Here We Go Again

[tartansailor]

During Ernesto NDBC buoy 44009 recorded gusts of 48 knots for about 2 hours. Thankfully my 3 point mooring held, but thats more than I can say for my nerves. I'm pulling it.
Dick

[img]http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/ ... 204636.gif[/img][/img]

Here is the link if the image fails to appear:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/ ... 204636.gif

[Bob L]

Here's model projections of Florence's path. Scroll down to see the map. For some reason, the URL doesn't display as an image when I use the image tags.

http://www.outerbeaches.com/Hurricane-Florence

[Zeida]

FOLKS,

Do not trust the path indicated for T.D. Florence so far. There is a steering current to the west of it that will supposedly keep it out into the Atlantic without coming ashore, BUT if this system weakens, Florence will come ashore, and nobody knows where. From South Florida to New England, all sailors stand by!

Keep watching for the forcasts.

[Judith]

I wondered why all the forecasts indicate veering to the east (net effect = N/NNE). Let's hope that system holds up. . .

We drove to Washington Friday AM, just after Ernesto passed through. On the way, shortly before getting to Broad Creek, we pass some beachfront parking lots and the Washington public boat ramps. Right at the water-edge of one parking lot, a maybe 22' something-or-nuther sailboat rested peacefully aslant on the asphalt. It had two anchors off the bow, one caught (finally) at water's edge where the land sloped upward to the lot, the other dangling from a nearby pier, its chain draped gracefully over the rail. A rather unnerving sight, when we were worrying about how our boat had fared.

Morveren was fine, however. The only damage I saw at the Marina was an ex-sail the wind had unfurled and transformed into long tatters flailing noisily in a still-assertive breeze.

All of which is to say: yes, keep a keen eye on the forecasts. We'll be doing just that.

Judith

[Andy Denmark]

Ernesto was almost a non-event here. I don't know what "official" wind speed was recorded but we had perhaps 45 mph here in Broad Creek (there are 20 +/- Broad Creeks in NC but this one is closest to Oriental). The water came up to just under my pier walkway, about 2-1/2 ft above normal but receded rapidly and then went "out" about 1-1/2 ft, leaving lots of boat aground in their slips. Other than the higher-than-normal winds that lasted several hours and a few torrential showers (my neighbor's rain gage recorded slightly more than 3 inches in a 2-hr period), the storm was barely more than the weather we see during a cold front passage.

A check of local marinas showed only what is usually expected. I saw four roller furling sails destroyed, one within sight of my pier. When will folks learn that the only way to insure that these things will make it through a bad blow is to take the damned thing down as no amount of wrapping or stops can protect the top half that can't be reached.

Several boats had some rub wounds on toe rails and one had some fairly serious fiberglass damage from docklines chafing through and subsequent grinding against a piling. That one was the result of too big a boat for the slip. As usual, no boats that anchored out were damaged except for the one that dragged anchor in the harbor and ended up as the feature article on <towndock.net>, our local website.

Ernesto is a good wake-up call. Let's be thankful he wasn't worse. My take on Florence is that she will go well east of here but it's too early to be certain. The offshore sportfishing types tell me that the Gulf Stream temperatures are 2 to 3 degrees cooler than in recent years. Since heat is the accelerator for minor cyclones to develop into major ones this is good news.

In all, Mother Nature's 2006 hurricane book hopefully will be a short one. We're halfway through and nothing major. Should this trend continue we can name the season "A Convenient Reality."
________
Easy vape

[ray b]

Ernesto

A check of local marinas showed only what is usually expected. I saw four roller furling sails destroyed, one within sight of my pier. When will folks learn that the only way to insure that these things will make it through a bad blow is to take the damned thing down as no amount of wrapping or stops can protect the top half that can't be reached.

agree thats why I call them roller UNFURLING sails
the foil with slots type are better
as the sail can be removed quick and eazy
the no forestay boats [sail wire holding up the mast]
are asking for trouble
and not just in canes any bad storm can unfurl a sail

[Cathy Monaghan]

Ernesto, though only a tropical depression when passing through NJ over the weekend, caused ALOT of problems in the area that we sail in. Anyway, I thought I'd share this newspaper article with you.

Atlantic Highlands Herald: http://www.ahherald.com/news/2006/0903/ah_ernesto.htm

[chase]

Cathy,

Thanks for the article, enjoyed it very much.

