Lake Champlain Yacht Club

From: Bob Finn, Harbormaster
August 6, 2020

Just prior to Tropical Storm Isiais, which tracked up Lake Champlain, I cruised our harbor observing each boat for risks of damage or mooring failure from sustained extreme wave action and/or high wind. Most were well prepared but a few might take additional precautions.
Taking out random factors such as mooring location, wind direction, hull windage, and weight, this intends to identify measures boat owners can take to mitigate or eliminate risk. Also, as we have replaced 60% of the moorings with new ½” hardware, possibility of mooring failure is greatly reduced.

Factors that are within control of boat owners include:
1. Reduce windage by securing, covering, or, ideally removing, sails, dodger, bimini, awning, wheel covers.
2. Remove anchors from bow where flukes could saw through mooring pennants. A couple of boats have anchors secured to pulpit in ways that prevent contact with pennants, but most anchors on bows remain high risk factors.
3. Make sure pennant lines run fair to two strong points - one can be primary, taking the load, while the other secondary/safety. On sailboats, the mast is the strongest point, but a pennant line to it must be led fair through a bow chock.
4. Cover pennant lines with anti-chafe gear (tape does not qualify) at all possible points of contact (bobstay, anchor roller bracket, toe rail, pulpit, headstay chainplate)
5. Envision what mooring lines will do when bow buries in waves and prepare for the worst
6. If boat has a bow eye, secure a pennant with a clip to it, as the primary holding point. Most powerboats have one bow eye low on the stem. This enables boat to ride over waves rather than be pulled under by pennants secured to foredeck
7. If owners are going to be away, such as to another state, they should leave the boat in shape to ride out a tropical storm or hurricane. It may not be convenient, but it’s better than returning to a boat to find expensive canvas shredded or get a call that their boat has broken loose.

Since July 1, LCYC, like all the rest of the state, has been required to separate compostable waste (food waste) from other trash. There is a separate marked container for compostable waste outside the area where the dumpsters are located. Please when coming off your boat, separate compostable waste from all other trash and place in this container. Do not put compostable waste in the dumpster or the recycle bins. Thank you for your cooperation.

Section 10.2 has been updated to reflect that the RC "may" display a placard designating the windward mark. Most likely to be displayed when a drop mark is used or when the windward mark isn't totally obvious.