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theselkie said..
Youi wouldn't.
No-one else will without an out of water survey.

Just for reference, on a recent purchase, Most Insurance companies wanted a out of water survey. but as the boat had been recently anti-fouled, I did not want to do that immediately. Apia would cover, but they where far from cheap...but pay by the month, so when I am ready I can change.

i was thinking of you dexport. i really hope your boats ok.
what would you do if you could and you were on a mooring?
Weve known at least since saturday of the pending cyclone.
Would taking your boat south to say bundy be better if you were able on saturday?

Wow, seems like Debbie the Destructor was a real bitch huh? I still haven't heard anything about my boat but I'm not going to hassle anyone up there, they will have more important things on their minds right now.
When I left the boat in September I took all the precautions I could, took all sails off, just bare poles. Took off bimini, all solar panels apart from a small one to keep the batteries full. Basically did everything I could to reduce windage. I made up new oversize mooring lines, double fore and aft plus new U-bolts on the piles.
I saw this forming over a week ago and got a local guy to go out and check all lines and open the padlock on the main hatch so that if needed the marina staff could get inside to start the engine etc. I dint think there was much more I could have done and that made me feel a little better about the situation. Glad to have gotten confirmation of my new insurance 2 weeks ago too:)
Still, fingers crossed that she'll be ok and I hope not too many others have lost their boats.

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Dexport said..
Wow, seems like Debbie the Destructor was a real bitch huh? I still haven't heard anything about my boat but I'm not going to hassle anyone up there, they will have more important things on their minds right now.
When I left the boat in September I took all the precautions I could, took all sails off, just bare poles. Took off bimini, all solar panels apart from a small one to keep the batteries full. Basically did everything I could to reduce windage. I made up new oversize mooring lines, double fore and aft plus new U-bolts on the piles.
I saw this forming over a week ago and got a local guy to go out and check all lines and open the padlock on the main hatch so that if needed the marina staff could get inside to start the engine etc. I dint think there was much more I could have done and that made me feel a little better about the situation. Glad to have gotten confirmation of my new insurance 2 weeks ago too:)
Still, fingers crossed that she'll be ok and I hope not too many others have lost their boats.

you did all you could and that all would have helped alot. heres hoping !

ps , just read in the paper that bowen didnt cop the eye of the storm. max winds recorded in bowen 150kph. max winds whitsundays 250kph. In the paper they reported damage to only a hotel roof in bowen, where as in airlie a number of boats ended up ashore and on rockwalls.

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PhoenixStar said..

Gdog6 said..
Nuts to stay in Shute Harbour. I'd be in Gulnare Inlet, or the very end of Nara Inlet. Much more secure.

Nope. There were boats lost in both anchorages. too may bullets and Nara a bit deep to get enough scope in a blow and Gulnare has very soft mud, Ok normally but not in a blow with the bullets down the length of the inlets. There is a bolt hole opposite the north end of Long Island for a couple of boats and a really good one if you have a cat in the mangroves north of Sawmill Bay.

Love this forum for all the different views, always something to learn from others.
I used to work on Hayman many many moons ago, and trips to Shute Harbour were a weekly thing, so have seen it in all weathers.
I know lots of people with boats there during this blow will not be locals, so unable to move the boat to a safer anchorage, I feel for them and hope they came through it OK.
But if I had a choice , it would not be here to wait out a serious blow. Have spent many days tucked up at the very end of Nara, past where most boats anchor. If you get in far enough the wind seems to go up the hills and you have a calm patch. ( Not saying this would happen in a cyclone !)
If I had plenty of warning, I would be up Gullnare at high tide and sound my way right up into the mangroves, even if I sat on the bottom at low tide.
Just my two cents worth.
Cheers.

I just viewed some footage on the news of Bowen harbour it appears most of the boats are all intact and floating.

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southace said..
I just viewed some footage on the news of Bowen harbour it appears most of the boats are all intact and floating.

Well hopefully that's good news for my brother's boat which is there on pile mooring.

Just awful... makes me feel sick.

