Well I've still got a boat

I can't imagine what it must be like watching those working boats being heaved around like toys and sinking. It's no consolation but you guys down there are the toughest people I have met. And you will get it all fixed in time.

Best of luck.
 
Amazing. What lines did you have out? They did a great job of holding, minimising shock etc. Have you had the time/energy to think about any lessons learned? I bet there will be some sort of "discussion" in due course. Andrew
 
Normally have one x 1 in diameter each end with a 30kg chain hung on, but any sort of weather I double up. Even with the gates in I had a 3 in diameter with 50 kg of chain each end, plus three smaller with chains hung on, and you can see the stern ropes are across the harbour gaps to get the length. the trick is to get all the ropes come tight together, then its down to using different strongpoints on the boat. The fore hatch was torn out in the new year storm after three bow ropes tore the ringbolt off the quay and I was left on the one big rope which has no give in it. The next move would have been to lash a beam under the deck beams across the hatch. It's normal to have a bit of movement through the winter, but this was sustained and severe for weeks, had to be down there every day checking up.
 
What happenned to the harbour baulks? Were they not in or were they damaged?

They float up with the tide, two broke, then the rest fell out. The lower ones are shorter which doesn't help when the tide is 10ft higher than normal. Many suggestions to improve them, I say have four steel 'I' beams on the top, but, everyone knows what to do with a sore a rse except the bloke who's got it.
 
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