Knock Down

[TIM MAUSER]

On Tuesday evening we were treated to a violent micro burst in Ipswich, Mass., wind at the anchorage was measured at 50 mph before power went out, estimated max was in excess of 80 mph, 0 visability and over an inch of rain in less than 5 minutes.  My CS-20 in the mooring field was knocked down.  Started on its side but by the time I got back  from Boston, it had turned over.  I was dropped off on the bottom, and attempted to turn it upright by weighting the center board (it was up at the time).  Proved impossible I'm 205 lbs. Fortunately my  friend who runs the mooring barge came over and after rigging lines, rolled it over.  After much bailing all was well.  Need to fabricate a center board plug or carry some stuffing to hinder water access up through the cb trunk.

Fortunately no damage, other than a ruined wind vane and an immersed outboard (already flushed and back in action). 

I believe if I could have gotten to the boat immediately after the knock down, it would have been possible to self rescue.  By the time I arrived the forward bulkhead area was flooded as was the rear.  Three of the four side hatches were relatively dry.  However the total weight of the inboard water made for a difficult recovery.  I will be recauking my hatches this weekend.

Might even consider an automatic bilge pump, though I hate the idea of the extra weight.

Tim Mauser

CS-20  # 53

[Greg Luckett]

Tim, was she floating while turtled or sitting on top of the mast, or both?  I have seen boats with some sort of floatation ball on the top of the mast to keep them from turtling.  I always thought they looked ugly but maybe at a mooring it wouldn't be so bad?

[TIM MAUSER]

Greg:  That area of the mooring field is quite deep and tide was high, so the masts were clear of the bottom.  I stuffed both mast with floatation material when I built them (aluminum masts, stuffed with cut down swim noodles).  She rode out several powerful thunderstorms last year without a problem, but they were nothing compared to the storm on Tuesday, per the dock men.  Several telephone poles and trees were knocked down in the area as well.

One thought is that the combination of deluge waves and wind combined first to fill the cockpit and flip it almost simultaneously.  Perhaps a cockpit cover would have prevented the whole issue.

More work.

Tim

CS-20 #53

[Greg Luckett]

It sounds like a water spout or tornado, doesn't it?

A few years ago I went to where my boat was slipped and noticed the wind vane was out of position on top of the mast, then looking around, found hundreds of little fish in all the mud puddles surrounding the slip area for about 300 yards.  Other boats showed signs of wind effects and tree branches and other stuff was blown about.  I live about a mile from the slip and had not noticed any wind.  It was wierd, but all the signs showed that a water spout was in the channel or river, yet no one that I asked in the area had noticed any odd events.  I was wondering if Rod Serling would pop up next. ;D

[Garry]

We had a downburst near my home once. I heard the wind really starting to howl so I brought the dog in. The next morning there was a swath cut in the woods out back. A section about 30 yards wide had ALL the trees laid down in the same direction for several hundred yards. Fortunately no one was hurt except maybe some squirrels.

[ulpilotrmh]

This is another wind related story. Living in central Florida, you soon learn to expect perhaps more than your share of violent storms.

I had gone to Publix for some groceries, leaving our Son who was visiting from Tampa's McDill AFB. I was gone less than 15 minutes, and upon leaving Publix, I noticed the sky was unusually dark and filled with angry looking clouds. Approching the house I noticed the window in the office in front of the house appeared to be open. My son met me at the door, having just been awakened from a nap and not really awake yet, when I noticed the great room behind him was a mess. Going into the office to close the window, I assumed he for some reason had left open, I noticed I was walking on broken glass

A Micro Burst or Straight-Line-Winds had struck the front of our house, blowing out the office window that had been inproperly sealed in its frame. The window had blown out intact until it struck the office chair at the computer desk and the shattered glass fell in the office and out into the great room where some of it was imbedded in the sofa. everything in the office was soaked and everything wet had tufts of pink insullation stuck on it. Across the street was a two story home, and the wind had ripped off the soffit covers from one side of the eaves and sucked insullation out of its attic.

It was a good thing our Son wasn't sitting in the office chair when the wind came thru.

Insurance covered replacement of the window, blinds and ruined computer. everything else was dried out and saved.

Russ