Chase

[Andy Denmark]

Jim and Sandy Davis aboard Isa Lei stopped awhile in Atlantic Highlands on their way back to the Chesapeake from their New Brunswick cruise. They vacated Atlantic Highlands just ahead of Ernesto, choosing instead to ride out the blow in Great Kills (Staten Island?). They weathered the storm with no problems at Great Kills. Sounds like a good decision to me.

Perhaps Jim and sandy could add something to this thread from their first-hand experience.
________
No2 Vaporizer

[Jim Davis]

On our return trip from New Brunswick we stopped in Atlantic Highlands because of projected bad weather. My initial reaction to the harbor was that it was too crowded and the sea wall too low to stop any wave action in a really nasty blow. I also learned at the yacht club that there was no requirement for the moorings to be inspected and most weren't. The next day we moved over to Great Kills on Staten Island. This harbor provides much better sea protection and because of the trees some wind protection. The harbor isn't as crowded and there is fairly good swinging room to anchor. The bottom is also a good gooey mud averaging 12-14 feet. We had an offer of a free mooring, anchor weight unknown, but new 1/2 inch chain. Needless to say I took it and backed it up with a 44 Delta with 130 feet of chain. I had additional rode and a second anchor ready, but didn't use them. Great Kills had 14 boats either break free or drag, but nothing like the excitement at Atlantic Highlands. My gut feeling on these is that the boats were on too small a mooring, or anchor (also perhaps scope). We had sustained 50 most of the day, I don't know what the gusts were, but no real sea action. During the height of the storm what crests formed were blown off and the rain was horizontal.

My not very humble conclusion is that the best place to drop a hook before making a run down the Jersey coast is behind Sandy Hook, if the weather is settled, otherwise use Great Kills. Also the availability of supplies is better at Great Kills, it is inside NY City and has excellent public transportation. This is also a good stop if you want to see NY City.

One other hint - the Great Kills Yacht Club is much friendlier than Richmond County Yacht Club. If you rent a mooring it will be through Richmond County YC, if you drop a hook use GKYC.

[Cathy Monaghan]

In addition to the 28 vessels that broke free of their moorings in Atlantic Highlands, 18 broke free in Keyport, 18 broke free in Perth Amboy and 25 broke free in Great Kills Harbor. None of the Raritan Bay mooring fields were spared. Not all of these boats sank but they were all severely damaged.

The marinas located in protected areas on the rivers flowing into Raritan Bay were the place to be. I keep my boat at Lockwood Boat Works which is located on a branch off of Cheesequake Creek. All of the boats are in slips at the 5 marinas on the Cheesequake, there are no moorings on the river. None of the boats at Lockwoods were damaged but there was some damage to the property, including a metal light pole that came crashing down in the parking lot and the loss of their sign.

Anyway, in a BIG blow, none of the mooring fields on Raritan Bay offer safe haven and that's one of the reasons we don't belong to any of the yacht clubs.

By the way, here's another article. This one's on the destruction caused by Ernesto in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, at the eastern end of Raritan Bay.

• http://sail-brooklyn.blogspot.com/2006/ ... shead.html

Below is a photo of waves hitting the Ocean Grove fishing pier:

• http://static.flickr.com/32/53397113_e5cf01d6d4.jpg?v=0

Click on the link below to view some photos that were snapped during Ernesto in Keyport:

• http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Ernesto ... 8794%40N00

Fair winds,
Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Zeida]

Cathy and all... I am saddened by all the damage caused because of Ernesto, but it was quite a rellief for us here in Miami. This is Bando, when we thought Ernesto was coming to us! We are on floating docks, but during Wilma (last year) our marina lost 17 of the largest boats, sunk at their slips! It was carnage! I double and triple most of my lines, use car tires between the boat and the dock (the bumpers exploded during Wilma) and also put an anchor out from the stern to stop the boat from hitting the dock, although I keep my inflatable dinghy there to act as a huge fender.
[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... 563716.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... f29d16.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... f29d07.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... f29cf8.jpg[/img]

[Jim Davis]

Cathy

Thanks for the links to he stories covering the other places I was thinking about using for Ernesto. Glad I didn't try Sheepshead.

[Warren S]

Until I learn how to post images, here is a link showing an example there lack of good prep. in a marginal storm makes all the difference:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/morveren/246498307/

This was up on the Pamilco River between Washington and Broad Creek.