11 April, 2019 - M/V So...fea - TREE HO !
We just concluded two earlier Deck Log entries about birds that we see in the water around So...fea, over last weekend, we saw something a little different in the water . . . a forest!
We have had a 5 day all-day/all-night rain fest here (still going on today), the excitement over the weekend was a flood warning and lots of debris in the river. My camera and SmartPhone camera were not up to the task, but, I do have a very "few" photos to offer.
There is no planning for this Marine debris, you have to improvise “as” it happens when it happens . . . but,
As you wait, and get hallucinations from fatigue you chuckle about all those dry-land brick and mortar house
These three-day trials are part of “not” owning a home, of “not” just “existing” and ignoring Mother Nature,
SATURDAY 6April; Last nights all night wind storm gets the blame.... there is a flood warning up, and I assume a bank caved in up-river somewhere, we are seeing a "lot of debris today! the rain has not stopped since yesterday afternoon..50 degrees round the clock though.
0900 loud hull squeaking sent me back out to free up another full load of side-debris, logs and small pinched
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
The riverside edge of D, C and B dock ends is aligned to come inside of A dock (and head-on to the bow of So...fea).
I apologize, out of 50 some odd photos taken only these could be salvaged.

click to enlarge
Finally taking a break, here is a recap. Having lived/worked on other river and delta outlets to the sea, we
learned that every so often Mother Nature simply flushes the toilet . . . Typhoon, Hurricane, Cyclone, Tsunami,
Gigantic snow melts and simple floods.
These are the times when you take down all of the wind bells and chimes, clear the decks of loose gear, break
out those fat storm fenders and mount fenders on both sides, double up on the dock lines, then stay up all night
to ward off Marine debris coming down river.
The wind and rains are the easy part, you learn the preparations of securing the boat, bringing aboard stores,learned that every so often Mother Nature simply flushes the toilet . . . Typhoon, Hurricane, Cyclone, Tsunami,
Gigantic snow melts and simple floods.
These are the times when you take down all of the wind bells and chimes, clear the decks of loose gear, break
out those fat storm fenders and mount fenders on both sides, double up on the dock lines, then stay up all night
to ward off Marine debris coming down river.
moving your vehicle out of harm's way (hopefully), and which weather channel you can trust (it always ends
with your gut feel being more accurate), you can be in full control here EXCEPT for what comes at you down
river . . . loose derelict boats (and even ships and barges), houses, boat sheds, icebergs, aircraft, grass, reeds and twigs,
dead trees and logs, 55-gallon drums and broken dock sections, automobiles, alive or even dead pets and animals,
fish (and sometimes humans).
with your gut feel being more accurate), you can be in full control here EXCEPT for what comes at you down
river . . . loose derelict boats (and even ships and barges), houses, boat sheds, icebergs, aircraft, grass, reeds and twigs,
dead trees and logs, 55-gallon drums and broken dock sections, automobiles, alive or even dead pets and animals,
fish (and sometimes humans).
There is no planning for this Marine debris, you have to improvise “as” it happens when it happens . . . but,
there is no “deal with it in the morning” allowed, that's why you stay dressed, awake, sober and vigilant . . .
the need to move locations or go to sea is always a possibility, so, you are sure to be fueled, watered up,
generator-ready and have a “Plan B” . . . now the wait (sometimes "nothing" happens.)
the need to move locations or go to sea is always a possibility, so, you are sure to be fueled, watered up,
generator-ready and have a “Plan B” . . . now the wait (sometimes "nothing" happens.)
As you wait, and get hallucinations from fatigue you chuckle about all those dry-land brick and mortar house
dwellers who are right now “so panicked”, but you worry about their many unattended-forgotten-hobby boats
sharing these waters, are they tied down? You now question your wanting “not” to be nested safely in the inner
harbor with the non-view, side-by-side “little boxes” storage boats . . . surely this being a single tie, maxi-view,
outside channel location was a smart move (where the full river/tidal flow passes) right?.
sharing these waters, are they tied down? You now question your wanting “not” to be nested safely in the inner
harbor with the non-view, side-by-side “little boxes” storage boats . . . surely this being a single tie, maxi-view,
outside channel location was a smart move (where the full river/tidal flow passes) right?.
These three-day trials are part of “not” owning a home, of “not” just “existing” and ignoring Mother Nature,
and of staying in touch with your world (misguided as boat life is), but, most importantly, it is a part of
experiencing something the landlubbers never will.
experiencing something the landlubbers never will.
——————————————————————-
Sunday: 0530 turned on the dock water and checked lines (after a windy rolly-polly night), had small marine
debris packed tight between the dock and hull, spent 1/2 hour clearing it out (until daylight), then observed all
of the intense debris coming down mid-river on the outgoing.
debris packed tight between the dock and hull, spent 1/2 hour clearing it out (until daylight), then observed all
of the intense debris coming down mid-river on the outgoing.
0900 loud hull squeaking sent me back out to free up another full load of side-debris, logs and small pinched
branches between us and the dock, meanwhile over on "C" dock, an entire 70-foot tree came down-river to rest awhile atop the dock, it took chain saws to extricate it from Dave Huntington's boat . . . I had a dead battery-camera so had to use the cell phone for these delayed poor quality photos, the Port removed it and set it free mid-river.
click to enlarge
1200-1600 spent most of the day deflecting river debris and keeping the hull-dockside clear of logs
(hull crushers), flood warnings issued and the river is unbelievably full of trees and debris.
(hull crushers), flood warnings issued and the river is unbelievably full of trees and debris.
1930 spent 45 minutes removing more pinched debris between hull-side and dock, installed our oversized storm
fenders to allow an additional 8 inches of wash space for flow, which seemed to really help.
fenders to allow an additional 8 inches of wash space for flow, which seemed to really help.
click to enlarge
MONDAY
0130 got bow rammed hard with a 20 inch crooked 40 foot log complete with limbs and branches that wedged
between So...fea and the dock, rolling and making quite the racket, took 45 minutes pull it back against the tidal
flow and get it around the dock-end to the river (had to snag another monster log going by with the grappling
hook, tie a line on, and reverse pull the thing out as the log was released to head downstream again) lost a
40 foot line, but got it gone!
between So...fea and the dock, rolling and making quite the racket, took 45 minutes pull it back against the tidal
flow and get it around the dock-end to the river (had to snag another monster log going by with the grappling
hook, tie a line on, and reverse pull the thing out as the log was released to head downstream again) lost a
40 foot line, but got it gone!
0430 Huge noise that lifted the bow upward 6 inches?!, and then began playing the keel like a violin...(with a
drum accompaniment), the dock end had a moss covered 4 1/2 foot diameter 10 foot wide tree base across
it being held by the tidal flow....eventually I saw a 5 foot tree limb 8 feet aft on the port bow-side that was
exiting at a 20 degree angle out of the water, probing around on the Starboard side I could not feel the other end,
the grinding was aggressive and non- stop. Unable to sleep with the noise level and being concerned about hull
damage, I persisted in trying to loosen the keel rub without luck.
drum accompaniment), the dock end had a moss covered 4 1/2 foot diameter 10 foot wide tree base across
it being held by the tidal flow....eventually I saw a 5 foot tree limb 8 feet aft on the port bow-side that was
exiting at a 20 degree angle out of the water, probing around on the Starboard side I could not feel the other end,
the grinding was aggressive and non- stop. Unable to sleep with the noise level and being concerned about hull
damage, I persisted in trying to loosen the keel rub without luck.
The riverside edge of D, C and B dock ends is aligned to come inside of A dock (and head-on to the bow of So...fea).
click to enlarge