ROCKING THE BOAT

PETER VALENTINO looks back at the north-easterly winds that hit Malta, the boat that caught fire in Kalkara and the lessons that should be learnt from these two disasters.

On February 24, The Times of Malta ran a story with the headline ‘Destruction across Malta as gale-force winds batter islands’. The report stated that record gusts of up to 101 km/h left trees uprooted, walls toppled and seafronts flooded.

What really interests the readers of this newspaper however are issues like the accuracy of weather forecasting, how badly the waves hit our shores, the toll on our marinas and the extent of damage which came as a result of the storm. Let’s start off with the weather forecast. The first warnings pivoted around long-term forecasts and these were clearly pronounced a week prior to when the storm struck.

Over and above, shortly after, Transport Malta started to issue warnings and our Met Office strengthened their previous statements by giving more detailed forecasts. Now I have no doubt that every boat owner knows only too well that a North Easterly wind will very quickly be accompanied by large waves that will hit shore, rebound and create havoc to the point that you’re either forced to stay in the marina, or oblige to stay out if you happen to be out at sea because approaching any exposed harbour in such conditions may be detrimental.

When, a few years back, it was announced that the wharf in Pieta was going to be turned into a marina, many frowned and serious doubts were shed as to how safe the place was during North Easterly winds. I too had my doubts, even though as a sailor I knew all too well that the worst of the waves hit the foreshore close to the Royal Malta Yacht Club. The pontoon further out doubles up as a floating breakwater which lived up to expectations and recued the waves drastically; however the revetment wall on the Pieta Seafront practically killed what remained of the chop. I wasn’t on site, but close enough to observe the marina staff of all the marinas within Marsamxetto working hard to ensure that things do not escalate. Indeed, even the employees of Creek, where the water was flat calm, were continuously surveying the marina by zooming from pontoon to pontoon aboard their RIB.

What surprised me most though were the boats that were left there. Actually the owners of these boats shocked me. I simply couldn’t believe that some boat owners had the courage, or are so oblivious, to leave their boats moored in the middle of exposed areas. I heard that some owners claimed that they had no alternative berth. Well, I for one simply can’t agree. Malta’s coastline is 42 miles long. The exposed area in a North Easterly goes from the North Eastern coast of Gozo down to Birżebbuġa.

With all the information on weather predictions at our fingertips, and so many timely warnings made so much in advance, surely these owners could have sailed their boats a day or two in advance to say Ġnejna, Għajn Tuffieħa or Golden Bay. Those areas are as calm as a pond in North Easterly winds. Is it unreasonable to expect a boat owner to sail around to a safe place ahead of the storm in order to ensure the safety of the boat? No, it’s not; it’s down to prudence and good seamanship. Indeed, even dropping anchor in the lee of Ponta l-Irqieqa in Comino would have sufficed.

Let’s imagine you’re sailing around when the storm is about to strike. Wouldn’t it occur to you to seek shelter rather than face it? Any seagoing person knows that leaving a boat on her mooring during a storm and in an exposed area is tantamount to asking for trouble.

Honestly, how could you leave your boatsthere? On a similar note, I’d say 99% of sailingboats have headsails that are kept furled.

Here too, so many sails came loose; so many unfurled. Not only does this do immense damage to the sail itself, but it potentially can damage boats and equipment on adjacent berths. There’s really no excuse because all that’s needed is either to lower the sail and stow it away or to at least tie it with a belt of sorts. Same goes for Bimini tops, covers and anything that can get torn or blown away.

This brings me to the subject of boats,especially sailing boats. Sadly many lift theboats and abandon them, with the sail stillfurled and the main sail still on the boom.

It’s such a lack of etiquette – it’s a way of increasing the windage and of sending vibrations down to the hull. Please, remove those furled headsails and if you’re too lazy to remove the main sail, at least lower the boom.

You can never take enough precautions. Worthy of note is the fact that we’re really lucky because North Easterly winds usually go on for three days with the second being the worst wind-wise and the third being the worst wave-wise. The swell usually lasts for another two days so, effectively, we were reasonably fortunate this time around.

I commended the staff of the various marinas around Marsamxetto, and I’m sure others were just as efficient; and I’d just like to tell you that your efforts and capabilities didn’t go unnoticed.

After the storm we witnessed another disaster, this time an explosion. Two boats caught fire while berthed at the marina and the fire broke out seconds after an explosion occurred on what seemingly was a well-kept boat.

A friend of mine who lives in Kalkara and happened to be home at the time of the explosion told me that he got the fright of his life and that the noise was comparable to that of when a fireworks factory blows up.

The footage says it all; the mother of all blasts followed instantaneously by huge flames. Marina staff scrambled to the scene in a RIB, freed the boat and then towed the boat out of harm’s way into the outer opening of the Grand Harbour; shadowed by a blaze. By then, the neighbouring boat also caught fire, and this was swiftly controlled. It was down to quick thinking as the Kalkara marina staff, who are obviously well trained, got onto the RIB, untied the boat, and towed it out in a short time.

These courageous fellows were below towering flame. For all they knew there could have been further explosions that could have had serious life-threatening consequences. What nobody reported was that effectively these men saved an entire marina.

Boats, especially those made of fibreglass, are highly combustible. All you need is heat, a spark, a cylinder that flies off and before you know it it’s like a domino effect with boats burning faster than a forest.

Of course the Civil Protection and AFM intervened without delay; so hats off to them too; but without the initial action taken by the marina staff the disaster would have been a hundred times greater. It’s good to know that marina staff are nowadays so well-trained and competent. A sincere well done.

I remember a boat had exploded, decades ago because the electric water heater that was left on, developed a fault in its thermostat. The element remained on until the water heater exploded. The boat was totally destroyed as the force of the explosion blew bulkheads out of place. Sadly she was a writeoff. There are lessons to be learnt both from the North Easterly

winds and from the explosion. Prudence doesn’t have an upper limit; it’s limitless. If you don’t have a safe berth, find one. If God forbid an explosion or fire occurs, be fast and the main lesson is down to one word: training and refresher courses.

On a positive note, I wish to thank our Met Office for the weather forecast they provide, Transport Malta for issuing warnings and drawing our attention when necessary, the Armed Forces of Malta, the Civil Protection and yet again the marina management and staff.