I Pulled Up a Tree

[sabray]

Day 6 on the chesapeke. I had never Been up to havre de grace. The cruising guide suggested anchoring either in the mooring field or over by the railroad bridge. I chose the bridge. Their was no one to close. Now I know why. During the several thunderstorms we closed up shop and bunked below. The sound of the train on the rails from down below sound like the arrrival of a tempest. I was repeatedly convinced we were in for a full 60 knot blow. Up deck and there it Is the accella. Then the air raid sirens went off followed by an impressive and clear pa system emminting from the town. "take cover immiditaley the nws has identified a storm system that may kill you". It didn't tell me how so I started the motor and then hunkered down beneath my covers. Listening to the roar of the tempest outside or is it a train. We didn't die. This morning early up comes the anchor. Or not I'm astonished that I retrieve only 2 ft of rhode before it cinched taught. I ease forward with the line tight back over it again fwd more and success. Kinda I lift a tree clean off the bottom of the river. The chan is twisted around the trunk. Now I'm thinking it's good by bruce. I tie the tree off on the bow and let the rhode go. Then untagle a few wraps. The tree is hanging in line with the rhode. There is no way all that chain and Bruce are coming up next to the tree. The Bruce bit into the trunk and lifted the whole mess free. The claw of the Bruce is neatley hooked tightly into the trunk after a donzen splashes and few turns with choice words all is once again the way it should be.

[imagine2frolic]

Isn't this thing called sailing fun!.......i2f

[BubbleHeadMd]

There were tornado warnings in your area last night. Glad you're ok.

[motion30]

You are just below the dam. in a heavy rain they open the dam as not to flood the town of port deposit Always debri come screamin down the river

[sabray]

There was a very dramatic cell that went just south of us. I have to admit I have no plan for dealing with tornados. I thought for a second I should get my son to shore. The back up plan was grand mas quilt where we sought cover. Stay with the boat I think

[cchesley]

Last summer I spent 3-4 hours recovering a 'tree' on my anchor line. It was 30' long, 2' diameter and had the basic root system on one end! Windlass, halyard and 6" at a time barely did the job. The chain wrapped all the way around the trunk and the anchor hooked back into the chain! The good? Bad? thing was that it was wrapped perfectly on the center of bouyancy/gravity of the tree as it came up horizontally. It took 3 guys and some dinghy work to undo it all.

I was loathe to cut my Yale Brait cordage and also lose my (gasp) Rocna. But you kind of expect these kinds of things on the logging captial of the west coast--west coast of Vancouver island.

[FrankZ]

We snagged a tree on Bodkin creek a couple years ago. Anchor wasn't even muddy. I suspect I spent three nights attached to it.

We didn't have tornado or very heavy wind that week.. just 20 knots or so. Best holding anchor I have had... just need to figure out how to get it on a roller.

[Hudson Force]

I was anchored at the end of Pennington St. (I think that was the name) near the park where the Lantern Qeen used to dock in Hav're de Grace. My chain was tangled on something for a fairly long struggle.....'could have been a tree or Jimmy Hoffa's car?