This blog will chronicle our (Pat and Patty Anderson's)
cruising adventures on the Great Loop!
DAY 190 - October 7. 2017
Although this is dated October 7, which, as I write this, is yesterday, I am going to include this morning as well. I will write tomorrow about what we did today!
The day was devoted to watching the weather news in the TV room, talking to other Loopers, walking Baxter, and readying Daydream for a storm of unknown track and intensity.
Daydream was first secured more or less in the center of the slip with six lines, three on each side, loose enough that she could rise and fall if there were flood waters but tight enough that she would not bang into the floating finger pier on either side. It took some time to adjust the lines so the boat was both riding where we wanted her and we were still able to get on and off without taking a swim! Fortunately, these slips are one boat per slip, so there was no boat next to us to contend with. It is also a covered slip long enough to accommodate 40 foot boats, so we tucked her way up into the slip as far forward as she could go, with one of the lines on each side as a spring line to the stern to keep the bow off the main dock.
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| Daydream secured in slip |
We removed all the cockpit canvas on the sides and rear, all 11 pieces, rolled them up, and secured them with velcro straps. This cockpit camperback is a real jigsaw puzzle! I rolled the camperback roof (we all call it the "bimini," but it is really a full roof, not a bimini like on a center console), wrapped it around the supporting frame, secured it with more velcro, and laid that down resting on the Honda BF150.
Everything else in the cockpit was moved to the floor, and a few light items were moved inside.
I decided against taking the folding bikes down, because they seemed pretty well secured on the roof below the radar arch.
The Sea Eagle was left floating between the finger piers with a long line attached loosely to each end and to the finger piers on each side. My main concern for the kayak was that it not be rubbing against anything if the waves or wind kicked up. Since it too was under the cover, I figured whatever water might get into it would be easy enough to dump out.
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| Sea Eagle was left floating between floating finger piers |
And we waited along with everyone else until we went to bed.
We had a peaceful night's sleep. We heard some hard rain falling on the tin roof of the structure covering the slips, be we felt absolutely no wind or waves. The main issue for sleeping was the heat and humidity. We put our screen on the cockpit door and left the door open, with our Endless Breeze fan blowing into the vee-berth. I fell asleep promptly but Patty has really been bothered by the stickiness of the heavy air.
When I woke up at 7:30 a.m., I did not know if Nate had been here and gone or was still on its way! After taking Baxter for a quick walk, I poked my head into the TV room to see the news update. I still do not know whether Nate just missed us or went through here as such a weak storm that we were not even aware of it. The news was showing the flooding and power outages in the coastal cities, but it was clear from the storm track map they were showing that Nate was already well past us.
Nate was, thankfully, a non-event in Demopolis. I will not say that we were over-anxious, because the best way to get in trouble with a hurricane or tropical storm is to underestimate it! I have no way of knowing if our preparations would have been sufficient if Nate had been what it might have been, and we are very glad for that!
Today will be devoted to putting the camperback up again, and revisiting plans for our departure tomorrow!
A lingering thought that is bothering me this morning is what might have happened to the Loopers who had already gone past Demopolis, who might have been caught somewhere between Demopolis and Mobile, or worse, might have actually reached Mobile and were there when Nate hit. We'll be anxious to hear about how they fared.
Pat, since our camperbacks are identical, here's something I discovered last year.....
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more that the camperback is a jigsaw puzzle. Putting it up was a pain in determining which piece here, or which piece port side etc. Then it dawned on me. Now I leave the 3 main pieces on each side zipped together (the 2 big square ones and the medium sized triangle that is aft-most. The little triangle forward-most I only use in the rain or heavy wind, and the 3 back panels I never use. This way for 90% of the situations, I only have 2 big pieces (each made of the 3 panels) to fool with. They are awkward to be sure (and harder to roll up), but at least I don't have to figure out the jigsaw puzzle!
This morning Dotty and I went straight to your blog. We both breathed sighs of relief. Hope Dr. Bob's place got through it OK too.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear that Nate was a "non event" in Demopolis, as it was pretty much in Pensacola. Turn on that air conditioner for Patty
ReplyDeleteIf there had been real hurricane force winds--all canvas should be stowed below decks--even wrapped up, or in a boot, the hurricane winds will rip any canvas apart. Also the inflatable would have been destroyed. It would have become airborne, and then the lines would have ripped out. I have had big heavy inflatables picked up and thrown over the boat in gusts of less than hurricane force. Even heavy things on the cabin top, not secured down, would have been blown off--like the bikes, if they were not well secured.
We are both so happy that it all came out well. I'll have to admit I was watching the models for Demopolis as much as for Pensacola.
Glad to hear all is well and everyone is safe, and you still have the inflatable. On to more fun and adventure. Good job at staying safe. Harvey/SleepyC
ReplyDelete