Same here McNaughtical.
My friend's Duncanson has disappeared without a trace

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theselkie said..
Same here McNaughtical.
My friend's Duncanson has disappeared without a trace

Hope it is found way up in the mangroves - but doesn't look good. Such a bummer after all that trouble looking for insurance.

www.facebook.com/134080330098014/photos/pcb.716986665140708/716981611807880/?type=3

Ask your self would you leave your boat at anchor somewhere overnight while not being aboard? I have done it once in airle beach and worried all night. Ask your self would you leave your headsail in the furler when a cat 4 cyclone is of the coast. It is sad these boats are on the shore but i ask myself why people would leave there boats on anchor in these circumstances. Dexport has done everything he can to keep his boat floating I really hope he can give us some good news soon!

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PhoenixStar said..

theselkie said..
Same here McNaughtical.
My friend's Duncanson has disappeared without a trace

Hope it is found way up in the mangroves - but doesn't look good. Such a bummer after all that trouble looking for insurance.

www.facebook.com/134080330098014/photos/pcb.716986665140708/716981611807880/?type=3

Thanks Ian.

He's still hoping she will turn up but remaining philosophical.

It just might have been avoided if....but 'ifs' are 'ifs'.

Just really bad luck

That last photo above of the steel motor vessel - its the boat for sale on eBay a few months ago, (100k) I actually saw it on the Clarence river anchored near the pacific highway bridge, then saw it in the tweed river a few weeks later, not sure if she sold, but it needed a lot of work.

lovely style of vessel, hope they were insured, but from what I saw, i doubt it would have passed a survey!

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theselkie said..

PhoenixStar said..

theselkie said..
Same here McNaughtical.
My friend's Duncanson has disappeared without a trace

Hope it is found way up in the mangroves - but doesn't look good. Such a bummer after all that trouble looking for insurance.

www.facebook.com/134080330098014/photos/pcb.716986665140708/716981611807880/?type=3

Thanks Ian.

He's still hoping she will turn up but remaining philosophical.

It just might have been avoided if....but 'ifs' are 'ifs'.

Just really bad luck

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theselkie said..

PhoenixStar said..

theselkie said..
Same here McNaughtical.
My friend's Duncanson has disappeared without a trace

Hope it is found way up in the mangroves - but doesn't look good. Such a bummer after all that trouble looking for insurance.

www.facebook.com/134080330098014/photos/pcb.716986665140708/716981611807880/?type=3

Thanks Ian.

He's still hoping she will turn up but remaining philosophical.

It just might have been avoided if....but 'ifs' are 'ifs'.

Just really bad luck

Do you know where it was anchored? If it didn't sink it should still be around?

She was on a swing mooring just off the Sailing Club there at Airlie.

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theselkie said..
She was on a swing mooring just off the Sailing Club there at Airlie.

I'm sorry but if that's where she was left and she not on the beach or mud she could be sunk. In time someone should find her lying on her side in 3 meters of water!

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southace said..

theselkie said..
She was on a swing mooring just off the Sailing Club there at Airlie.

I'm sorry but if that's where she was left and she not on the beach or mud she could be sunk. In time someone should find her lying on her side in 3 meters of water!

At least there will be closure :/

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Jode5 said..
This photo was taken two hours ago. No wounded insurance companies do not want to insure boats moored here. I know another cat that did a quick run to Mackay marina and got in. Much safer than sitting at anchor in Shute Harbour. They have had plenty of warning.

Just read that 30 boats have been destroyed in Shute Harbour. That was my guess what I thought would happen when I did this original post. My heart goes out to all those that have lost their boats, even though most boats that were in marinas will be insured but most people have a great attachment to their boats. I know I would be devastated if I lost my boat. It is times like this that you are glad you have full comprehensive insurance.

Anyone know the story of the V60's Merit and Spirit? You'd have to be a complete goose to have left those mainsails on the booms, considering it's a charter business based there with staff? Insurance job anyone?

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FreeRadical said..
Anyone know the story of the V60's Merit and Spirit? You'd have to be a complete goose to have left those mainsails on the booms, considering it's a charter business based there with staff? Insurance job anyone?

Probably needed/wanted to replace their sails anyway...This way the insurance will pay for at least some of the cost?

