NNE gale in Guernsey

[Piers]

Never been in such deeadful swell and surge, ever. Currently moored in the NE corner of Victoria marina. The NNE 7/8 gale blew up yesterday and whilst the sea was above the sill the movement was so, so powerful. A yacht opposite us was breaking its warps and needed marina staff with heavy warps strung between the pontoons to stop it breaking free.

I was up at 0100 this morning checking our warps and fenders before the tide rises over the sill at 0200. All in place and we're as ready as we can be. Wind is still NNE 7/8. It's not forecast to drop ro NNE 6/7 until 0500, and NNE 5 by 1000 as the tide drops below the sill.

So a ghastly 8 hours. Hopefully warps will last and not snap, and fenders won't pop. I expect I'll be a tad weary by coffee time.

Monday and Turesday look OK, but it's back again on Wednesday and Thursday as a SSE'ly, but hopefully not so strong.

Must have a coffee before it all starts in 25 minutes....speak later.

 

[Piers]

Tide has just about reached the sill and the swell is already jumping over. Play d'eau is just starting to move and swing. It's the 'shortly to happen' surge and snatch I loathe which could be with us for the next 8 hours. Hmmm.

 

[Piers]

Just in case, my wife is now off the boat and in the car on the pier above Play d'eau - as an observer.

 

[Piers]

I thought I'd stay on board in case fenders popped or warps snapped, but given our pontoon is doing an impression of a mexican wave and it's difficult to stand, I, too, have decamped to the car. I doubt there'd be anything I'd be able to do and by then it would be tricky to get off.

Still keeping a watching eye on the boat and just in case, I've informed St Peter Port Control on Ch 12.

Really not seen anything like this in over 30 years of boating apart fronm on U-Tube. It's extraordinary.

 

[Piers]

SIT REP

We are in the car overlooking Play d'eau. It's 2 hrs before HW, a 20 minute trigger point in Guernsey's marinas when the sea seems to try extra hard to be more aggressive. Maybe a burst of Neptune's testosterone is released into the swell.

However, Play d'eau seems to be riding OK. Yes, warps are snatching (which I loathe and hope cleats won't come flying off) and yes she's dancing as though she's practicing for Strictly. There's the occasional attempt when she squashes all the fenders and I admit to being surprised they havn't burst under the strain.

Only (only?) 5.5 hours to go to the sill. Then we can catch up on some sleep and hopefully the forecast wind reduction will take effect.

 

[Piers]

0600 and all's well. Haven't breen on board, but it sems the fendres remain inflated and the warps are all there.

In the last 2 hours the wind has decreased a strength to 6 but still from the NNE. The surging reamains the same but may start to decrease if the foecast reduction in wind materialises. Warps have stretched so the snatching is amplified.

4 hourcs to sill time but I feel the worst of the gale has come and gone.

 

[Jonmendez]

Sounds a horrible night, been in the other marina in town in a full winters gale, they had emptied yours into it for that very reason. Hope all stays ok!

 

[Piers]

Sounds a horrible night, been in the other marina in town in a full winters gale, they had emptied yours into it for that very reason. Hope all stays ok!

Thanks Jon. Just been on board and although the reported wind's dropped at the airport a strength, it's still showing the same on Play d'eau. Warp-wise, it's difficult to know how to describe the snatching apart from using the word violent which sounds dreadful but that's how it feels. I have 11 x 18mm octoplait warps holding her and although stretched, none's snapped - unlike the yacht opposite.

Praise indeed to the rope makers.

 

[simonfraser]

Glad the boats are ok.

How does rope stretch / snatch affect the longer term durability ?

 

[Piers]

Glad the boats are ok.

How does rope stretch / snatch affect the longer term durability ?

Good question, for which I have no factual answer. The strange thing is that as soon as the surge stops (when the tide is below the sill) the warps will contract and becpome taught again.

 

[Piers]

Well, the sun is out, the sky is clear, and alhough the wind is from the same direction it's dropped a knot or so.

We're just waiting for the 2hr testosterone effort to pass, and then it's back on the boat, have some breakfast and a sleep, until the next tide creeps back over the sill at 1430 when it all starts again, maybe with a slightly lesser wind.

Oh the joys of boating!

