Almost lost it

codprawn · 26 February 2007, 16:49

My RIB that is!!! 80mph winds no problem - loads of gales all through the winter and everything was fine. Went to check on the boat yesterday and the 3 mooring ropes had almost snapped - down to a few strands each!!!

Ok I know the ropes were a bit frayed but they weren't that bad. Couldn't understand it because it wasn't THAT windy - about 45mph. Turns out it was a very high tide and an unusual surge. A massive section of the coast defences and cycle track were also washed away. A few boats in the harbour snapped a few ropes - not only mine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/6398051.stm

Wish I had been there to see it!!!

Apparently these massive swells aren't that uncommon in the Burry Estuary. About 100 years ago there was terrible loss of life when about 30 sailing ships were caught out - no wind to get them out of trouble but the swell was so huge they were being smashed into the sand one minute - the next on top of a 30' wave - scary stuff!!!

jwalker · 26 February 2007, 18:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

...Went to check on the boat yesterday and the 3 mooring ropes had almost snapped - down to a few strands each!!!...

It occurs remarkably easily, doesn't it? That's why I always recommend anchoring with full chain.

codprawn · 26 February 2007, 18:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalker

It occurs remarkably easily, doesn't it? That's why I always recommend anchoring with full chain.

Wasn't anchored - was moored to the pontoon!!! The harbour is normally pretty sheltered - trouble is it only has a sill rather than lock gates. Having said that the tide was so high it came over the sides of the harbour anyway.

I agree the more chain the better when anchoring but nylon rope has a load of stretch which makes a great snubber - why aren't mooring warps nylon as a matter of course?

BogMonster · 26 February 2007, 19:22

I must admit I sleep a lot easier now mine lives behind the garage. I was originally intending to keep it in the water all summer, but hadn't been able to due to the tube problems, mooring in windy conditions onto a punctured tube not being a good idea.

I have got so used to launching and recovering each time that I don't know if I will bother next summer - I will probably just put it in when I want to use it. Mind you the slipway (such as it is - rocky beach!) is only about 10 min drive from the house, there is never anybody else using it (well there was once - once in 9 months!) and the extra time taken to launch and recover is probably saved by towing the boat straight to the petrol pump instead of faffing around with carting cans of fuel down to the boat and then going to refill them.

jwalker · 26 February 2007, 22:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Wasn't anchored - was moored to the pontoon!!!

Yeh, I did understand that.

Stoo · 27 February 2007, 02:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

I have got so used to launching and recovering each time that I don't know if I will bother next summer -

I've done this for years. Plus it saves hauling all of my friggin' dive gear up a cliff from the harbour to my house. I just leave it in the boat and drag the entire mess up to the yard! My recently deceased dog liked to ride up the street on the trailer to boot!

The ramp gets busy on holiday weekends, so I just plop it in early, then go back to the house for breakfast... And "car gas" is about 10-15% less expensive than "boat gas" at the wharf...

pathalla · 27 February 2007, 03:15

Cod most likely does not want to prematurely wear his Landy to pieces pulling his monstrous Prosport rib back and forth to the sea, quite bothersome for a chap really... May I suggest a vehicle of a slightly higher standard? Mercedes my good man, the huns may have lost the Great War, but they ARE winning the battle for market share... I shall be using German technology to transport my own nondescript rib to and fro this coming spring.. No Fords, Chevys, Landies or Hummers for me! Sieg Heil!!

Mugshot · 27 February 2007, 10:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

I must admit I sleep a lot easier now mine lives behind the garage.
I have got so used to launching and recovering each time that I don't know if I will bother next summer - I will probably just put it in when I want to use it. Mind you the slipway (such as it is - rocky beach!) is only about 10 min drive from the house, there is never anybody else using it (well there was once - once in 9 months!) and the extra time taken to launch and recover is probably saved by towing the boat straight to the petrol pump instead of faffing around with carting cans of fuel down to the boat and then going to refill them.

I was thinking about marinas recently, a friend of mine who owns a 17ft hard boat keeps it in one of the local marinas. He has just had the berthing charges through for this year. For his size boat, the min charge is for a 6.4m, in the lower basin which would allow all states of tide access for a 12 month contract would cost him £2496. I am aware that compared to the south of England this is probably a bargain, but I'm not sure its value for money. My mate has the convenience of being able to step on and off, but as far as I can see thats about it, to be honest he doesn't even bother flushing his engine, so its not like he's using the water either.
I can launch where I want, I can look out of my window to make sure my boat is secure during a storm, I don't need to worry about people messing about with things they shouldn't, I don't have to worry about lugging all my tools down to the boat if I need to do a job etc etc.
I just wonder if your boat is under a certain size and you're able to launch and retrieve it what the point of spending all that extra money is?

qcamel · 27 February 2007, 10:27

Plus anti foul problems and the mess made to the hull and tubes. Also being in the water all year is a hostile enviroment and will devalue the boat quicker along with increased maintanance costs.

I want the convienance of leaving it in the marina but have not been able to make it work for me yet.

Mugshot · 27 February 2007, 10:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by qcamel

Plus anti foul problems and the mess made to the hull and tubes.

