The good news:
I picked up 2 80watt BP solar panels for $130 (for both). I’ve got 400 watts of solar now and don’t even need to start to think of plugging in! Now all I need is a wind generator.
The bad news:
Tropical Storm Anna has formed this morning with another possible hurricane just on her tail. Some models are showing this to develop into a major hurricane. It kills me that I couldn’t get out of Florida in time for hurricane season. I need to start thinking of the best place to put Splendid for the storm. It is still a ways off and its direction may very. If it does come down to it I’ll send the girls inland with friends and weather the storm with Splendid. If I wasn’t on Namaste for hurricane Isabel I would have lost her 6 times over. Lines need to be slacked and chafe has to be watched. If it looks like it’s headed this way I’ll take all the sails, bimini and dodger down. There is a lot of work associated with preparing a sailboat for a hurricane.
Never again will Splendid sail in these latitudes for storm season!
ARRRRGGGGG!
I’ll be watching this closely.
– Alex
Published in Alex Dorsey
Related
Ortega Yacht Club Marina in the Ortega River just south of Jacksonville is a very good spot for hurricanes. We rode out both Jean and Francis there and that is where we are staying for hurricane season this year.
Barry
Barry,
Thanks, I’ll look into it.
Alex
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/trop-atl.html
http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/Gif/atl.latest.gif
http://severe.worldweather.org/
http://www.stormpulse.com/
Sorry, I hit post too soon.
You’ve got three days anyway Alex, what about running North? You’re just on the edge of the cone now, add a hundred plus miles and you’d be out of it altogether. Just a thought.
Regards,
TJ
TJ,
North???? I’m at the edge of a tropical wave. A tropical wave is no big deal.
The tropical storm is still a crap shoot on where it will hit. If its going South of us and turning into a “Gulf hurricane” I’d consider going north.
Alex
If it’s any consolation the last major hurricane that hit Jacksonville was in 1964, altho tropical storm Fay came ashore near St. Augustine last year with minimal damage. There’s something about the prevailing currents that hurricanes don’t like about northeast Florida. On the other hand, it’s been so long since a major hit that maybe we’re due.
Fletch,
You forget, I’m a hurricane magnet!
A
Sure you don’t mean magnate?
:)
oh.. this is lovely!
i love hurricanes!
i guess i’ll be hiding Alas up river a bit, even though that didn’t do me so well in Fay last year…
not much of a choice though…
hopefully this time i can stay far from other boats. i held my own and another boat during Fay last year, so if i can keep other boats from dragging into me, i think i’ll be good.
Bill looks nasty!
Does anyone here have a cut off for when they WILL NOT stay on there boat during a hurricane?
Like, some people say after a Hurricane 2 they just tie the boat up and hope for the best.
I stayed on my boat for Elisha because I was afraid to leave her alone. Good thing I did, had I not been there, she would have been damaged for sure. That said, it’s a risky thing to do. A couple staying on board less than a mile from me had their entire boat picked up by a tornado and smacked onto some rocks. They were badly hurt and the boat was a total loss. It’s a personal decision, but for sure I’d get my loved ones off the boat, even in a Cat 1 storm. You’re doin’ good Alex.
Regards,
TJ
TJ,
Yup, only me on board, we’ve discussed it.
A
Hey Alex:
My thoughts are with you. No advice. You’ve been there and watch NOAA, so it’s what we need to do when we need to do it. That’s it. Gut feelings and just conditions. Good luck amigo and I’ll talk with you in Spirit. Talk after the two move on.
My best to you.
Capt. Paul
s/v Star of Orion
Barry,
I am also at Ortega… slip A7, S/V Lillie Mae. I will be back down there late tomorrow to start tackling some major refit projects.
Terry
Alex,
It does not look like Anna will be your problem this time. But, we used to have our Hunter 34 at Whitney’s Marina in Jacksonville FL. It is south on the St Johns river at the Orange Park Lake inlet. It is about as secure a hurricane hole as there is in North Fl.
Eric
Alex,
It does not look like Anna will be your problem this time. But, we used to have our Hunter 34 at Whitney’s Marina in Jacksonville FL. It is south on the St Johns river at the Orange Park Lake inlet. It is about as secure a hurricane hole as there is in North Fl.
Eric