 

[Portofino]

How did you size the 18 mm dia ?

https://jimmygreen.com/content/44-mooring-warps-size-guide

 

[Piers]

How did you size the 18 mm dia ?

https://jimmygreen.com/content/44-mooring-warps-size-guide

Used a similar table but which showed 18mm was recommended, rather than Jimmy Green's 18mm/20mm for the length. Mind you, JG's table suggests that given Play d'eau's weight of a shade under 30 tonnes, that 24mm is preferred.

Maybe time to re-think warp size and for both of us to beef up our muscles to handle them - they're heavy enough as they are!

 

[sarabande]

Piers

Glad to hear that you and boat have come through a beastly night OK.

MIght it be worth checking the mooring warps where they pass round cleats ? Whist the elasticity will recover in the free lengths of the lines, the repeated pressure at the pinch points round cleats can cause permanent hardening in the strands and fibres.

Sorry if grandmother/eggs.

 

[Piers]

Piers

Glad to hear that you and boat have come through a beastly night OK.

MIght it be worth checking the mooring warps where they pass round cleats ? Whist the elasticity will recover in the free lengths of the lines, the repeated pressure at the pinch points round cleats can cause permanent hardening in the strands and fibres.

Sorry if grandmother/eggs.

No grandmothers at all and really good info. Thank you. I'll see if I can check today during the lull.

Re the sizing (referring to the previous post) almost all warps are doubled up, with at least two doubles for each position.

 

[Portofino]

Yes apparently it’s heat build up at pinch points in elastic ropes that contributes to failure .
You could remeasure the 11m to calculate the % of permanent stretch then look up what significance that is if any .

We use in our home berth ( stern to Med mooring ) those spring snubbers and what seems unelastic warps all the elasticity is through the S steel springs which reckon to spare the warps .
They stay on the jetty like many others we just chuck them ashore when we depart .
In visiting others berths we use plain nylon .Its bad form to use the hosts mooring tackle in the Med if it’s been left ( normally ) behind .
And yes we get swell / high wind etc

 

[Piers]

Back on board. Wind speed appears to be decreasing quite quickly (F3, gusting 5/6) but it's veering from 000 to 020. Hmmm. Forecast i that early evening it will be 000, then backing and decreasing further.

Maybe a night on board rather than in the car tonight!

 

[MapisM]

Praise indeed to the rope makers.

Indeed.
I just looked for 18mm octoplait online, because you made me curious to check the breaking load, and the one I found mentioned 5800Kg.
Which is a helluva lot of pull, considering also that you had several warps distributing the load, so it ain't so surprising that they did their job as they should. That said, in your boots I would consider something larger.
Fwiw, for my boat (whose size is exactly the same as yours, but a tad lighter) I've got some polyester warps with high tenacity braid core, 24mm, 9500Kg breaking load. A bit overkill maybe, but as they say, better safe than sorry.
And I don't mind the handling, because they are very soft to the touch and pleasant to grab.
Actually, I use something much smaller when the boat moves often during the summer and the weather is mostly spectacular, but we do have gales also down here, during the winter...

PS: Did you take any clip, maybe?

 

[Piers]

Indeed.
I just looked for 18mm octoplait online, because you made me curious to check the breaking load, and the one I found mentioned 5800Kg.
Which is a helluva lot of pull, considering also that you had several warps distributing the load, so it ain't so surprising that they did their job as they should. That said, in your boots I would consider something larger.
Fwiw, for my boat (whose size is exactly the same as yours, but a tad lighter) I've got some polyester warps with high tenacity braid core, 24mm, 9500Kg breaking load. A bit overkill maybe, but as they say, better safe than sorry.
And I don't mind the handling, because they are very soft to the touch and pleasant to grab.
Actually, I use something much smaller when the boat moves often during the summer and the weather is mostly spectacular, but we do have gales also down here, during the winter...

PS: Did you take any clip, maybe?

Really interesting. Having experienced last night has made me realise I need to carry a set of bad weather warps. So, two key actions today - check and remake existing warps, and see if I can source your rope somewhere oin the island.

Do you have a manufacturer's name and/or supplier for this?

 

[Piers]

It's 0930 and the tide is close to sinking below the sill. Calm is starting to return the Victoria Marina.

Wind is now F4 and seemingly dropping further. Still from 020. All looks good on Play d'eau. The heating's on so we're warm and two soft poached eggs on bread and (Guernsey) butter has made all the difference.

Next - check all warps and remake. And maybe have some sleep.