BoatProject - Blog #HurricaneBoatProject - Blog #Hurricanehttps://www.boatproject.com/blogs/tag/hurricaneTue, 18 Nov 2025 02:35:54 -0800http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Engine, you don't scare me!]]>https://www.boatproject.com/blogs/post/engine-you-don-t-scare-me]]>

Well, you still do a little bit...

I like to think I'm pretty mechanically inclined. I can rewire, plumb, and troubleshoot a lot of things.  However, where I have the least comfort and experience is working on engines.

I never worked on cars as a kid or tinkered with engines. I was more of an electronics guy. So when it came to working on the engine or getting something fixed, I called someone.

What I found is that, especially for a diesel engine, working on an engine isn't that bad. Sure, I still call in the experts for some of the more challenging fixes (and sometimes just for convenience). But once I overcame my anxiety, I found that engines are pretty cool, and rather simple. Well, at least diesel engines.

Having a buddy to encourage you, or better yet who has done what you need to do, nearby, can be the extra "safety blanket" to push your comfort zone out and try your fix.  Plus, preparing by researching, watching YouTube videos and chatting up others can further bolster your confidence. And then I always have in my back pocket that I can always call the expert to clean up my mess if it comes to that.

When I do my research and perform my fix, I make sure to record it in BoatProject. That way I have a record of what was done and when. And if I have to do it again (like flushing the raw water cooling at the end of the season) I have fast access to the research I did, any pictures I took, etc.  So get over your anxiety and change that oil, flush that engine, replace that hose. It's not as scary as you may think!  Now, if anyone knows how to fix a leaky fuel injector…
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]]>Sat, 10 Dec 2022 13:42:30 +0000<![CDATA[I Survived Hurricane IAN]]>https://www.boatproject.com/blogs/post/survived-hurricane-ian]]>

Well, at least I tie good knots!

Having done most of my sailing on Lake Michigan, it wasn't until I bought a 43' C&C Landfall sailboat down in Florida that I became acutely aware of hurricanes.  Now, each season is like watching a suspenseful movie waiting to see when and if the spectre of doom will appear.

Well, Hurricane Ian jumped out and took an acute turn for a dead-on strike for Ft. Myers where my boat was tied down in the water for the season. Before I left in May, I took down all my canvas, bimini poles, and anything else that could cause wind resistance. I took my halyards and wrapped them tightly around the mast and bungee'd them so they wouldn't flap. I secured down below in anticipation of heavy rocking. Then I tied down my boat.

Our docks don't float and there is a three foot tide typically. I put my boat in the center of a double slip with two stern lines, two bow lines, and two springlines forward and aft. I used 3 braid nylon line for bow and stern and 2 braid line for the spring lines. I used an overhand knot that I fed the line through making a slip-knot on the pylon and tied the other end to the cleats. This knot wasn't something I knew about; it was a recommendation from the septegenarian dock master. I figure he had a lot of years' experience.

Ian brought a twelve foot storm surge raising my 32,000 lb boat. When the storm was over, my boat was in my backyard on her side with what appeared to be damage to her bowsprit and lifelines. Attached were two, fullly-intact 30 ft pylons that the boat had pulled out, two broken pylons that snapped, three chafed-through lines, and one line still tied to the dock pylon. That one is what kept the boat from crashing into buildings or sailing away.

Below deck was surprisingly together. I've had more things thrown about during a rough sail than by Ian. The boat was returned  to the water with no sign of water ingress. I head down soon to do a thorough check, as soon as Tropical Storm/Hurricane Nicole passes. Seriously. Mother Nature is on a rampage.

What I learned is that I can trust my life to that boat. Had I been aboard, I would have likely survived with little injury and a great story to tell. It certainly reinforces the mantra that you should step UP into a liferaft before abandoning ship as the big boat is your safest place, until the last moment when it isn't. Weathering that hurricane showed that the big boat is your safest place; too often I read about boats fully afloat with no liferaft and no survivors.

Also, I learned that listening to the older, wise sailors and using appropriate line is what mitigated much of the damage. And, not that I'm superstitious, but I do believe that there was also a lot of luck as well!  Ahoy and stay safe!
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