Oh no. Not that phonecall.

[SpeakEasy]

Every boater who keeps his boat moored has experienced some anxiety about the boat breaking loose. Well, for me, today was the day it happened. My lovely 23 decided to go solo in a strong northwesterly wind. I got a phone call from the county sheriff's office asking me if I was the owner of a 1983 Compac 23. This was about 20 minutes after our Club Commodore had called to tell me that someone's boat had broken loose, but he didn't know yet whose it was. I headed out toward the lake (about a 45-minute drive) to see what was going on. When I arrived, the sheriff's boat was just getting my baby in to the dock. A couple friends were on hand to help out, and we got her onto her trailer. While I was getting the trailer out of storage, the rescue party took off, so I never got to thank them or talk to them about the details. Where, exactly, was she picked up? Was she aground? Was she taking a beating in the choppy seas? Or was she merrily bobbing along in open water? I have to get in touch with them tomorrow or Monday to close this loop. Anyway, there is no obvious damage, and Meridian is now safely on her trailer. Ah me. What a day.

-Speak

[skip1930]

Thursday night and all day Friday, just around the stone breakwater from where the three of us park our two Com-Pac 19's and one 27 foot Sovereign, our neighbor's boat broke loose from her mooring ball and yep...was bashed to a pulp on the windward side with a sustained 50+ mph Northwestern blow. The maximum gust recorded at the aeroport in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin one mile away across the cut was 71 mph. That spelled the end of the neighbor's Catalina 22 footer. Split open, swamped, and washed aground all twisted up on some vertical granite, quarried sheered off boulder's.

Damage on our side of the breakwater in Wamma-lama lagoon was the loss of a very heavy chunk of a very old willow tree. The second of three trunks to break-off falling into the lagoon. Captain Rank cut down this willow!

And yes the limb fell into the water capsizing a portion of floating dock and snuggled up against the starboard side of Comfort & Joy pushing her cati-wamp-us so her stern was nearly colliding with the Sovereign. More line, more fenders, will hold her till Sunday. Then we put on the waders and grab the chain saw for a little recreation and enjoyment after church.

Thinking about buying the wreck for salvage rights and chop sawing it apart for the components. The neighbor is going to receive an insurance check. Imagine that. A check for allowing your boat to be blown off the mooring. The bridle 'tween ball and deck cleat parted. 

skip.

[Bob23]

Speak:
   So glad your boat is safe and that you have good friends! I moor my 1985 23/2 and am super vigilant about my mooring tackle. When we have a Nor'easter here on the Jersey coast, however, I don't sleep well until I see here there the next morning.
  That being said, I think on a mooring is the best place for a sailboat...if she can take it. I've had my 23  out in 60 mph winds...never budged an inch...nice to know Rich and Gerry build strong boats with very stout bow cleats.
Bob23

[skip1930]

Indeed. Strong boats. I tigged up some aluminum-bronze fuel pipe used on Palmer Johnson yachts and fashioned a Sampson post for more vertical room for lines at the bow then I had with a fwd cleat.

The boat generally will take twice as much as the crew can.

skip.

[jcatkeson]

Slightly off the mark as to a C-23's but relevant to boats adrift. My sailing club has a policy that when a hurricane warning is posted for the area all boats must be taken out of the marina and anchored up the creek. This protects the marina from damage. Usually there is no problem but Irene entered the picture and we had something like 13 boats go aground here and there. Some managed to total other boats. The most exciting event was when a 27 something or other got loose and disappeared. Three days later the owner received a phone call and discovered where his boat was. It was aground and undamaged. If you have a chart of the Pamlico and Neuse Rivers, take a look. The boat was anchored on Upper Broad Cr off the Neuse across the river from New Bern NC. It was discovered near Englehard, NC on the Pamlico. The boat made the voyage down river to Brant Island Shoal, about thirty miles. it apparently crossed the shoal and then went across the Pamlico to Englehard. The distance on water is about 80 miles. The story and a photo of the boat on the beach was front page in the New Bern paper.