Story by TMC Editor / May 11, 2017
1. When preparing a vessel for the approach of a tropical wave, depression, tropical storm or hurricane, be sure to close all seacocks, except the cockpit scupper seacocks. Leave the cockpit scuppers open to allow rain water and sea spray to drain out of the cockpit.
During one tropical storm, a large sailboat was blown onto soft sand in shoal water and would have suffered minimal damage. However, since the galley and head sink seacocks were left open, seawater flooded the vessel while the yacht was careened on its side. The interior was partially filled with seawater, causing damage to the engine, refrigeration, electrical systems and cabinetry. It was an unnecessary loss.
2. If you have the time when preparing for the arrival of a hurricane or tropical storm, consider removing your vessel’s lifelines and the vertical pieces of your two piece stanchions (base & vertical) from their bases along the gunwale of your sailboat.
If you are ashore in a safe haven, you will not need the lifelines and stanchions to hold on to during the storm. If they are removed that will keep them undamaged and they cannot engage stanchions or lifelines on a neighboring boat and cause unneeded damage.
3. If you are securing your sailboat alongside other sailboats in a rafting or marina setting, stagger the adjacent sailboats so that the mast, spreaders and standing rigging of your boat will not engage the neighboring boats.
During a storm, the wind and waves will hit each boat at a different time and each boat will respond and roll differently. If your masts are adjacent to one another there is a strong chance that they will catch on one another, causing unneeded damage. Move your boat fore or aft to keep the spars and rigging apart.
4. Boat/US has done research showing that polyester (Dacron) dock lines resist chafe much better than nylon. In fact, they have conducted experiments that showed that nylon anchor or dock lines would melt when mounted within rubber hose or tubing chafe gear! Apparently, the friction between the strands of the stretchy nylon line created so much that that the nylon line was able to part.
The recommendation from Boat/US is to use polyester lines at chafe points. Make a short polyester pennant that passes over the bow chock or by the bobstay to use between the bow anchor and the stretching behavior. Use the polyester line at the chafe points.
My wife and I worked with Andrew Hodgdon to sell our 2021 FP Elba 45. In addition to skillfully carrying out the traditional yacht broker responsibilities, Andrew went above-and-beyond to ensure that we were well-positioned to sell in a competitive market. For example, Andrew helped out with much-appreciated repairs and hurricane prep, among other things. Trustworthy, intelligent, and conscientious, Andrew’s communications with us and the buyer were always thoughtful and forward-thinking, and fairly represented our interests.
We really lucked out in connecting with The Multihull Company. We made a cold call to Cynthia Wummer, a Multihull Company broker and told her we wanted to buy a catamaran to cruise The Great Loop and experience the Bahamas. We particularly wanted a PDQ power catamaran. From our first contact she was so helpful and responsive. She immediately contacted a selling broker who represented a prospective seller. Because we are new to a bigger boat and boating on the ICW, Cynthia assisted us through the entire process. She is a captain which was an added bonus to the process; she knew all the right questions to ask the selling broker as well as the surveyor. She drove 3 hours to be present during the survey, she developed a good relationship with the selling broker, she called and checked in with us regularly, was very enthusiastic about our purchase, and answered all our questions. We could not have done it without her. The Multlihull Company support team, Andrew Holland and Courtney Greider, were so helpful in the closing process: the paperwork was easy to complete and communication was smooth and timely. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend The Multihull Company and Cynthia to anyone who is the market for a boat large or small. Thank you!!!!
Multihull Company has succeeded again. This is my second time using their services and they are extremely professional and honest. Working with their brokers and their administrative team was easy. Communication occurred at every level and constructive advise was always given. They know this business inside and out and acted as my fiduciary in every way. I will use them again for their service and knowledge.
Great to deal with and very patient in our questions. They were able to find us the perfect vessel for our needs.
Successful relationships cannot exist without it. At The Multihull Company we base every relationship on a firm commitment to earning and retaining our client’s trust.
Advice of any kind is valuable only when grounded in hard-won expertise. It too, must be trustworthy. Trust and expertise define the heart and soul of The Multihull Company. We are a team of skilled professionals who thrive on providing expert, trustworthy advice and service to catamaran and trimaran sailors around the globe.
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