Irene Gives Oyster Harbor a Break

Irene has come and gone, and in her wake she did not leave much damage as far as our community boats were concerned.  Fortunately many residents chose to take their boats out of the water, which was a great idea.  My boat in Fishing Creek recorded the highest gust at 62kts, at about 2am.

Of course many trees did not fare so well and power has been out for a few days.  We know of a couple homes that were damaged by falling trees.

In Fishing Creek, two boats that were not part of Oyster Harbor did sustain damage.  A Hunter 36 broke off its mooring.  The line they had on the mooring chaffed through and the boat broke free.  Fortunately the boat had an anchor out as a backup and that kept it from getting blown south, out of the creek and into the Bay.

The other boat was in a slip in Fishing Creek Farms.  The owner decided not to take down the roller furling Genoa.  It came unfurled during the storm and was shredded in the wind.  It also pulled the boat against the pilings and bulkhead and did some damage to the hull.

Stories from other Annapolis marinas were similar. many who did not prepare their boats well had some damage from sails coming undone, canvas blowing off, line chaffing through and water leaking into boats.

As we did not have any storm surge, we did not have that issue to worry about - this time.

Steve Burkholder decided to go for a sail in the early part of the storm.  Here is a video of his fun.

Here's hoping Hurricane Katia does get a hankering for Maryland Crabs.

A special thanks to everyone who helped out with boats, piers and all the Oyster Harbor public areas.  We really appreciate all your time on a hundred little tasks including taking in the flags, turning off dock power and helping neighbors with their boats.

Safe boating,
Eric

Hurricane Irene Preparation

OHCA is asking all slipholders to make plans to safe-guard their vessels from Hurricane Irene.

We are keeping a close eye on Hurricane Irene. Some part of the storm is expected to have an effect in our area. Some models suggest the storm will be coming near, but not into the bay.

This means that some amount of wind, rain and storm surge will have an affect on OHCA piers.  The magnitude of the effect can vary greatly.

Storm Surge Effects

While most OHCA piers are shielded from high winds, the rising water from the wind and low pressure can cause a Storm Surge that can not be blocked. Storm surges can raise boats in slips beyond the limit of their lines and the height of the pilings which can pull the boat under water or cause severe damage. 


Here is a quick guide to storm surge effects:

• Less than 2 feet - normal tide range
• 3-4 feet - Fishing creek pier may be covered with water and the boat ramp parking lot may be flooded.
• 4-6 feet - Booker pier may be under water, and Booker parking lot may be flooded. Fishing Creek pier will be well under water with only pilings showing.  Many boats at all piers will have significant strain on their lines and risk being pulled under water.  A risk of electrical shock from pier and other power services will exist.
• 6-8 feet - All OHCA piers and parking lots will be under water.  Access to boat slips will be by row boat. Washington Ave and Shore Ave will be flooded.  Boats on the dinghy racks will be at risk. Many boat's dock lines will be at their limit.  Fishing Creek boats may bang the top of the pilings and be damaged.
• 8+ feet - Most streets heading to the water will be flooded.  The emergency fire pumping stations will  be under water. Most boat dock lines will be beyond their maximum stretch and will either part or pull the boats under water.

Below is a link to the tidal surge for our area:

Tides online

The best way to prepare for Hurricane Irene is to pull your boat out of the water with a trailer or at a local marina.  


If you plan on leaving your boat in the water, below is some advice for hurricane preparedness.

What you will need:

• extra lines for dock lines and securing canvas and sails
• chafe protectors
• fenders
• duct tape
• flash light with spare batteries

What you should plan on doing:

• securing or removing biminis, dodgers, life rings, etc
• double line your dock lines
• add additional chafe protection
• use extra fenders
• verify batteries are fully charged
• leave automatic bilge pump on
• disconnect shore power
• close fuel valves
• close all through-hull fittings
• verify cockpit drains are clear
• duct tape any non-watertight hatches
• remove boat papers
• lock boat
• secure your dinghy on the dinghy rack
• assist your neighbors if necessary
• ensure the harbor master has your most current contact information - including cell phone
• do not park cars in any of the parking lots near the piers during the storm
• check with your insurance company to see if they will pay for haulout and storage fees during a named storm
• verify your insurance information.  All boats in OCHA rented slips are required to carry liability insurance.
• Electric power will probably be turned off to all docks during the storm.
• Don't put yourself at risk during the storm.  

If you have a boat in a dinghy rack, make sure its secured with line.  Don't assume because it higher up that it is safe from wind or water.


Here are some links from BoatUS:
Hurricane Prep Guide
Hurricane Prep Guide 2
(Thanks to Michael Paroby for sending these)

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me, Eric Epstein at 410-575-4001 (eric @ epstein.bz).

Aftermath of Category 3 Hurricane

Other sites to watch for status:  

• National Hurricane Center 
• Another National Hurricane Center site  
• Disaster Supply Kit 
• Take Action 
• NOAA Storm Surge GIS Data 
• US Coast Guard Storm Info 

Prepare early and be safe.  

Lets hope Irene moves to the east and misses the Chesapeake Bay.

OHCA Slip Measurements

 There have been many questions about what boats can fit in our OHCA slips.  So we took on the task of measuring each slip for depth, length and width.  We also worked to determine the maximum length and width for each slip; based on slip size, adjacent slips that might be blocked, and intrusion on neighboring piers.

Beginning with the next lease renewals in the spring of 2012 OHCA will begin enforcing length limits on slips so that everyone may enjoy their slips without incursion on others.

All depths are at mean low water (normal low tide) at the back of the slips.  Slip depth does not guarantee that the area outside the slip is as deep.

Here is a quick summary:

  - Boat lengths supported by OHCA Slips can handle, depending on beam and draft:

• 9 boat slips up to 30-31 feet
• 6 boat slips up to 27 or 28 feet
• 2 boats slips up to 25 feet
• 1 boat slip up to 21 feet
• 3 boats slips up to 19 feet
• 2 boats slips up to 18 feet
• 8 boats slips up to 17 feet
• 4 boats slips up to 16 feet

   - Slip depths*

• No slips in OHCA are deeper than 4.5 feet at mean low water
• The average depth is 3.5 feet
• The slips are slightly deeper at Booker and the Boat ramp, than at the Fishing Creek pier.

* The entrance channel to Oyster Creek is 4 feet in most of the channel but there are some spots that are 3.5 feet.

Feel free to contact me (Eric Epstein) or the OHCA manager with any questions.

PIER 1 - Booker

PIER 1 - Booker

PIER 2 - Boat Ramp

PIER 2 - Boat Ramp

PIER 3 - Fishing Creek

PIER 3 - Fishing Creek