9 yachts break free in easterly gales.

Cornishman

Cornishman

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Five yachts in Falmouth and four in Portland broke free from moorings yesterday as the east wind reached gale force along the south coast. The five from Falmouth were retrieved by the coastguard and RNLI but the four in Portland ran aground. Hope it wasn't anyone's from here.
 
We go back in on Monday evening's tide! Hopefully it will have gone through by then.

Are these 'breakaways' in Falmouth from Harbour Commissioner moorings, private or commercial moorings? Does anyone know?
 
This seems strange. We get 'gales' regularly. Why this sudden rash of broken moorings I wonder. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Time of year. Lots of people putting their boats back in the water on unchecked moorings? One blow and the inevitable happens.
 
Yes we get regular gales but not that often from the East which is the worst direction for many W country harbours. And there's the problem of boats going back onto unserviced moorings.
 
I think there is something odd here. Falmouth are pretty strict on moorings I believe - they have to be with the amount and size of shipping in and out of there.
 
mine was one of them, managed to shear off the main bollard which the chain was looped around. we also attach the pickup bouy to the tabbernacle but this is only a rope strop and it didnt last long either.
End result was the boat smashing into the breakwater pontoon which ripped off the rubbing strake, smashed the toe rails broken spreader, broken tiller, bent stantions but my nice awlgrip paint job is totaly unscathed as far as i can see.

sadly the habour master only had his 12 foot shetland available which basically watched the boats coming adrift, his work boat was not afloat at the time so was unable to rescue.
 
We have also watched the mooring service barge out there servicing them.

The Westerly went due to 48 foot ketch hanging off it's bow, another one had it's mooring chain / strop hanging off the bow. The 48 foot ketch apears to have dragged it's mooring.

It was bad, and we were getting up to 3 foot waves crossing the Penryn river, it's open to Carrick roads, then there is only the low St Just headland. So with the funnelling of the docks and Trefussis headland, it can get very rough in that bit of water.

Last big Easterly blow in 93 / 94, Mylor anchorage lost 14 boats, Falmouth around 16. In the Mylor mooring we had upto 6 foot waves.

With big easterlys we all have ours cars ready to make a sprint to the mooring and get the boats up the river.

Brian
 
I have always used a double ground chain, 2 lengths side by side. The extra weight gives a good spring which probably never snatches on the block. Remember that last easterly hurricane very well. Luckily came through it unscathed over at Mylor.
 
It seems to me that taking the chain up to the bollard on the boat is the problem. I would always use a fair amount of nylon rope duplicated or triplicated to provide some spring when the waves bring the mooring up tight.

A mooring given enough latitude for wave movement should be able to survive a storm. It can fail because there is not enough room for movement (scope) but more common because of a stupid mistake. Shackles worn or coming loose (from not being moused) or chain worn through. Or around here the stainless steel rod through the (government) supplied mooring buoy failing.

I worry about my mooring all the time. Fortunately I can see it from home. I have gone to all stainless steel. Because the heavy chain was given to me. Certainly you can't mix iron and SS. I have a 5/8 inch shackle that corroded right through in 12 months because it was attached to the SS chain. Fortunately I found it before it failed.

good luck with the boat repairs. They often prove to be tough (bravee) little baots when they go ashore. olewill
 
Re: 9 yachts break free in easterly gales. Samara

Where of RCYC Philip, we overlook it, and have not seen one sink ? what is it ?

Brian
 
If Samara is a folkboat she could be the boat belonging to a friend of ours which was lifted off the bottom today.

The boat broke her moorings and hit the Prince of Wales Pier. The Falmouth Harbour guys towed her to a visitors mooring but she was holed and by yesterday afternoon had sunk.

Today the dive boat Boy Brendan and crew salvaged her. We stood on Prince of Wales Pier with our friend watching the operation. He says he hopes she will be in repairable condition.

Will let you know the outcome.
 
Re: 9 yachts break free in easterly gales. Samara

I was only told about Samara by Martin H, as she once belonged to us and was laid-up in his yard. So don't really know exactly where. He said "off RCYC".

To Skents - she is a Colvic 26 Sailer - fitted out by Atlanta Marine. We had a new Perkins 18 put in her in place of the old Yanmar 10 (or was it 8) single pot engine, and completely altered the main cabin layout.
 
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