I've been down the boat on a regular basis and have also had regular updates by text or email from Nicky, the owner of Meagles. She lives at Eastney so its easier for her to nip down and check.
So far no boats have broken their moorings, but one boat suffered damage this week.
"Lazy Days", a small yacht has a broken forestay. The furling gear is hanging at the side of the hull and the mast is leaning back at an angle. I suspect the mast foot is bolted to the cabin roof and the bolts have either sheared or the mast foot is pulling out of the cabin roof. Either way the prognosis isn't good as there will be damage somewhere around the mast foot.
Looking at it, it makes me grateful I spotted the loose forestay shackle on Sprite 2 a month or so ago and tightened it up again.
The constant battering by the wind and the motion of the boat on the waves and when it lands on the ground as the tide goes out has a way of vibrating shackles and fittings loose, or putting stresses into them that make them fail.
Ouchhhh... :o(
ReplyDeleteYep. If I knew who the owner was I'd have texted them. I think they are a member of E.C.A. so hopefully they've been told. But you just know its a mess already.
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ReplyDeleteI guess if your boat is going to be moored somewhere tidal and take the ground every day it makes sense to find the softest kind of mud! On hard sand, these boats must take a hell of a pounding.
ReplyDeleteLuckily the mud is deep at Eastney. Sprite's keels go right in and the hull sits on the soft mud without any resistance. It could be any reason the forestay failed, but its a worthwhile lesson to learn to check rigging regularly.
ReplyDeleteI'd hate to fall off the boat at low tide, that mud must be at least a metre deep (it swallowed my mooring which consisted of two tyres filled with concrete stacked on top of each other). I'd be stuck fast.