On Jun 12, 8:02 am, doc wrote:
Hi All
I headed out on the 3 June for a trip from St. Petersburg Fl to the
Dry Tortugas First day went fine a little bumpy but went about 120NM
then the wind decided to guit so there I sat over the next 2 days went
only another 20 NM and had killed my starting battery so decided when
I finely got some wind to head north to Napels about 50 or so NM away
as I got there I was going to park off the beach get a new battery and
be on my way home almost as soon as I droped anchor was hit by a storm
seas were 4-6ft (8) and I was unsure my anchor would hold so I called
my buddie Boat Tow US they came and got me took me in to the municipal
Marina for a night $60 but saft clean and a good shower left at noon
the next day after getting a battery headed north got hit by another
thunder storm around midnight and motered for 2-3 hrs till it was over
put the sails back up doing 6-7 NMH for the the rest of the night and
the next day with only little deviation of wind but as the evening
came saw a couple Thunder storms to my starboard side I droped my sail
motered for about a HR past the first one then put the sails up to try
to save fuel as the next one was getting ready to hit I went to drop
my sails as I was droping the Jib I got hit with 30-40 ? MH wind it
hit hard and blew my main I couldnt get my jib all the way down or my
main but it was getting dangerus up there I left to the back and just
road out the storm after what seamed a very long time I got out of the
storm and proceaded to motor to St. Petersburg getting in around mid-
night.........I learned dont wait to long to lower your sails!!!!!

Good lesson Doc. Offshore you see storms coming it's best to go ahead
and reef.

Joe