Storm Roundup: Chafed Lines Sprang Boats from Moorings

About 18 boatsfrom moorings in Swampscott during the weekend's storm, largely a product of frayed pendants, said local mooring man Harris Tibbetts.

Many of those boats were large sailboats, a majority of which appeared to receive minor damage; a few boats, including at least one sailboat, were destroyed.

Susan Booras of Swampscott said that her family's boat, Moira, a 25-foot sailboat, received minor damage.

After its cleat tore loose on Sunday, the 25-footer, landed on . Family and friends anchored the vessel, and other vessels.

Then, later, when the tide rolled in, they returned Moira to its Fisherman's Beach mooring.

Steve Banks' 30-foot sailboat Hillarity — the name came with the vessel — received but slight damage along the railing area. It washed up on Sunday, he said.

On Monday, Banks, of Swampscott, got help from a piece of heavy equipment. The operator moved the Hillarity close to the water line and incoming tide.

The skipper planned to sail his boat back to its mooring before high tide.

Banks pointed to a pile of frayed nylon rope on the boat's deck. It was what remained of a pendant.

Pendants are loop-ended ropes that run from cleats to mooring buoys.

The rope typically runs over the deck or through a slot. The back-and-forth rubbing, even with a chalk line, can fray the pendants, mooring man Harris Tibbetts said.

The best way to help prevent that is with chafing gear, he said.

The gear can include a piece of leather or other material set between a pendant and a hard surface.

The leather reduces friction as the mooring line moves back-and-forth in a storm, he said.

Not everyone escaped with minimal damage on Sunday.

On Monday, a recovery crew loaded what remained of two at Fisherman's Beach.

The crane crew used straps, cables and an enormous crane to lift boat parts and a sailboat to a trailer on Humphrey Street.

Another sailboat, the Swampy Lady, sustained a hole after it broke free from its mooring on Sunday.

The Lady came to rest near rocks on King's Beach and was later moved by an SUV and a couple dozen hands. They towed the boat with a rope and anchored the craft in a better spot.

A day later on Monday, Harris Tibbetts towed the Swampy back to its Fisherman's home.

The boat belongs to the Begin family of Swampscott.

Rob Begin tied the vessel to the side of the pier on Monday and, later, will pull it from the water and park it in his driveway for repairs, he said.

All together, about 200 boats use the harbor area off Fisherman's Beach to moor their vessels, Tibbetts said.

Many of the owners got their boats out of the water or moved them to safe harbors, coves or other locations on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Bad things happen when the wind blows into Swampscott Harbor from the south, Tibbetts said.

A good rule of thumb before a storm is to see whether the Swampscott lobstermen move their boats, Tibbetts said.

"Watch the commercial fishermen," he said.

All of them moved their boats before the recent storm, and it looked like all were back on their moorings on Monday, Tibbetts said.

Several sailboats owners including Susan Booras said they will move their boats next time a storm approaches.

They also plan to enjoy the rest of the sailing season.