March 31, 2015: Mariners are advised that effective 1900 UTC March 31, 2015 all marine communications and traffic services provided from St. John’s will consolidate into Placentia.
Vessels previously calling St. John’s coast guard radio should now call Placentia coast guard radio. The MMSI for St. John’s coast guard radio will be discontinued. Vessels using VHF dsc should now use the Placentia MMSI number 00 316 0019. Any vessel operating in the St. John’s traffic zone will continue to report to St. John’s traffic on VHF channel 11, in accordance with the vessel traffic services zone regulations.
Dockside Power Poles
During the recent storm it was noted that several boats, on both wharves, had the lines attached to power poles adjacent to berths. This is a risky practice and must not take place...
SAFETY REMINDER... Re: “Proper Mooring Lines” for boats in the Marina
It was noted that on recently during a strong windstorm, that was actually
forecast... there were several boats in their slips only tied on with bow and stern
lines, there were no spring lines on these boats to stop surging fore and aft in the
slips, potential for damage to both boat and wharf. Also many lines were
woefully undersized for the vessels being secured.
We would like to remind members that when leaving boats for any time, however
short, the boat must be properly secured with bow lines, stern lines and most
importantly Bow and Stern Spring lines of adequate length and strength.
If your boat breaks it's moorings it could cause major damage to your
boat and others, be sure you are tied up properly and then check
again!!!
LINE CHOICES
Increasing the number of dock lines means decreasing the chances
that a boat will break loose. In the case of Hurricane Fran in 1996, a BoatU.S. catastrophe team that
visited the landfall site in North Carolina estimated that as many as 50 percent of the boats damaged
could have been saved by using more and better dock lines.
“...the best storm strategy regarding dock lines is to make sure you keep new lines on hand for
heavy-weather applications...”
STORM PREPARATION GUIDELINES
Preparing your boat for adverse to extreme weather and sea conditions will prevent injury and damage to boats and docks.
Be aware of forecast weather and sea conditions. Check the RNYC Weather Page regularly for local forecasts.
DO NOT STAY ON BOARD during a storm.
Wear a life jacket and go with a buddy when on the wharf to check mooring.
Secure your boat with adequate dock lines. Lines should be doubled up and of sufficient size. For
example, for a 30 foot boat, use at least 1/2" or 9/16”. A 40
foot boat, use 5/8” or 3/4" diameter lines.
Use nylon rope to allow 5% to 10% stretch and reduce shock loads on cleats.
Do not use polypropylene. This material is not able to handle chafe and UV. When it fails it
explodes and has much less strength for its diameter than nylon.
Use chafe protection wherever a rope passes through a
chock or over a rail. Leather is best, but heavy rags are also
good. Flexible hose can work but in extreme cases the hose
can melt from the heat of constant chafe.
Use lines long enough to accommodate higher tide or
storm surge. See attached diagram for the recommended
configuration.
Ensure that attachment points on the boat are up to the task.
Cleats should be of sufficient size and have proper backing
plates. When securing a rope to a cleat, use the correct knot as
shown.
When securing a line to the dock, use a clove hitch
finished off with a half hitch. If you are securing a line to the main wharf, run it through the deck boards
and around the longitudinal beams underneath. The toe rails
could be pulled away from the dock in a storm.
When tying off lines to cleats, make sure that the ropes can
be easily adjusted from the boat later if necessary. The cleat
hitch will allow for this. On other points a bowline is also a
useful knot.
Set fenders, but dock lines should be the first line of
defense and prevent contact in the first place. If necessary, add
additional fenders and secure them to a toe rail or stanchion
base on the boat if possible. Do not tie them to life lines.
Remove all canvas from the boat such as dodgers and biminis.
Drop the boom and lash mainsail covers. Better yet, remove the sail
completely.
Remove headsails or at least wrap a spare halyard around a furling
headsail to prevent it from unwrapping.
Remove or secure any extra deck gear such as BBQ's, radio
antennas, dinghies, dorades, side canvas, deck boxes.
Ensure all sea cocks are closed
Secure all hatches and portholes
Lash the rudder or wheel to prevent rudder damage
Ensure there is sufficient slack in power cords if they are left in
service. Do not tie them off to cleats or pilings.
Turn off any non critical DC loads such as refrigerators and lights.
Shore power could be lost during a storm and your batteries will
need to be up for the bilge pump.
The Smart Boater website is managed by the Canadian Safe Boating Council in partnership with National Search and Rescue Secretariat, boating organizations, associations and the marine industry. The site offers free high quality boat safety and cold water survival instruction videos.
Boating Safety