Absolutely Nods .
There should be a marina rule if there sails are left on the marina will remove them and send the bill to the owners as all it does is make it unsafe for every body else in a Cyclone and raises every body insurance costs because of the damage

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HG02 said..
Absolutely Nods .
There should be a marina rule if there sails are left on the marina will remove them and send the bill to the owners as all it does is make it unsafe for every body else in a Cyclone and raises every body insurance costs because of the damage

The problem with that is that the marina staff are usually flat out just tidying up the marina and insuring its safe, and a few people would take advantage of it to let someone else do all the hard work of battening down their boat for them and just paying for it afterwards, instead of taking care of their own boat for themselves.

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HG02 said..
Absolutely Nods .
There should be a marina rule if there sails are left on the marina will remove them and send the bill to the owners as all it does is make it unsafe for every body else in a Cyclone and raises every body insurance costs because of the damage

G'day guys.
In hindsight they should have removed sails but you've got to remember,
1. the cyclone was tracking further north originally with reduced notice for whitsundays
2. The media are increasingly over dramatising cyclone risk
3. 99.9% of the time it's calm in nth qld.
4. Lots of boat owners do not live in airlie or even qld.

We have relocated back to tas after 6 years living and sailing in whitsundays. We encountered over 30 kts once or twice. It leads to complacency - us included.
If cyclonic winds went through hobart i'd suggest there would be less damage because it gets 50+kts 5 times/yr and people/infrastructure are prepared for it.

Hobart only gets 50 knots fiver times a year, really!
I should move there.

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MatStirl said..

HG02 said..
Absolutely Nods .
There should be a marina rule if there sails are left on the marina will remove them and send the bill to the owners as all it does is make it unsafe for every body else in a Cyclone and raises every body insurance costs because of the damage

G'day guys.
In hindsight they should have removed sails but you've got to remember,
1. the cyclone was tracking further north originally with reduced notice for whitsundays
2. The media are increasingly over dramatising cyclone risk
3. 99.9% of the time it's calm in nth qld.
4. Lots of boat owners do not live in airlie or even qld.

We have relocated back to tas after 6 years living and sailing in whitsundays. We encountered over 30 kts once or twice. It leads to complacency - us included.
If cyclonic winds went through hobart i'd suggest there would be less damage because it gets 50+kts 5 times/yr and people/infrastructure are prepared for it.

Good one MatStirl.

People unfortunately need to be reminded of this stuff. None of us know anyones story thus are unfit to comment on reasons why, who, what, where for are the reasons that boats ended up on rocks etc. Its just one of those things.

Hi Matt

Welcome back to Tassie

Regards Don

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MatStirl said..

HG02 said..
Absolutely Nods .
There should be a marina rule if there sails are left on the marina will remove them and send the bill to the owners as all it does is make it unsafe for every body else in a Cyclone and raises every body insurance costs because of the damage

G'day guys.
In hindsight they should have removed sails but you've got to remember,
1. the cyclone was tracking further north originally with reduced notice for whitsundays
2. The media are increasingly over dramatising cyclone risk
3. 99.9% of the time it's calm in nth qld.
4. Lots of boat owners do not live in airlie or even qld.

We have relocated back to tas after 6 years living and sailing in whitsundays. We encountered over 30 kts once or twice. It leads to complacency - us included.
If cyclonic winds went through hobart i'd suggest there would be less damage because it gets 50+kts 5 times/yr and people/infrastructure are prepared for it.

It takes only an hour or so to remove sails so even if the cyclone was tracking further north why would you take the risk. Laziness?
Also If I leave my boat for any length of time I'd take the sails off anyway, there is no good reason to not do that. Just for my own peace of mind I would do whatever is practical to make things as secure as possible.
I am very sad for some friends in Airlie who lost theirs boats, a few of which have been living for over 20 years aboard.
In my case I am relieved having just got off the phone with a friend in Bowen. He was just out on my boat and there is zero damage and also no water inside. One of the bow ropes parted during the worst part of the storm but some one at the port authority replaced it during a lull in the wind, possibly saving my boat! I'll buy that man a beer on my return thats for sure.

Its not over yet...at Rockhampton the Fitzroy River is heading for a major flood. Several boats have already sunk according to my source. Big problem is the huge weed mats coming down the river which just roll the yachts to the bottom.

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Dexport said..
.............. He was just out on my boat and there is zero damage and also no water inside. One of the bow ropes parted during the worst part of the storm but some one at the port authority replaced it during a lull in the wind, possibly saving my boat! I'll buy that man a beer on my return thats for sure.

Excellent news :)