Thats the other thing I was going to say forgot about that, cheers qcamel

codprawn · 27 February 2007, 12:05

If a certain boatbuilder hadn't ripped me off and cheated me out of a trailer I would probably keep the boat out of the water as well.

codprawn · 27 February 2007, 12:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by pathalla

Cod most likely does not want to prematurely wear his Landy to pieces pulling his monstrous Prosport rib back and forth to the sea, quite bothersome for a chap really... May I suggest a vehicle of a slightly higher standard? Mercedes my good man, the huns may have lost the Great War, but they ARE winning the battle for market share... I shall be using German technology to transport my own nondescript rib to and fro this coming spring.. No Fords, Chevys, Landies or Hummers for me! Sieg Heil!!

Would love to see that in soft sand or on slippery ground - most interesting.

And talking of pulling power I was once asked to drag an Iveco van(bigger than that Merc) with twin rear wheels. The rear brakes had seized and nothing would shift them. The bloke had been ordered to move the van so he asked for a tow. I wasn't using my discovery but the auto TD5 I had on lease. The discovery towed it so easily - with all 4 rear tyres smoking down the road.

Eventually the 4 tyres burst and you could see a set of tramlines down the road all the way to the lorry park where I had to dump it. Didn't even need low ration - I really was shocked just how easy it was. By the way the van still had a load of stuff in it.

pathalla · 27 February 2007, 14:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Would love to see that in soft sand or on slippery ground - most interesting.

And talking of pulling power I was once asked to drag an Iveco van(bigger than that Merc) with twin rear wheels. The rear brakes had seized and nothing would shift them. The bloke had been ordered to move the van so he asked for a tow. I wasn't using my discovery but the auto TD5 I had on lease. The discovery towed it so easily - with all 4 rear tyres smoking down the road.

Eventually the 4 tyres burst and you could see a set of tramlines down the road all the way to the lorry park where I had to dump it. Didn't even need low ration - I really was shocked just how easy it was. By the way the van still had a load of stuff in it.

Cod, if I ever get my little van stuck on a slippery slope, I will definitely give you a call!
Time for a boat picture, don't you think??

BogMonster · 27 February 2007, 14:21

But Cod they could have followed the skidmarks so you could not have got away with nicking it

Rear wheels tend to unload as you take the strain so it is not hard to drag a vehicle along with the rear wheels locked - that is why cars have brakes on the front too

try stopping a motorbike from high speed with just the back brake for a good demonstration

Just to p&ss everybody off who pays high marina charges, the local "marina" (actually two pontoons which currently have a grand total of one small zodiac attached) costs £1 per metre per week for local vessels, so the six month summer season comes in at about £150

jyasaki · 27 February 2007, 15:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoo

The ramp gets busy on holiday weekends, so I just plop it in early, then go back to the house for breakfast... And "car gas" is about 10-15% less expensive than "boat gas" at the wharf...

Typically, marina gas here is more like a 33 to 50% markup over street gas.

Nice to have to trailer, sometimes.

jky

codprawn · 27 February 2007, 16:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

But Cod they could have followed the skidmarks so you could not have got away with nicking it

Rear wheels tend to unload as you take the strain so it is not hard to drag a vehicle along with the rear wheels locked - that is why cars have brakes on the front too

try stopping a motorbike from high speed with just the back brake for a good demonstration

Just to p&ss everybody off who pays high marina charges, the local "marina" (actually two pontoons which currently have a grand total of one small zodiac attached) costs £1 per metre per week for local vessels, so the six month summer season comes in at about £150

Yes we thought of that as well.....

I know rear wheels unload but it did have 2 tons o stuff over the rear axle!!!

I pay about £800 a year for our marina - the main one in Swansea is £1800 for the same size boat but the tidal access is way better.

Tim M · 27 February 2007, 19:11

I have always launched my boats and kept them at home. Im keeping my new RIB in a marina and I will never look back. It's so much better! No more getting all the kit into the car, driving down to the slip, launching, ragging the clutch on the slip, parking, locking the trailer up etc. Just go down to the pontoon, get all my kit on (which I leave locked in the boat) and go. Petrol in Portsmouth harbour isn't that bad compared to most - 96p a litre.

jyasaki · 28 February 2007, 16:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim M

Im keeping my new RIB in a marina and I will never look back. It's so much better! No more getting all the kit into the car, driving down to the slip, launching, ragging the clutch on the slip, parking, locking the trailer up etc.

I have an automatic. I don't lock the trailer up. Talk to me after hull-cleaning time.

In truth, I do most of my boating about 100 miles away from home (that's where the diving is.) I probably could find a storage yard to leave it closer to my preferred ramp, but I do much piddling around on the boat, so having it at home is worth it to me.

jky

BogMonster · 28 February 2007, 18:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim M

I have always launched my boats and kept them at home. Im keeping my new RIB in a marina and I will never look back. It's so much better! No more getting all the kit into the car, driving down to the slip, launching, ragging the clutch on the slip, parking, locking the trailer up etc. Just go down to the pontoon, get all my kit on (which I leave locked in the boat) and go. Petrol in Portsmouth harbour isn't that bad compared to most - 96p a litre.

I leave my kit in the boat too, the double jockey seat I fitted has come in more useful for storage than seating. No clutch problems being a Defender it will tow a house in 1st low range, and I can happily leave my trailer anywhere because there's only one boat that fits it round here

Also I found working on the boat away from the house is a PITA because you invariably forget something and if I need to pump up my tubes (which I do a lot at the moment...) I have a compressor in the garage less than a dozen yards from the boat which is sooo much less effort than a hand pump.

The only real advantage when I had it alongside a pontoon was that you could go for a quick "refreshing blast" for 20 min after work and I wouldn't bother doing that if I had to launch and recover.