Dear Group,

One thing I noticed while cruising this spring and summer is
how ignorant most cruisers are about how to read a barometer,
look at the direction of the winds and the cloud conditions
and put them all together to forecast tomorrow or the next
day's weather.

Many don't even know the old rule of when a hurricane is
approaching, stand and face the wind, extend the right arm
straight out from your side and then towards your back about
ten to fifteen degrees and you'll be pointing to the core of
the storm. Looking at the glass and noting if the wind is
veering or backing will tell you which side of the storm
you are on and which direction is the best to sail to
avoid the core of the storm so it passes relatively harmlessly
a hundred or so miles off which only takes a day or less
sailing in a yacht with a decent turn of speed like the one
I sail.

Most cruisers no longer even consider the tactic of evasion.
I wonder why? The navy uses it, the cruise lines use it,
even shipping with idiot captains the likes of Shen44 and
otnmbrd are versed in the art of storm evasion at sea.

I suppose most cruisers don't have enough faith in
their yachts and actually are foolish enough to think
an anchor or two in a crowed harbor is a safe course
of action. NOT!

I used evasion on Frances and then on Jeanne and had
a relatively comfortable and safe go of it in both cases.
I certainly am glad I did not beat feet to a harbor
on Eluthera or somewhere on Great Abaco both of which
got clobbered good by the storms. Frances hit just
about all the so-called safe harbors and there was
many a wreck while I was hunkered down near Andros
and Cay Sal.

Consider evasion as a sound plan come next hurricane season.

Respectfully,
Capt. Neal