Off the Wind could be in trouble

[alsantini]

Not sure that many of you have figured out that my boat is moored on Pistakee Lake, which is fed by the flooding Fox River in Northern Illinois.  I am on a floating dock but it will lock out at the 1.5 foot level.  Actually, it has probably locked out already.  Tomorrow I will wade through the parking lot to loosen up my 5 lines to give the boat a bit of breathing or floating room.  Have to kind of calculate so the bow does not hit the dock once the water drops.  Normally it would not be a big deal as I would visit her every day, but Sunday I drive to Michigan for 3 days of teaching and then Ohio for 3 more.  I will be gone through Saturday.  The river is supposed to crest on Tuesday and based on what they are saying all of our docks will be underwater.  If I can, I will take some pics tomorrow.  Wish me luck or rather wish Off the Wind luck!  Sail On....    Al

[Salty19]

Just thinking out loud here.  Could you loosen your main lines quite a bit and use lengths of bungie cord to help keep it centered with plenty of stretch as the waters rises.

I supposed that's what I would do anyway. Or you could pull the boat, that mastender will come in handy.

Good luck Al.

[kahpho]

Good luck to both of you. I know what you're going through.

[alsantini]

Just got home and all is decent.  The water on the road leading to the marina was 3 feet deep flooding all of the homes on the road.  The marina is slightly built up so the water in the parking lot was about 1.5 feet deep.  Many of the docks have begun to go under since they reached the end of the pipe.  My dock seems to have pulled some of the pipe out of the bed mud, so my slip is still a floating slip.  I loosened the starboard bow line and the forward spring line.  Now if the dock goes under, the boat will move back.  I think I have 2 feet of vertical movement, so all should be good.  What a mess though.  I feel so sorry for all the people and their houses.  A large number of them are under water.  As I walked to the marina there were 5 houses in a row with at least a foot of water in them.  One of them had a for sale sign in the yard.  Our marina owner can fish from his deck.  His house is built up 4 feet over a crawl space that is now filled with water.  He should be OK but both his garages are under water.  Sad but a fact of living near water.  Sail On everyone.  Keep the white pointy things up and stay dry!    Al

[captronr]

Glad to hear that you and the boat are good.  Is there a fear, and how do you tell, if the pipes have been pulled up some.  Sure wouldn't want your dock to go walk about.

Where we used to live was high enough, but the town down river from us was much older and lower.  Over a two year period, several back to back to back 5+ inch rains flooded many houses in the town.  Being much older homes, they didn't have the sewer back flow preventers, so in addition to messy flood water, all their sewers backed up/overflowed in basements. 

I spent one day on a volunteer crew "mucking out" (their official term-grin) one basement.  The wall board had been cut out and removed already.   Our crew using buckets, bristle brush brooms, and mops scrubbed the floor and 3 feet up the walls with a chlorox/water solution.  Had to do it two times to make sure the bleach halted the mold growth. 

It was as gross and messy as it sounds. 

Take care,
Ron

[alsantini]

Going to visit Off the Wind today.  Hopefully all was good while I was out of town.... 

[alsantini]

Slogged my way out to the marina.  Had to park a block away and really felt bad for all the homeowners along the street that had abandoned their homes.  Flooding is amazing and has had an effect on hundreds, maybe thousands of homes.  Once in the marina parking lot, which is a bit higher than the street, fish were swimming through the lot.  But, the good part is the fact that the owner of the  marina added additional pipe length to the end of some of the docks, mine included.  All is good since the docks are still floating.  Boat high and dry.  Cabin also dry although feeling a bit damp.  One of the guys that I sail with sometimes came out with me.  Together we searched the shore looking for his sailboat.  Apparently in the last storm it broke loose from the shore and floated away still on the shore station!  Eventually we saw it against the opposite shore.  Bob called the Fox River Authority and apparently they will go and get it.  No one else is allowed on the lake or river.  Hopefully there is no damage to his sailboat.  The power of water and storms, and we are located miles from the river.  If the boat somehow made it to the river it would have been gone, probably over the dam.
I have a brand new set of sails that are still in my garage.  Hopefully next week we will drop below flood stage and I can get out on the water.  Rain in the forecast tomorrow night - hopefully not a lot.  Sail On,     Al

[Gerry]

Too bad.  Can you even use your boat when the flooding goes down somewhat?  I know "no wake" can be produced, but isn't the current strong?  If possible, why not yank and store your boat for awhile?

[captronr]

Al,

Glad to hear that your boat is mostly ok.  Makes you sick to hear about a boat breaking free and potentially being damaged.

Ron

[alsantini]

Gerry.  Once the lake is not in flood stage - later this week, they will open up to no wake boat traffic.  No current since the river is all the way at the West end of the lake and I am on the East end.  Probably 3 miles or more between.  All is not good but improving.  Pulling the boat is not an option since all ramps are closed!