OBSERVATORY ROOF TURNED UPSIDE DOWN IN HIGH WINDS - OUCH! 😱

[paulastro]

It was windy in the early hours this morning, and around 7.15 this morning there was a loud crash from outside.  My wife looked out and didn't see anything amiss.  A couple of hours ago she was upstairs and called down saying there was something I needed to look at 

As can be seen in the pics, the run-off roof had been lifted by the wind, turned over and landed upside down across the opening - and it was flapping up and down in the wind and in danger of blowing off completely.

I rushed out as it could easily have blown onto someone, or onto a car parked a few yards away. When I was out there, found my field tripod and mount had also blown down inside.  It took a while to make safe. I had to remove one of the aluminium panels so I could manoeuvre it inside the observatory and lean it against the rear wall so it couldnt go any further.  The roof is a bit mangled and twisted, but the tripod and mount (my Vixen Suoer Polaris in altaz mode) seem none the worse for wear.

Until something can be done, it will be out of use unfortunately.  In the mean time it will be open to the elements so I've had to move everything that was inside.

Still no one was hurt (apart from my shoulder when trying to make it safe) and no one else's  property damaged either. It could have been worse so I'm thankful for that.

 

[Mark at Beaufort]

A bit annoying Paul but at least it did not cause other damage. As you say the roof could have smashed into a car or a house window. I am glad your mount came out okay.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

It did get a bit breezy up here recently.
I am glad nobody got hurt and hope all your gear was undamaged.

Unfortunately these things are sent to try us, as if we didn't have enough to contend with.

Hope its all back in action soon, although probably a week or two anyway before the skies clear.

Steve

[Rustang]

Sorry to read this Paul, glad your gear and everything else is safe and un damaged. Hope you can get it sorted and back up and running soon.

Edited March 11, 2021 by Rustang

[Starwatcher2001]

Ouch indeed. Glad your kit didn't get damaged. Thought we were going to lose some slates last night, but all looked fine this morning. Sympathies.

[Nigella Bryant]

Sorry to hear this, glad it didn't damage anything else. My worst nightmare with my dome and RoR but I've built in security hooks and bolts so it takes care of wind and security at the same time. 

[paulastro]

24 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

A bit annoying Paul but at least it did not cause other damage. As you say the roof could have smashed into a car or a house window. I am glad your mount came out okay.

Mank thanks Mark, as you indicate, it could have been much worse.  At least neither of my refractors was on the mount. Usually I carry the scopes out a couple of hours or so before I observe. Only occasionally do I leave them out all night.

[r3i]

Sorry to hear about this but glad the damage was minimal and nobody got hurt.

Did you have any method of keeping the roof locked down?  I've done a belts and braces approach on my roof as we often get high winds:

• Turnbuckles that clamp the roof to the observatory walls (a bit like Nigella's approach)
• A 'captive mechanism' that provides an additional protection
• Finally, when it gets really windy, I employ ratchet straps over the top of the roof

Hope you get up and running again soon.

[paulastro]

28 minutes ago, Rustang said:

Sorry to read this Paul, glad your gear and everything else is safe and un damaged. Hope you can get it sorted and back up and running soon.

Many thanks Rus.  I can use either of my refractors outside the observatory - I just have to use a dark cloth over my head to counter the effect of street and security lights.  Not so bad in the early hours though.  It's also a bit colder alas 🙂 🥶.

[paulastro]

2 minutes ago, r3i said:

Sorry to hear about this but glad the damage was minimal and nobody got hurt.

Did you have any method of keeping the roof locked down?  I've done a belts and braces approach on my roof as we often get high winds:

• Turnbuckles that clamp the roof to the observatory walls (a bit like Nigella's approach)
• A 'captive mechanism' that provides an additional protection
• Finally, when it gets really windy, I employ ratchet straps over the top of the roof

Hope you get up and running again soon.

Now that's what I call an observatory. I did have a system of locking it down - but it was clearly inadequate for the wind we had last night! 😏.

[Tiny Clanger]

Ouch !

Could have been worse though, like the young guy over the road , a brickie by profession, works for his dad's business. He has done a lot of work on the house since he moved in late last year. He  recently fixed a wooden fence to the existing 1.5m brick wall which runs parallel to the road to bring it up  to a (not strictly legal, but only his own garden he was shading) 2.5m height. In the previous burst of strong wind on Tuesday last week, the timber fence acted as a sail, and brought the whole thing down on the pavement and road, totalling one parked car and damaging two more .

Apparently his insurance company are not minded to pay out ...

[mog3768]

Wow and I was complaining about my leaking obey roof that can't be fixed until the weather improves. Hope you get it fixed alright.

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

It did get a bit breezy up here recently.
I am glad nobody got hurt and hope all your gear was undamaged.

Unfortunately these things are sent to try us, as if we didn't have enough to contend with.

Hope its all back in action soon, although probably a week or two anyway before the skies clear.

Steve

Thanks Steve.  Luckily no scopes inside, I can observe outside the observatory, but alas local lights are a nuisance. Won't stop me observing though when it's clear 🙂.

[Mr Spock]

Could have been much worse. Mother nature has a nasty sting at times.

[paulastro]

39 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Could have been much worse. Mother nature has a nasty sting at times.

All part of the rich tapestry that is an astronomer's life 🙂.

[paulastro]

Glad to say the observatory is up and running again 🙂.  OK, it's now roofless, but at least I can observe in the space within the shelter of the walls which also keep out extraneous lights.

I've cleared the debris (which can be seen lay against the far wall) and swept it out this morning and put the Vixen Super Polaris (in altaz mode) back in situ.  What's more its sunny and forecast to be clear well into the evening.  Happy days 😃.

When I'm not observing, I only have to move the mount into the other side of the garage, which still has a roof!

The observatory will remain roofless until a full repair with a new roof can be carried out.

 

 

[Mark at Beaufort]

Paul good luck with the observing tonight it's looking positive

[Nigella Bryant]

Hopefully you'll get to those repairs soon. Glad it still can be used. 

[paulastro]

7 hours ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Paul good luck with the observing tonight it's looking positive

Thanks Mark.  I had a good lunar session.  Put this post with a pic on the Observing Lunar forum.

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/373960-march-16th-moon-334-days-102/

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by paulastro

[paulastro]

7 hours ago, Nigella Bryant said:

Hopefully you'll get to those repairs soon. Glad it still can be used. 

Many thanks Nigella.  Hopefully it will be better, or at least more robust, in its' reincarnation 🙂.