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 As with make-up, there comes a time when 'moor' is less
 | | Boats are packed like sardines in many mooring areas - what if one breaks free? Mark Rothfield |
It's been wet and wild all week It was raining cats and blowing dogs off chains, to mix two very odd metaphors.
Marine Rescue NSW's Ken McManus, good fella that he is, has warned of continuing dangerous conditions along the NSW coast, urged boat owners to stay put, and reminded owners of moored boats to keep a watch on them.
At a nearby stadium, the Wallabies battled Scotland. Among the crowd, kilts are blowing skyward like Marilyn Monroe's skirt and St Bernards are delivering wee drams to ward off hypothermia. The Scots won sending the Australians crashing like waves on the beach.
The ships off Newcastle upped anchor and fled seawards, spurred by the spectre of the Pasha Bulker which ran aground in just such a storm.
Thar the East Coast 'low' blows ... and it was wonderful indeed to be indoors.
I'm reminded of my honeymoon in the Whitsundays, circa 1990, which coincided with the arrival of tropical cyclone Ivor and average windspeeds of 125 km/h. There was one night in particular that was sleepless and rocky for all the wrong reasons.
I was terrified that we'd drag anchor during the night, so I was forever on deck checking our bearings. At dawn we decided to head for Hamilton Island Marina - crazy in hindsight, for the Passage was a sea of foam, but we made it. And we didn't budge again.
Upon returning home, a southerly struck. My new wife woke to see me trying to climb out the bedroom window, half asleep but hell-bent on getting on deck to check that our apartment wasn't adrift. That's how much it affects you.
They've been many more sleepless nights since, fretting for boats kept on exposed moorings, dreading the phone call from the maritime authorities. But not now – my current boat is on a trailer under the carport, snug as a bug.
 | | Being safe and sound in a marina is worth every cent. Mark Rothfield |
If it wasn't, it would be in a marina. There comes a time in every boat owner's life when moor is less, and when a berth is better than death. Sell the dog, take a second job ... just do it.
Mark Rothfield
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