Genesis Ivan Plans

[garyd]

Genesis There are places in Manatee county, I believe, to locate your hat during Ivan. We could even scare up a truck for you to get back and forth if needed. Be gald to help.

Good Luck garyd

[Genesis]

.... with the house and all to worry about as well.

I think we're going to ride it out here, but I'll know more tomorrow.

[Genesis]

.... well, ok, "technically" not forced.

If I didn't "voluntarily" leave the marina, it would "impair" my slip contract with them. (Its illegal to force a vessel to leave a marina for a storm in Florida)

The Hatt has found what I believe will be safe harbor in Panama City - hopefully. Its not an ideal slip, but it beats swinging at anchor and is another 50 miles east of the storm - my only other option was to anchor out here near Destin, which was a more dangerous proposition for her health.

Its in God's hands now.

[nick]

good luck and stay safe!

[Genesis]

Not planning to leave in here near (but not in) Destin.

If we DO go, it will be on very short notice - but as of right now we're staying put. The house is boarded, the small boat is bolted to the driveway with concrete anchors and huge eye bolts, the Hattie is 50 miles east.

BTW, if any of you ever have issues around Panama City and need help of some kind, let me put in some amazingly kind words for the TowBoat/US folks over there. They are SIMPLY AMAZING, great people, and even gave me a price break on transient dockage (!)

[rmaher]

Best wishes, Karl! Let us know how you fare and if we can offer any assistance!!

[Genesis]

..... I can see, assuming that I didn't just take a tornado in my cockpit (4 touched down near where the boat is a couple of hours ago) is that I may have some bow railing stanchion damage.

The slip I was able to secure placed a very small amount of load on the forward stanchions (forward pilings not far enough forward) when tied up. I did my best, but may damage those - if so, that's not major; its just a couple of pieces of steel tubing and perhaps some minor fiberglass repair if the bases get torn out.

It beat the available alternative - which was mooring out with a few hundred other boats, with it only taking one guy getting loose to wreck you, since you're completely defenseless when swinging on the hook and that's basically everyone's "here it comes" strategy. I think its a singularly bad idea unless you know everyone else who's anchoring out near you - and of course you never do.

At least I got the boat as far as I could away from the center of this monster with the notice I had. I know of at least one associate of mine who may not have been as lucky - he went the "wrong way" and turned around when it became obvious that being in Mobile was going to be REALLY stupid - he's a lot faster than I am, but as of last night he had only made it to Destin. I don't know if he managed to get further east today, or is taking his chances where he ended up.... (barf)

More when I know it.

[Genesis]

No damage. At all.

No structural damage to the house. My AC is out (condenser was both flooded and hit with a piece of a neighbors dock!), power just came back on an hour or so ago, and I now have the only dock in the area - all the rest on the bay around here were destroyed.

We've still got a huge mess to contend with - my yard and street is completely flooded, we've "grown" about 100' of new beach, and I suspect that Okaloosa Island was breached in a really wide and broad fashion - we're taking waves at the house that look like OCEAN waves, not those on a bay.

Anyway, the good news is that we're all ok, and so is the boat.... :)

[jkp1]

Karl,

That's great news, we were all thinking of you as this monster roared ashore.

Just curious, what was the wind speed at Panama City while you were tied up? Also, how did the boats which moored out do?

[garyd]

Great news. We were praying for you.

Some of the damage photos look bad not including at least 23 deaths.

Makes a man think about getting a serious plan of attack for family, house, boat, and business.

Now that your still alive we can start shooting you engine questions again. LOL

garyd

[Genesis]

... which is the only reason I have both a boat and house right now.

I very nearly ended up without a house courtesy of my marina. Their late "order" to move the boat very, very nearly cost me the house.

I was fortunate to be able to run to Panama City, get her docked and get back here before they shut down roads and I had to weather it either ashore or on board. That was pure luck - my INTENTION, given the intensity of the storm and the direction it was coming from, was to ride it at the dock. It was the late "get the f#$%@ out" notice that resulted in a near catastrophe.

If I had not been at my house through the storm it would have taken an enormous amount of flooding damage. The only reason it didn't was that we were here during the storm and able to immediately get after the rising water and its intended routes inside before it got inside. Had I not been able to secure dockage I would have had no choice but ride out the storm in the boat in the ditch - that would have left the house completely unprotected since there would have been nobody there - it would have been trashed.

[garyd]

Your marina manager sounds like he reacted, and late at that.

I hope you didn't think I was implying you didn't have a plan I was more thinking out loud as note to self MAKE PLAN.

Our marina decided to take anyone out that would pay the freight. They stuck them everywhere. The basin is very protected and would ride out a good suge but you would need to lengthen and tighen the lines. However all the boats on land would basically trash the marina, all the boats on land and in the water.

There does not seem to be a great single answer to keeping the boat undamaged as the Hurricanes meander all over the place.

It looks as thought we need (our location) a North plan and a South plan and then hope you choose correctly and early enough. And even then...... who knows.

Looks like you pulled it out great job!