoon to which it was attached; another finger had lost its float after the attached yacht was blown almost under it (damaging stanchions and toe rail). Lots of other more minor damage. We seemed to get away with no damage at all - just pot-luck I guess.

If this sort of wind is going to become more common (global warming etc). then I think the yards will have to install rings concreted into the ground so that yachts can be tied down in their cradles. Can also see marinas banning pit-props and insisting on cradles and masts unstepped before too long - at our expense of coursed!

Lets hope the insurance chaps get everyone sorted in time for the new season and don't quibble about stupid little details.

Cheers,

Jerry
 
I made precisely the same point about a boat at Glasson Dock in the MOBO forum.........
Boat_At_Glasson_and_wind_005.sized.jpg


Boat_At_Glasson_and_wind_004.sized.jpg


.........but was entirely ignored. We are not telling a story people want to hear.
 
As MagnaCarter rightly says ....

Properly done ... props and wedges are a very good and established way of shoring up a boat on the hard. The use of Metal Frame Cradle is no guarantee of anything ... especially some of the light cradles you see .... and IMHO some of the cheaper folding jobs.
A cradle often stays within the line of the boat ... but props can be angled etc. to suit. Cross bracing should always be used and IMHO ratchet straps as well.

One problem that does affect how a boat is shored up - is the marina / yard wish to "cram" in as many as possible ... meaning that props / cradles cannot "splay outside" boat line.

The subject of mast up or down has been mentioned many times and of course windage of a mast is an important factor ... it is always best unstepped. Stand on deck of a boat on hard with mast up and just feel the trembling etc. going through it from mast .... even in low winds. Add to this inmast reefing etc. etc. and it mutiplies easily ...

The days of yards up little creeks and sheltered is less and less now with the increase in size and depth of keels prevailing .... so Marina's cash in on this market - often having exposed yard areas ...

Sadly this will not be last incident if this kind ..... Sympathy for all concerned in loss of their boat ....
 
Re: As MagnaCarter rightly says ....

My personal oppinion is that shoring up with poles and bracing is a more substantial method than a cradle. The poles are all around the boat and normally angled outwards (the ones I see are anyway) and as such are going to provide a far more stable support than a cradle which is within the line of the boat. Once the cradle rocks and the centre of gravity is over that cradle its all gone. At least the poles become inline with the direction of the boat when heeling over. All IMHO of course.

Were all the yachts at QAB shored up with poles.... I don't think so. These pics seem to suggest the poles were being used, but I doubt all the affected yachts were.

_42383380_boatsgrab203.jpg


_42383464_boatsgrabnew203.jpg


Oh, an afterthought.... what about the actual load of the vertical pole of the cradle.... does this must put increased pressure on the hull.
 
Re: Even more typical....

With the wind at WSW I'm surprised that the Saltash boats drifted down the river, though none of them has apparently come up the river either.
We seem to have been comparatively lucky at Cargreen, only losing one boat which came ashore on the Devon shore on the surge tide and is quite possibly neaped there.
I was watching my boat from my bed and, whilst watching the boat, the wind blew 3 pansies and the soil out of a hanging basket. If anyone has got my pansies at Weir Quay perhaps they would give them a good home.
 
Re: As MagnaCarter rightly says ....

In our club we have approx 150 boats in cradles and some also propped but we do have a few "unofficial" rules that we apply when storing boats.
1. All boats that are on the outside of the park are either bows or stern on the the prevailing wind. This year all are bows on.
2. Any boats that use wooden props must also have metal props with a wide foot.
3. Any boat that is in a cradle that is approaching the maximum size for the cradle is also propped under the bow and stern.

Any member thinking of buying a new cradle is encouraged to go to the company below to source it as we have found their cradles to be strong and "fit for purpose". To date we haven't had any problems in high winds.

http://www.yachtlegs.co.uk/products/yachtcradles.php

Never the less I do feel for those people that have suffered.

It will be interesting to see what the insurance companies recommend (if anything) for the future laying up of boats in that yard?

Peter.
 
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