peterandjeanette
Active member
Having just returned from a week trip to Guernsey and Cherbourg I have had time to examine the remains of my mooring ropes.
It may seem a long time ago now, but the Bank Holiday storms extended to the Channel Islands. We were secured in Beaucette Marina, round the corner on the visitors berths. As the wind increased on Sunday night - reported at F9 N/W - the seas started to grow and enter the marina at an alarming rate.
Out came the new rope - 14mm - and the new rubber snubbers - and all the fenders I had on board. Two stern lines, one bow line and three springs.
The waves hit the breakwater, bounced across the outer marina and threw us against the pontoon very hard. The waves continued to the quarry wall 3 metres behind us, rebounded, and threw us off the pontoon. This continued all night so no sleep at all.
All ten fenders did a good job of protecting us from the inbound waves but at first light I heard - and felt - the bow rope part. With SWMBO hanging out of the forehatch and me hanging on to everything on the pontoon we managed to secure another two ropes to the bow.
(All this time a yacht moored ahead of us was also in difficulty. His crew was searching the car park for old tyres to act as fenders!!)
By full daylight all began to calm down.
The marina management was aware of what was going to happen. They had roped all their inner marina pontoons together to prevent too much movement. Unfortunately they could find no room inside the marina for us - although the afore mentioned yacht managed to secure a berth inside for the following high tide!!!.
The rope that parted was the new 14mm rope on the left. The stern rope, also new, on the right looks as though it was about to go. My only thought was, if I had used heavier rope, would it have pulled the deck fittings out? Maybe that 14mm rope is not enough to hold a 12 tonne boat.
OK - hit me. Where did I go wrong?
1. Rope too small
2. Boat too big
3. Don't put into Beaucette in ANY sort of a blow
It may seem a long time ago now, but the Bank Holiday storms extended to the Channel Islands. We were secured in Beaucette Marina, round the corner on the visitors berths. As the wind increased on Sunday night - reported at F9 N/W - the seas started to grow and enter the marina at an alarming rate.
Out came the new rope - 14mm - and the new rubber snubbers - and all the fenders I had on board. Two stern lines, one bow line and three springs.
The waves hit the breakwater, bounced across the outer marina and threw us against the pontoon very hard. The waves continued to the quarry wall 3 metres behind us, rebounded, and threw us off the pontoon. This continued all night so no sleep at all.
All ten fenders did a good job of protecting us from the inbound waves but at first light I heard - and felt - the bow rope part. With SWMBO hanging out of the forehatch and me hanging on to everything on the pontoon we managed to secure another two ropes to the bow.
(All this time a yacht moored ahead of us was also in difficulty. His crew was searching the car park for old tyres to act as fenders!!)
By full daylight all began to calm down.
The marina management was aware of what was going to happen. They had roped all their inner marina pontoons together to prevent too much movement. Unfortunately they could find no room inside the marina for us - although the afore mentioned yacht managed to secure a berth inside for the following high tide!!!.
The rope that parted was the new 14mm rope on the left. The stern rope, also new, on the right looks as though it was about to go. My only thought was, if I had used heavier rope, would it have pulled the deck fittings out? Maybe that 14mm rope is not enough to hold a 12 tonne boat.
OK - hit me. Where did I go wrong?
1. Rope too small
2. Boat too big
3. Don't put into Beaucette in ANY sort of a blow
