Bart Senior wrote:
Hurricane Charlie was a wet firecracker here in Connecticut
today. This year everything has gone either north or south of
us.

You sound disappointed. We didn't have any real excitement, other than a
long neglected boat nearly sinking in it's slip. But we went through a
fair amount of work preparing and cleaning up after.

The eye wall of (downgraded) Hurricane Charley was disintegrating as it
passed about 30 miles west of us. Peak gusts around 58 knots and enough
rain that it was hard to breath facing away from the wind. We had out
doubled dock lines and took down all canvas.

The marina was well prepared, except for a few stupid people who did not
take down their roller furled genoas... I climbed aboard two and added a
set of securing hitches, one with the owner standing there telling me
the whole time that he didn't need it, didn't want it, and I better come
back right after the storm and get it off of there. This is what a I
call a damn Yankee. Other people secured biminis & roller furlers for
people who either couldn't or wouldn't take them off themselves.

Why are people so friggin' dumb?

One of these bozos said to me, "The predicted wind is only 60 knots or
less, that's not going to be a problem." I told him that 1- less than 60
knots could shred his bimini, yank his genoa off it's furler and dismast
him, as well as causing major damage to boats around him (this last
being my own concern) and 2- there was a good possibility of tornados.
This guy also has dock lines that look like old ratty clothesline.. the
marina dockmaster had to loan him some real lines.

Is there a tactful way to tell these people that laziness is *not* a
good principle of seamanship?!?

Fresh Breezes- Doug King