Author: Ajit

Isaac in Retrospect

Isaac was an interesting experience. While I had to set a boat up for a hurricane previously in the British Virgin Islands, this time I couldn’t call the charter company, hand the boat off, and walk away. The storm itself where I was in Key West didn’t feel much worse than a windy day on the San Francisco Bay.

What I learned from Hurricane Isaac follows:

  • Preparation is everything: anything you have to do in a storm will be much harder in high winds with a boat pitching in the rain.
  • Be willing to walk away if conditions warrant: this is a hard one, and particularly with regard to what the conditions need to be before you pull out. My benchmark is what it takes to get me and my crew to safety.
  • It’s not okay to keep your sails on: I secured Pearl’s sails so that they would not unfurl as a result of a furling line failure. I did this by tying the sails down using a series of vertically arranged half-hitches and secured the free ends with a round turn and two half hitches for this. This isn’t something I would do again. The sails come off.
  • Chafe gear: I can’t stress how important this can be, and how important it is to check it. A friend whose boat was on the mooring field broke loose because his chafe gear and mooring line chafed through.
  • Mooring lines: at a dock, these are critical. I had my dock lines tripled at each attachment point to control side-to-side movement and my spring lines doubled on each side to check front to back movement.
  • Be aware of tides and storm surge.

 

A visit from Isaac

It looks pretty certain that Key West will get a direct hit from Isaac. Whether it be a tropical storm or a category 1 hurricane is yet to be seen. Regardless, Pearl is READY. Everything on deck has been secured. The sails while still on have been tied down independently of the furling systems so that they are very unlikely to unravel. Dock lines and spring lines have been doubled and have chafe protection (thank you Denise!). Pearl may be mildly rolly but should stay in place nicely.

One of the big issues with a hurricane is storm surge winds that push water onshore as the eye passes over. Pearl is in good shape on both counts. She’s tucked away in a hurricane hole (the best one in the keys for a category 3+). The docks at the marina are floating concrete piers. This is ideal as the docks will move with any surge. Also, the entrance to the harbor is from the north which means that it will not get the full effect of a surge. Additionally, perhaps the surge will be mitigated by the lower than average tide and out going tide when the eye passes — if Isaac behaves as expected.

And now it’s just the waiting ….

Hurricane Isaac Inbound — what-ta-do, what-ta-do?

This hurricane thing is beginning to look a bit more real than I would prefer. And, instead of curling to the North East and heading for Miami as I was hoping it seems to be taking a more westerly track. As of right now, Key West seems to be in the path of the eye. Yikes!

So what does this mean for Pearl? She is about to get stripped of all canvas. Sheets and lines that can be removed will come off. Loose stuff on board will be put away and she’ll be tied down, lines doubled, with chafe guards.

The great thing about where I am is that the Sunset Marina is moderately well protected from winds. It also has floating docs which means that when there is a storm surge, the boat will move with the dock, lines relatively tight, holding her in place rather than loose enough to accommodate the surge giving her room to thrash around in the wind. Basically, I don’t think I can do much better than here I am for upto a category 3 hurricane.

I’ve been out at anchor in higher winds (50-55kts) than Isaac is showing at the moment. Pearl handled just fine so I am not particularly worried. The only issue is that these winds will be for longer so I need to get a bunch of chafe gear in place.

Stay tuned.

Isaac — a hurricane headed for the Keys?

Ok. So it looks like the weekend could get entertaining. Tropical storm Isaac may be headed for the Keys as a Hurricane. Right now, the eastern Caribbean is under storm watches, and Puerto Rico, The DR, and Haiti are under Hurricane watches. The Hurricane watch will likely extend to Cuba, Florida and the Keys on Thu or Fri if the storm continues to gain energy as predicted.

It’s a good thing I’ve done a dry run on prepping Pearl for weather at at the dock. I’ve got all of the required lines, chafing gear, etc. This should be an educational experience. Stay tuned.

A Tropical Storm Named Five

Ok people. First significant weather in the Atlantic for Hurricane Season: a tropical storm named “5.” Let’s see what happens with this! If it veers north (which it should), perhaps it will head for TX or LA, sparing Key West particular aggravation.

Personally, I hope that there are no hurricanes whatsoever, but … there you have it!

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Perhaps a T-Shirt?

Having been incarcerated on the boat for a while by Debby (a tropical storm in this case, and not a delightful jeunesse), cooking in the microwave (the stove makes the boat too hot), no TV (no TV or cable on the boat), and not being able to sail (note Debby the tropical storm), I had to resort to my own devices to keep me entertained.

The result? A T-Shirt design inspired by the “feedback” of (much appreciated) crew who deserted me in the proximity of the Dry Tortugas, leaving me to fend for myself, etc. [Insert sob story about being abandoned in Key West here…. ] Order your T-Shirts NOW! Or not. I hope you find the graphic entertaining.

Satellite Phone Service for cheap

I love being able to use my HF radio to communicate with people (via email mostly) while away from the dock. After running into a problem with signal propagation due to sun spots a while ago, I’ve been contemplating getting a Inmarsat phone to that I can make paniced calls for help should that be necessary instead of lighting of my EPIRB.

The following site seems to offer a decent deal on sat phones for emergency use. Check them out if you need one!?!

http://www.satphonestore.com/

Pearl’s Summer Residence in Key West

June 16, 2012 — Key West, FL

Okay. So you’ve seen the glam pics of isolated anchorages, brilliant sunsets, and crystal waters, but every boat needs base at some point. This is a place where you buy your groceries, fill the water tanks, do laundry, pump out the holding tank, and do repairs.

Pearl’s home base for the summer is actually a marina, the Sunset Marina in Key West, specifically. Why there you may ask? Boats in the Gulf have a couple of options, they can either leave for the summer, or find a base that’s protected from hurricanes and bad weather that defines summer around the Gulf of Mexico.

Pearl’s current location is at a former submarine base, at the end of a long channel, at the around the northeast side of Key West. The Marina is well protected from high winds except from the north-north-west. It’s also in a very shallow area. The average depth for several square miles surrounding the marina is about 3 ft. All of this makes for a good Hurricane Hole — hence Pearl’s location.

Additionally, the marina has concrete floating docks, a decent ship’s store where one can get sundries, showers, laundry, relatively easy access to other services, and excellent fishing. Oh! And the price is right. Marina’s and moorings in Florida are egregiously expensive. Docks similar to the one I was at in Portland ($250/mo) run about $1500 in Florida. Crazy. I, however, am paying almost as much as I did in Portland to sublet the slip of a friend of a friend.

All told, I couldn’t be more pleased. I’ve always wanted to explore the Florida Keys and this is my chance.