Text from Capt K about boats

[CharlieJ]

JUST got this from Kurt

All boats survived but all got very wet, Katie lost one of her Fortress anchors, had it lasted much longer I would have lost at least her but I anchored her and the A30 where they would sit in mud at low tide, and I bet that saved her as the remaining anchor rode was only 5/16 or so. You can cut and paste this to sailFar if you want it will be a day or two before I will get to post there I think.

[Norman]

Very good news for sure, congratulations, Capt K!

Hind sight, does anyone put waterproof water pump grease on a couple of feet of the rode where it goes through the chocks, to reduce the chafe in storms?  For ordinary anchoring where someone is aboard, and can adjust the nip, that would not be attractive, but in conditions such as Kurt was expecting, the resulting mess would be a minor item after the storm was over.

I can well imagine that everything is wet.  Our Cessna was tied own in Nebraska when a violent storm went through, with wind to 60k and gusts to 100.  The plane was buttoned up tight, but had water on every surface inside, including the ceiling.  I am glad that I was not in it for the storm.  Nearby tractor trailers were blown over.

I have also been on an anchored boat with 100k wind measured by the light house 6 miles away.  That kind of rain really hurts if it hits you!

Capt K has been through this sort of weather before, and with the prediction, heading inland was the right choice, and he has won, for sure with all three still floating.  Clean up may take a few weeks, but that is much easier than recovering a sunk boat.

Best  wishes, Kurt!

[w00dy]

I had never heard of greasing lines to prevent chafe, Norman. Seems like a neat trick. I will have to investigate further.

[SeaHusky]

Wouldn't threading it through a piece of hose fixed at the chafe point be simpler?

[Norman]

During severe storm waves and wind loads, the hose contains the heat from friction, and causes premature failure due to melting with synthetic lines.  Testing has shown that using the traditional fire hose resulted in failure in about half the time as unprotected line.

The only place I have seen grease used was on the lines used to attach a small tug to steel barges hauling rock for jetties.  His lines received a lot of chafe where they went over the edge of the barge, and were kept well greased there.  The motion of the tug was quite different from the barge, so stretching was constant in even modest waves.  Larger tugs use steel cable, with a means of pretensioning then so the never go slack.

This is not something to do for routine anchoring, where chafe may be reduced with hose or canvas sleeves, when hurricane level conditions are not expected.  The violent and extreme stretching in wild waves produce very different stress on the components of the rode.

If Capt K had nylon, he may have had feet of stretch between the cleat and the edge of the deck on every wave that passed under his boat, and very high pressure on the fitting at the edge of the deck.  Waves coming over the bow help cool the rode, but the slight roughness of the surface will still eat into the rode. a lubricant would reduce such wear, and possibly prevent failure before the storm ends.  That piece of the rode can then be cut off, as I assume that Capt K had all the rode paid out.  Setting the boat up and leaving it, there is no value in unused rode, as no one is there to pay it out for a new nip.

[Bubba the Pirate]

Good news, Capt K!!

[SeaHusky]

During severe storm waves and wind loads, the hose contains the heat from friction, and causes premature failure due to melting with synthetic lines.  Testing has shown that using the traditional fire hose resulted in failure in about half the time as unprotected line.

That's interesting!
Do you have a link or reference by chance?

[Norman]

I read that 20 or 30 years ago and do not even have any idea what web site that would have been.  I think it was a rope or anchor manufacturer, and quoting some research by a university.

[Phantom Jim]

Isn't the firehose tied to the rode in a manner where the hose drags through the chock rather than the rode drags through the hose?  I use old rags that are tied on the line and that drags through the chock, thus protecting the rode from abrasion.

I also would be concerned that a petrochemical grease on nylon may adversely interact with the nylon.  Additionally, grease cannot really ever be removed and would eventually attract and collect grit and grime which would cause internal wear of the rode.

Just my simple thoughts.

[Norman]

PJ, the rags tied on is an old standard, and works for every day anchoring, and in normal storms.  I am not claiming that is not suitable most of the time.

First, the heat is from the extreme stretch and recovery in a hurricane.  This can be 30 to 40% of the length from the cleat to the deck edge.  If insulated by the hose, it builds up, softening the rode, but exposed, the wind and water help to remove it.  It is difficult to properly tie hose to a rode that is going to change length within the hose by 30%.  Ordinary anchoring, this is not a problem, and hose is effective.

For Captain K's adventure, I would assume that he had ALL his rode out, and after it was over, would cut off the greasy end and throw it away, calling it a cheap insurance cost for the results.  In this instance, it may have saved him an anchor, if the rode had not parted due to added lubrication.

The second rode on that boat was reported chaffed half through, and had the storm lasted longer, likely would have parted.  Lube on this one would have reduced the damage, and if the first had not parted, the wear would have been even less.

These are thoughts for the next time, as there surely will be another hurricane.