Mooring Lines

Blustery day in Baltimore Harbour

It's been very windy the last few days. We've been going to Baltimore every day to check the mooring lines and as a bonus I get a bit of exercise rowing out to the boat. It's not far, but with the wind and tide and boat traffic it can be a little adventure in itself. Passing the pier head is especially interesting with the currents, waves reflecting off the pier,  fishing boats, ferries, wind shifts, and blind corners. 

But every time I go out I find more chafe on the mooring lines. Even the clear plastic hose is starting to wear through. I bought some heavier mooring lines and some bigger tubing, but the fairleads won't allow me to go beyond 14 mm. 

I've doubled up the mooring lines, one on each side. I undo the starboard one and replace it with some of the 14 mm line. I measure the black tubing for length and start cutting. The knife slips and I cut my finger. Not serious, but it's bleeding quite a bit. I try to put some pressure on it but I'm still getting blood all over the place. I wrap the cut in some tissue and try to clean up a bit. Must keep some duct tape on board, and really must be more careful!

I cut a piece of the hose pipe, feed it over the line, and then discover that it won't fit through the fairlead. The combination of rope and pipe is just a bit too thick. I try to force it in but the pipe starts to tear. Crap, what now? I decide to leave the 14 mm line without hose on one side and the 12 mm with a bit of undamaged clear hose on the other side. 

The next job is slightly unpleasant, as I discovered yesterday that the portapotty had leaked! There are several centimetres of blue liquid sloshing around in the locker under the fore peak. I'm a bit puzzled by this, thinking that maybe the boat has been pitching so much on her mooring that the liquid came out over the top. That doesn't seem very likely, but this is my first portapotty so I'm not really sure what to expect. 

Thankfully the locker is water-tight and the blue liquid didn't end up in the bilge. I take out the portapotty and sponge out the liquid. Rinse twice with seawater, then with Dettol, then once with fresh water. 

I start cleaning the portapotty itself and notice that the waste spout seems to be completely open. That's odd. I dig out the instruction booklet and read it through, then study the parts diagram. Hmm, there is supposed to be a cap on that spout. Hey, the cap in the diagram looks kind of familiar... Wasn't there a mystery part like that in one of the drawers? The thing I didn't know what to do with or where it came from? I dig around and find it in the bottom drawer, still wrapped in plastic. So it turns out that even without the cap the liquid won't spill out until you go beyond a certain angle. With the recent strong winds and the boat bucking like a horse it seems to have gone beyond that critical angle! Another lesson learned. 

I put everything back in place, making sure the cap is screwed tightly on the discharge spout. The wind has died down and it's turned into a very pleasant evening. Eileen and Laura won't be here to pick me up for a few hours, so I do some more cleaning and a bit of tidying up. Eventually I give in and pour myself a brandy. I stretch out on a quarter berth and watch the world turn through the open companionway. This is the life! 

After a while I get a text from Eileen, they are at the pier. I lock up and start heading back in the dinghy. I hear the drone of an engine and I can see a steaming light moving slowly in the distance. I suddenly realise that it's pitch black and I don't have any light myself. Not wanting to get run over, I turn back and hang off Treo for a few minutes until I see the roro pass into the inner harbour. When it's all clear I head across to the pontoon. Tomorrow is supposed to be good and we're planning on sailing over to a beach on Heir Island. 

Logbook

Friday, 24/07/2015

R

Row out to get the water tank. Check mooring lines, all OK. 

Saturday, 25/07/2015

R 

Row out to check mooring lines, all OK. Notice that the portapotty leaked. Bring back the anchor rode to make an eye splice. 

Sunday, 26/07/2015

Looked from the pier with binos.

Monday 27/07/2015

20 gusting to 36 kts (max gust recorded on baltimorelifeboat.ie)

Looked from the pier with binos. 

Wednesday, 29/07/2015 

R

Flat calm, changed one mooring line (14mm, but hose too big for fairlead). Previous hose had a small hole and line was starting to chafe. Notice that jib sheets are also chafing against the stays. Clean up the portapotty overflow. Drunken midnight dinghy ride, avoid the roro. Regret not having slept aboard.