Christmas Fish
4 hours ago
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Hurricanes and Sailing
Our friends in St. Thomas just survived another direct hurricane hit. Puerto Rico just lost its complete grid. We'll need some time before we learn how bad things are there.
The hurricane season is barely half over, and it's been a tough one. I follow a lot of sailing blogs and YouTube channels. Some boaters have retreated to the mangroves and their boats survived the storms. Other sailed south to get below the likely path of hurricanes. Many pulled their floating homes out of the water and secured them on land. A number, in spite of their precautions, lost their boats completely.
So, with all the destruction, how do I feel about sailing now? It's been a time for reflection, that's for sure. In the short term, we moved our departure date from the end of November to sometime in January. By then we should have a clearer idea what's going on.
We did not buy a bigger boat this year and I'm happy with that that decision. Next year, if we can swing it financially, we shall upgrade. We might get a bigger trailer sailor so we can get load the boat on a trailer and drive out of harm's way. Another option is to get a bigger boat but keep it out of the hurricane zones.
Originally, we thought we'd like to keep a boat in Florida during the summer. That no longer seems like a great idea. We can either sail up to New England in the spring or keep heading south below the normal hurricane zone.
It might seem crazy to even consider spending half our time on a boat. The thing is, we are water people and have not given up on the life.
-Sixbears
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Old habits die hard, they say.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sickness. :) We are trying to find a way that works.
DeleteHave you considered going West rather than South ? I hear that some of those large Western resevoirs are pretty awesome. Then again, the Intracoastal (Texas - Florida) has some perks as well.
ReplyDeleteDecisions decisions - I hope you find an answer soon. I am not a boat person, but have to admit - it looks like a blast !
It is a blast. For me, there is nothing that puts me in the moment than sailing on a small boat. It's just wind, water and peace.
DeleteAre your old familiar ports and places still there so you can pull in to the land when necessary? It could be uncharted territory with old landmarks gone. Will supplies still be there? Just wondering.
DeleteMany have been badly damaged. We pushed back our departure date. We are keeping an eye on rebuilding progress.
DeleteNow-a-days it seems that the hurricanes are heading up to where you live. They sure have gone north further than normal.
ReplyDeleteNew England gets hit with tropical weather from time to time. Usually it's mostly a rain event. However, hurricanes are not unknown.
DeleteI would wager there are going to be some pretty smoking good deals on sail boats down Florida way here real quick as some people are going to be trying to raise enough money to put their lives back together.
ReplyDeleteThat's often the case. We'll keep our eyes open for deals.
DeleteThere's a double masted bastid , just lying on its side here in Melbourne down on the beach. Probly not even damaged much. I can only just imagine what the salvage bill is going to be. In order to get that puppy off the beach.
DeleteThe owner is in jail down in Monroe county for unknown reasons heh.
I read about that boat. It's a weird story. Of course, anything with a Key West connection is going to turn out weird.
DeleteIt cost $9400 to remove my wreck from the channel. It would have cost more if they were trying to save it. Glad I had liability insurance.