BoatBanter.com - Sailing in hurricane alley!

"Joe" wrote in message oups.com...
| Sounds like you had quite the adventure Capt.
|
| Its a shame that plastic takes stains so easy.
|
| Did you move closer to where the eye passed ?
| Sounds like a good hurricane hole, try avons skin so soft to ward off
| the bugs.
| That or deet. Do you have screens on your hatches?
|
| Yeah I've never had much use or like of the USCG until they came thru
| and did a fly over at my best friends (an X Coasty) funeral on short
| notice. Good guys & gals, Its nice to know they are there when you need
| them.
|
| I send the aircrew (3 diffrent ones now) a bottle of makers mark every
| year in thanks, It's anonymous so they can not refuse it :0) First year
| they said they could not accept it and returned it.
|
| Joe
|

It was a fun time and a great adventure for sure.

Yes, I was sixty miles closer to the center and right in the south eyewall
as Wilma passed just to the north. The plastic didn't really stain, rather,
it was the Easypoxy paint that I used that stained. But the stains came right
out using bleach and salt water. But, the non-skid stained too and really
brown and ugly stained but bleach and water cleaned that up as well, so
maybe you're right after all - plastic stains. But, that's part of sailing
a mostly maintenance-free vessel.

Skin so Soft is for women. I'd rather let the no-see-ums have at me than
use womanly skin creams. I found if one sweats really hard the no-see-ums
down before they can bite. It was easy to sweat really heavily when we
went up there because it was really hot and humid and there was no wind
in the thick mangroves.

Yes I have screens but I found burning one of those mosquito coils did
away with all the no-see-ums that managed to get inside the boat as I
went in and out . . .

Yes, the Coast Guard are some good fellows. They put their life on the
line in a more generous fashion than I would be inclined to with respect
to inept sailors who call for rescue in very severe conditions even when
their vessels are in no real danger. They are frightened so they call a
May Day. They don't realize that a rescuer could die in the process of
trying to give them a little comfort when they don't deserve a little comfort
because they put themselves in harm's way.

The Shark river makes a good hurricane hole. But finding that perfect
creek takes time. One should not anchor in any navigable channel because
the current can run up to 18 knots in the storm surge and you don't even
want to face the fines and clean-up fees should you sink and have to be
salvaged by the govt.

We got sustained winds of well over 120mph with some gusts probably
close to 150mph. Substantial tree trunks were snapping like toothpicks
in the thick of it and there was that proverbial roar like an international
airport in the distance which lasted for three or four hours. I suspect
we were hearing the effects of the eye wall.

The good news is we had plenty of rum and good food and no women around
to exude fear and voice complaints. Sailing is definitely a man's thing in my
opinion. Sheltering from hurricanes in the wilderness is a gift from God that
few men experience let alone enjoy and I enjoyed it. We all enjoyed it.

CN