Bummer - Rhapsody had a bad Thursday night at the slip in Block Island. We were tied up with bow out to port & stbd pilings, stern in to a floating dock. A Noreaster passed through with winds 35 gusting to 50. Lots of carnage in Old Salt Pond. A few boats ended up on the beach. Lots of damage at the dock. Just after midnight early Friday morning, I was awakened by banging in the port bow. I had feared the stbd bow dockline had parted. When I poked my head out the dockline was still attached but the piling had broken off!

Lots of activity with a friend staying on the boat with me to fend off the power boat to my port side. Everyone around pitched in and it took about 45 minutes with lots of people pulling to rig additional lines and get Rhapsody stable. My newly gelocoated transom has an 18" gash on the intersection with the port side. The training edge of the rudder is opened to the core for about 18 inches. The port side of the bow pulpit is bent, and my port running light with the teak block is gone.

I put pictures on the photo forum Photo Forum Rhapsody Damage Link. You'll see why I asked the duct tape question.

I meet the insurance adjuster at the dock when I return to Newport in two days. It could be a while before Rhapsody is back on the water again. I'll see what the adjuster says, but I told him my rudder was one design compliant before the accident and would like it made the same way (new rudder?).

Happy to be on vacation, but not happy to be fixing Rhapsody

Sorry dude. I know how much work you put into her this past year. Get the repairs done before NAs!

I told you I didn't like Block. And now I have one more strike against floating docks ... when they start to move they seem to oscillate at a different rate than the boats. During Wilma you could see the floating dock snapping against the dock lines and the lines just blowing apart ... but if a boat and the dock were in sync ... say on one side of the main floating dock and out of sync on the other ...that could be a heavy shock on the pilings. I ended up with my boat and a finger pier still nicely tied on .. but the finger pier completely broken off the main dock ... and the only thing left was the one bow line I had attached to the main dock cleat. no damage to the boat ... duh.

I think if you can find a roll of the PVC tape used for shrink wrap it will be better than standard duct tape ... afterall it generally lasts all winter.

Also there is a heavy duty duct tape that also is available. problem with both is that the surface has to be dry.

Hope you get fair wind to spin back home. Has been foggy in NPT most of this weekend and at least 10 degrees colder than inland.

v

the construction tape is tucktape (transparent red plastic)
very sticky
used to seal vapour barriers, ducts, etc

Taras

Bill, that blows so bad. I'm sorry brother. I know how much time you put into her. That would've made me throw up.

Thanks Rob.

I just got back from the boat. The broken piling also banged into the bottom of the keel and chipped the fairing there. The stbd side is a bigger deal than I thought. I'll get pictures tomorrow. The work is being done by a guy who used to build J/30s at TPI. He's got the transom all faired, ready to sand and gelcoat. The rudder has been temporarily patched until my new one arrives in early Sept. I should be back in the water by Weds in time to race next weekend. The new bow pulpit is due on Weds too.

I took a few photos on the repair work in process. The stbd bow area was worse than originally thought. The piling banging up against the hull cracked a fairly large area that has been cut out, recored and reglassed.


Here's a shot with the transom edge faired and ready for sanding. It also shows the temporary patch on the rudder so I can use it until the new rudder arrives in early Sept.


I put a few more photos in the Photo Gallery

I also created a document that will allow IdaSailor to fabricate it so I can use the existing rudder mounting hardware. They will drill, epoxy fill and insert ss sleeves in the lower gudgeon holes and the tiller hole. The upper gudgeon holes will be epoxy filled and I will drill with the rudder on the boat to match precisely. Please look at the attached file and let me know if there would be any problem interpreting what I've written.

The new bow pulpit is due on Tuesday. The gelcoat work should be done and the boat launched Weds. It looks like we'll be able to make the Topgun Regatta next weekend!

I don't think you can get any more specific than that.

Has you insurance company been cooperative?

That dimensioned template will be awesome, as it is looking like I will most likely have to order a new tiller, and idasailor appears to be my best source so far. I will check against my current scrapped rudder to verify dims. How much did idasailor charge on top of the list price to do the drilling and stainless sleeving for the openings?