Henri poised for a grand entrance

[Jim Walsh]

I can’t help but wonder if Roberto has had some influence on which path this tropical depression has chosen to make its landfall?

[fmueller]

Looks like the eye will run right iver Long Island Jim. I think that puts you on the wrong side of the rotation. Best of luck. I pulled my boat today.

Here she is at midnight waiting for Henri

[mgphl52]

I can’t help but wonder if Roberto has had some influence on which path this tropical depression has chosen to make its landfall?

Jim, That's just not "fair"... I do think he might have influenced Fred to be a non-storm (and we on the panhandle are damn glad!)
and Grace to make a race for the border, but I would never accuse Roberto of sending Henri north and inland!!!

Hope you're enjoying your Guinness supply, Roberto!

PS: Don't forget to rotate your supply by drinking and restocking...

[Senorjacob]

Before Henri became the beast that it is, I sailed Joanie from Sesuit Harbor on the north side of the cape to Stage Harbor on the south side. My sailing season is over and a friend in Chatham takes care of my boat during the off season. So having the boat down there makes everything easier until I come back next summer. So we started out early on Wednesday and planned to make the trip in 12 hours.

Our first hint that things would not go as planned came when we ran out of fuel in buzzards bay. This was due partly to a faulty fuel gauge and partly due to a foolhardy captain (me!) who neglected to top off the fuel tank before the journey. My newly minted TowboatUS membership card had only just arrived in my hot little hands a few days prior, so I pulled it out and called the number. I never knew how people got towed… now I know.

As we were pulled to Burr Brothers Boats in Sippican Harbor, Bob (older, wiser, 50 year mariner) and I debated whether or not we would get a mechanic in the middle of August or have to leave the boat there and delay our trip through Woods Hole and onto Chatham. Bob was willing to put money on a major delay but I had my hopes set on getting serviced quickly and at least getting to Falmouth for the night.

The guys at Burr Brothers Boats were fantastic. They jumped right on the boat and started bleeding the air from the fuel injectors. (I hadn’t realized that when you run out of diesel you can’t just fill her back up and expect the engine to start… now I know). They charged me half an hour of labor and we were back underway. Bob was stunned.

(Btw, a LOT of beautiful sailboats in Sippican Harbor!)

We made it through Woods Hole and to Falmouth that night. The next morning we sailed the rest of the way to Chatham. By this time we knew a storm was coming, but I had a mooring reserved in Chatham and we both felt the boat would be good and safe. So we tied everything down, took the dinghy to the dock and hauled it out. When I went up to the harbormaster to pay, they told us that we wouldn’t be able to stay on the mooring through the blow. They said the moorings aren’t rated for hurricanes.

I don’t blame anyone else for my own poor planning. I should have considered that the storm could hit us and I should have stayed in Sesuit on the bay side. That’s on me. But at no point during the three conversations I had with the Chatham Harbormaster’s office to reserve, then modify, then confirm my reservation did anyone say that the town moorings couldn’t be used during the storm. So it was more than a surprise to learn I’d have to find someplace else to go. And as I found out in the following hours, every other marina on the cape was chock full of boats. Nothing was available.

I considered hauling out but all the hauling companies said they were only servicing their existing customers. My local hauler back in Sesuit would haul me out if I could get back there. I checked the currents at Woods Hole and the Canal, but getting back in time would require going through WH at night and that did not appeal.

I spent hours on the phone calling one marina after another. Finally it was Bob and his connections with the good people at Saquatucket Harbor that came to my rescue. Although a few hours before, they had no space, several boat owners had just decided to haul out rather than ride the storm out in the water. Three slips opened up and two were immediately taken. The third went to me, care of Bob. This morning we moved Joanie from Stage Harbor to Saquatucket and got her nice and tied up on their beautiful and sturdy docks. Fingers crossed, she should be fine. And if not, we have insurance.

This summer was epic. I had some fabulous sails with my family and friends. I learned a TON about my boat. I’ll never let the fuel dip below half a tank ever again. I’ll always look at the big picture weather when I consider the local weather. And I’ll never assume a town mooring can hold me in a hurricane. Those big lessons, plus many smaller ones, are priceless and I’m grateful for them. I don’t love making mistakes but I try very hard to learn from them.

Here she is tied up. I said my goodbyes and got on a plane this afternoon.

[mgphl52]

Glad you found a safe harbor! And those are some very good lessons to learn with only damage to the ego???

[jbenagh]

Good luck all of you! We drove from Nags Head, NC to Boston last night and today. Tons of linesman and tree truck convoys on the road. Hopefully just insurance and we won't need them.
Jeff

[John Stone]

Well I can tell you what this is all about. Roberto, in FLA, just sold his beloved Bali H'ai to Brent Rogers who lives in NE. Get it?

[tjr818]

NE like Nebraska? Or NE like New England?

[Sea Hunt Video]

Jim, Mike, Tim, John and all:

I am as amazed as all of you that Henri is tracking the way it is. Part of me wants to believe that he still thinks I live in Western Massachusetts. At one point the other day, NOAA/NHC had the "eye" of the storm passing over my hometown, possibly looking for my old street address. Yikes

From what I can tell from meteorological reports, once past Long Island and into Conn/RI (t's tracking a little more East this morning), Henri is going to be a "rain maker" and the ground in that area (Mass., Vt., NH, Maine) is already saturated. This will mean down trees and down power lines.

Mike, as always, I periodically restock my "medicinal" Guinness. That's just sound practice.

Good luck to all in the path of Henri. It's been a wild year.

[John Stone]

NE like Nebraska? Or NE like New England?

New Hampshire. But something is wrong. There must be confusion amongst the hurricane gods. Bali Hai is still in Miami.

[mgphl52]

Henri dang near looks like a "campaign tour"... hitting 7 states in two and a half days!

[gonesail]

Henri dang near looks like a "campaign tour"... hitting 7 states in two and a half days!

he didn't make it to Florida. thanks Henri.

[mgphl52]

he didn't make it to Florida. thanks Henri.

And I'm damn glad of that... Just retrieved KAYLA from her H-hole cove today.

[John Ring]

Jim - did Orion come through ok?
John Ring
CD36 Tiara

[Jim Walsh]

Jim - did Orion come through ok?
John Ring
CD36 Tiara

Yes sir, thankfully (for me) Henri’s landfall was diverted to the east at the last moment. I ended up on the less vicious side and Rhode Island ended up in the “dangerous semicircle”.
A boat which I have seen in Bermuda every year I have been there went aground on Jamestown. The delivery captain brings her up from the Virgins every year and spends a few days in St George’s just to break up the passage north.
Weatherbird is the Dufour in the foreground in the photo.