J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment How much Duct Tape is legal???

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