The Next Storm

zoidberg

zoidberg

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Is it too late to double up your mooring lines? All the forecasters are warning now about something quite exceptional.....

Pull up the 'Windy' weather app onscreen, centred south of Ireland, and step through the winds forecasts in 3 hour segments, for the next week...... https://www.windy.com/

...then switch to the waves forecast.

Better Worse still, have a look at the 'Magic Seaweed' site..... early-alert-something-gigantic-is-coming-to-europe


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'There will be trouble ahead...'
 
Having doubled up your mooring lines add a sail tie if the sail is still on the furler.

I saw 929 millibars on the synoptic chart the other day, twixt Greenland and Iceland, thankfully Storm Ciara will only be about 950 when it arrives at Cape Wrath.

Hold onto your hats.
 
Sandy said:
Having doubled up your mooring lines add a sail tie if the sail is still on the furler.
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Just a passing thought. I'd routinely wind a single spare halyard spirally around a furled headsail, if leaving it for a while, as well as a separate sail tie around the clew-bundle.

Would others make use of TWO 'counter-spiraled' halyards..... or do it the hard way and remove the sail?
 
zoidberg said:
Just a passing thought. I'd routinely wind a single spare halyard spirally around a furled headsail, if leaving it for a while, as well as a separate sail tie around the clew-bundle.

Would others make use of TWO 'counter-spiraled' halyards..... or do it the hard way and remove the sail?
Click to expand...
I have advised the spiral wind before but never seen it done on any boat other than my own. I think that so long as the winding is counter to that of the jib leach it should be effective.
 
zoidberg said:
Just a passing thought. I'd routinely wind a single spare halyard spirally around a furled headsail, if leaving it for a while, as well as a separate sail tie around the clew-bundle.

Would others make use of TWO 'counter-spiraled' halyards..... or do it the hard way and remove the sail?
Click to expand...
If you're not sailing for some time, I would remove the sails. Why expose something expensive to the elements when you can easily take it down?
 
There's always one or two wrecked Genoas here in Brighton, people don't secure the furling lines properly or put a few turns of the sheets around the sail. I've got 7 or 8 turns of the sheets on and well secured furling line, have also removed the sprayhood, dropped the boom, put extra lines and fenders on & am here to keep an eye. I have seen hardly anyone doing anything to mitigate possible damage around the marina all day. I am not looking forward to it, the noise is the worst thing but I have earplugs. My Colvic Watson 34 without rig and blown off the pontoon finger is about as good as it gets, I feel for those here living on very small boats...
 
zoidberg said:
Just a passing thought. I'd routinely wind a single spare halyard spirally around a furled headsail, if leaving it for a while, as well as a separate sail tie around the clew-bundle.

Would others make use of TWO 'counter-spiraled' halyards..... or do it the hard way and remove the sail?
Click to expand...
I remove mine on the basis it cannot flog When stored in my wardrobe :)
 
burgundyben said:
I reckon it'll be a damp squib.
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Isn't that the kind that can blow up in your face? We are on board and it is just starting to gust a bit and snatch the lines. fortunately memsahib got all the dhobi up to date today and having had to have new calorifier fitted yesterday our water tanks are full again, so if needs be we can stay in bed all day tomorrow.
 
I'm also in Brighton. I drove down this morning expecting the marina to be buzzing with preparation activity. But as V1701 says....nothing. I'm still in my first year of boat ownership, is that normal before a forecast storm?

Unfortunately I'm away this week. I've been surprised how much the wind rips into the marina on just moderate days. Can't imagine what tomorrow will feel like. At 21ft my boat might just take off (just hopefully not into someone else's!)
 
FL390 said:
I'm also in Brighton. I drove down this morning expecting the marina to be buzzing with preparation activity. But as V1701 says....nothing. I'm still in my first year of boat ownership, is that normal before a forecast storm?

Unfortunately I'm away this week. I've been surprised how much the wind rips into the marina on just moderate days. Can't imagine what tomorrow will feel like. At 21ft my boat might just take off (just hopefully not into someone else's!)
Click to expand...

Usually see a flurry of activity prior but like you here in IOW we saw nothing except one who put his sails back on albeit tidyly and with multiple wraps on the roller genny. We are seeing a few gusts but nothing unusual yet. Up river and behind a closed lock gate helps us somewhat,although we are in what they call 'windy corner' . It has just stsartd raining though.
 
FL390 said:
I'm also in Brighton. I drove down this morning expecting the marina to be buzzing with preparation activity. But as V1701 says....nothing. I'm still in my first year of boat ownership, is that normal before a forecast storm?

Unfortunately I'm away this week. I've been surprised how much the wind rips into the marina on just moderate days. Can't imagine what tomorrow will feel like. At 21ft my boat might just take off (just hopefully not into someone else's!)
Click to expand...

I’ve overwintered my boat in Ramsgate’s inner harbour, it’s tied up sensibly with sails removed etc.

Even though like you I was confident it will be fine, I still drove an hour each way to check and noticed the general lack of activity from other owners.

Unfortunately the worry for me is the other boats, furled headsails with loose sheets, make shift boom tents, frayed warps poorly tied etc etc.

Same at our yacht club, a couple of boats have light weight tarps over them, I can’t imagine them lasting until tonight.
 
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