Broken Moorings and Unfurled Head Sails at Cabrillo and Cabrillo Way Marinas!

[Jeff Asbury]

First off I live in San Pedro. Around 9:00 am Monday January 2nd the rain was coming down hard and the wind was blowing like stink so I decided to drive out to Point Ferman to check out the breakers and get breakfast. What I found was a nightmarish storm with a really high tide that was just pounding the beach and coming over the break wall. It was raining so hard I decided to go to my Marina (Cabrillo) to check on my boat for leaks. When I got to the parking lot there were downed trees and my first view of the boats was a tragic site. At least three head sails had come unfurled and were shredding. I then ran to check on my boat and it was literally heeling in its own slip. I turned on my knot meter and it's high wind alarm sounded, it read 32 knots! I then scrambled to double up the moorings on the windward side, took down the radar reflector, removed the rain fly and tightened the halyards that were slapping the mast. Then I joined a friend and rushed to secure other boats that had broken mooring lines, cleats and try to secure those poor boats that head sails had come loose. There was quite a few thousand dollars damage to those sails. Just as we got the head sail secure on a Catalina 39 the wind really died down and the sun started coming out. It was now noon and I hadn't even had breakfast yet. I wish I had taken photos. This was the worst storm I have seen since I have been in San Pedro in four years!

How did other local marinas fair?:eek:

 

[NateHanson]

Did other folks that faired better have their head-sails removed before the blow? That's not uncommon practice in the Northeast after early fall. Big predicted blows send me out to the boat to remove the headsail, dodger and even the main if it's really going to be a rager.

 

[Jeff Asbury]

No, not many prepared for this.

No, not many prepared for this, myself included. I was too busy with the Holidays to watch the forecasts more carefully. We pretty much have a year round sailing season down here and most leave their sails up year round. There were a few boats I have noticed that take their sails off for the winter. Those boats mostly have owners that live out of town and only use their boats in the summer. I plan on sailing this weekend because the forecast is now for sunny 70 degree days through the weekend. Hopefully the swell will have died down as well.

Today: Mostly sunny after patchy morning low clouds and fog. Highs in the 60s.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s to lower 50s.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 70s.

Wednesday night and Thursday: Mostly clear. Breezy. Lows near 50. Highs in the 70s. Local north to northeast 15 to 25 mph through and below passes and canyons.

Thursday night through Friday night: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s to mid 50s. Highs in the 70s.

Saturday through Monday: Mostly clear. Highs in the mid 60s to mid 70s. Lows in the upper 40s to mid 50s.

 

[NateHanson]

We pretty much have a year round sailing season down here and most leave their sails up year round.

Sure! Rub it in!

 

[windjunkee]

In the South Bay's Newspaper today, there was a photo of a sailboat about to go up on the rocks of Palos Verdes. It was unoccupied, according to the report, and authorities believe it broke free from its mooring in Avalon during the storm yesterday.

Cool photo, but a bummer for the owner.

Jim McCone
Voice of Reason E-32 Hull Number 134

 

[Dan Hayes]

I spent the night on by boat in Cabrillo Marina on Sunday night. It was a little rolly in the marina, winds about 20 knots, not bad until about 8 a.m. Then the wind started literally roaring, in addition to the howling coming from all the sailboat rigging. And, the fact that so many people have their main halyards tied at the mast - the noise sounded like someone ringing hundreds of bells. Can't for the life of me figure out why people don't tie them off a the deck.

The rain was coming literally sideways, like needles on your face. Spray was shooting straight off the water - in the marina! With the tidal surge, and the high tide, the docks were floating higher than I had ever seen them.

When the boat started heeling a bit, I came on deck to make sure I was tied securely. The dock lines had stretched, and I was already to one side of my 16 foot wide slip, with no fenders. So, I tried to pull the boat over, which in the wind I could not do. Fortunately, a couple other owners were out doing the same thing, and we were able to bring her back to the center. However, the boat was heeled over now to 30 degrees! In the slip! So, I tied a second set of dock lines, just in case, and put the fenders out on the leeward side, then went around to check everyone else's lines.

The wind continued to build for an hour or so, and one sailor clocked it at 52 knots, gusting to 64! Waves were breaking continually over the breakwaters, and pitching the larger yachts in the marina like bathtub toys. The ones on the ends facing the ocean were hardest hit, but they were tied down with mulitple lines, and fared well. Not so some of the boats in the internal slips, where several lost headsails, and some lost dock cleats. A new catamaran had a fender caught under the dock, and ripped a stanchion right out of the deck.

Good news, it wasn't as bad as last year's storms, where several yachts were lost when the docks gave way in 70 - 80 mph+ winds. Those Ericson owners in the Northwest and East Coast will laugh - they have this kind of weather all the time, and it's no big deal. For us, we're still griping that we couldn't do a three day sail over New Year's weekend.

Frankly, I was peeved that I had to plug in shore power to use my portable electric heater. It was cold Sunday night - dang cold. Why, it was down in the 50's!

Hoping it's a nice sunny weekend to come - should be in the 70's?

 

[footrope]

Nice work and good reports

So far, I think you hold the record down south this season - I've seen gusts recorded in the 40's at the West Point light here in Puget Sound over the holidays. Sunday afternoon while testing my heating system I flipped on the gauges and I watched the wind hit over 30 knots - in a marina on Lake Union - near downtown Seattle. Maybe some channeling or venturii effect, but it was whistling pretty good.

 

[ted_reshetiloff]

Saw stready 44kts w/ gusts to 49 at my slip in Annapolis on Thanksgiving evening. Funny seeing the boat heeling in its slip like that. My biggest fear was the islant trader ketch tied next to me. Thankfully hes been sold... I had my 150% on the furler and did not have any trouble with it, but I can see where one not furled properly could come open. Guess I've had good luck.

 

[wanderer]

a few boats down here at my marina got banged up pretty good and we're at the very south end of the bay (coronado/chula vista) it was pretty ugly. jeff i was thinking about you that day!

 

[Jeff Asbury]

Hey Darrin,

Good to hear from you! How did the sails work out for you? I am surprised that you guys had that kind of weather so far down in the bay.