Ever had a boat break free of its mooring?

Concerto said:
Slightly more information here.

Huge accommodation barge drifts from Pinup Reach to Lower Halstow

For those of you who do not know of this vessel. These articles are in date order with the last one saying what is due to happen to it shortly.

Mystery of huge 'floating hotel' moored off Rochester
Inside Kent's abandoned floating hotel as it leaves the county
Luxury future of departing river barge revealed
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Thank you,
I'm pleased to read it didn't reach Lower Halstow, but parked up on Barksore Marsh!
 
Concerto's title of the thread (Ever had a boat break free of its mooring) prompts me to remember and respond - 'Hundreds'.

I guess many don't know about the October, 1987 hurricane - wasn't it a Thursday? Many, many moorings broke on the South and South-East of the UK. One marina in the Crouch (with boats) sailed across the river and got destroyed. A lot survived though. Our's lost it's bowspirit against the side of the barge but that was a good thing as the rest of the boat stayed clear. The current wind was small stuff.
 
Looks to be a typical wind assisted vessel voyage to me ,go aimlessly round in circles for a bit before drifting off downwind with no obvious destination in mind and abruptly coming to a sudden stop. ? :)
Watched a small ship go past last night it did seem little close to MYC moorings as it went down river , the engine note did sound a little different from the norm , perhaps just a matter of perspective ?
Memories of the Arco Arun event.
 
tillergirl said:
Concerto's title of the thread (Ever had a boat break free of its mooring) prompts me to remember and respond - 'Hundreds'.

I guess many don't know about the October, 1987 hurricane - wasn't it a Thursday? Many, many moorings broke on the South and South-East of the UK. One marina in the Crouch (with boats) sailed across the river and got destroyed. A lot survived though. Our's lost it's bowspirit against the side of the barge but that was a good thing as the rest of the boat stayed clear. The current wind was small stuff.
Click to expand...
To be honest only once have I had a boat break free. It was in Burnham Week in the early 1970's. We were ashore for a meal and returned at about 10.30 to find our boat missing. We found it about ¼ mile upstream hanging by it's rudder alongside another boat. The buoy was hanging from the bow as mooring chain broke due to bad corrosion. As the tide was flooding in, we managed to borrow a RIB to pull her off. The yard were not concerned the following day when we complained.

Re the 87 hurricane, I had my 6 month old boat badly damaged. It was very close to being written off with a crack from the waterline right into the cockpit. The repair took 18 months to get completed and cost 2/3rds the cost of a new bare boat with engine and mast. I was surprised a new hull and deck were not bought and everything transfered to it as nothing was damaged otherwise.
 
Concerto said:
Re the 87 hurricane, I had my 6 month old boat badly damaged. It was very close to being written off with a crack from the waterline right into the cockpit. The repair took 18 months to get completed and cost 2/3rds the cost of a new bare boat with engine and mast. I was surprised a new hull and deck were not bought and everything transfered to it as nothing was damaged otherwise.
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In a sort of contra logic mode, that sort of damage is much easier and cheaper to repair with a wooden boat. One local chap had bilge keels and when it drifted across the Blackwater, it grounded and tore one bilge keel out. Brought back into the yard, all the damage removed and new planks and fabric for the bilge keel were replaced that winter. The bilge keel had been retrieved and reused. I settled with the insurers for some top quality sitka spruce (improvement) while I made the bowsprit.

A few covers seemed to have got torn yesterday. Still windy today. As a measure of the wind I went up the hill at 18 mph on my bike (electric of course) today. Lovely and warm. Ought to cut the lawn this afternoon! :eek:
 
I remember the '87 hurricane well, as well as watching Michael Fish's famous broadcast. I wouldn't claim to have predicted the outcome, but I am fairly sure that I said to either myself or my wife "but what if it turns north?" My first awareness of it was at about 4am looking out and seeing a mature cypress tree bending over almost to 90 degrees, and then the roads covered with branches as if carpeted, and this in Hertfordshire. My brand new Salder 29 was at Clark & Carter's place in Levington. It was propped up next to their office. The only damage to the boat was a tiny chip off the toerail when C&C's gutter had gone AWOL. A swathe of trees nearby was flattened.
 
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