Heads up keys and so Florida

[Retired1]

For ONCE , I wish one would arrive in the daytime!!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot- I checked off “riding out a hurricane on a boat” from my bucket list during Andrew (1992)in Miami. Oh yes I did!
I lived aboard, and had no insurance so I paid attention-not a scratch. Went down to Islamorada and Brazil for several months afterwards.

I’m glad my wife is in Europe so I don’t have to be fretting about her safety. I’ll wait til the eye hits land before I prep.

[JuiceClark]

I really like the GEPS models. They show what the weather men really know at this time:

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[rsmith]

Looking better for us on the east coast. Out of the cone now for Vero/FtPierce.

[rsmith]

Well the redneck drunk donkey with the dogs that Pascal makes fun of was right the 11 pm has the eye tracking more to the east putting the west coast in the worst quadrant.

[Dan Mapes]

That's a good one. This Mike guy is a little long-winded, but I'll watch the updates from each of those until she arrives.
https://youtu.be/cb_dAOBuLko?t=345

I have 9 lines attached to 7 pilings and I'll drop the big anchor in the middle of the canal. 7 bumpers lining the starboard along a bumper-lined dock. I'm not aware of anything else I can do to keep a 52C out of my pool. The biggest risk seems to be the wind blowing directly toward the dock and this beast of a boat crushing it.

One preparation I saw was to lay down wide blue painter's tape around things like the dash areas. Then cover the area with plastic that get's duct taped to the wide painter's tape. The sandwich comes up easily. I would not keep the areas large in size, but keep the plastic flat and tight.

[cww]

For ONCE , I wish one would arrive in the daytime!!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot- I checked off “riding out a hurricane on a boat” from my bucket list during Andrew (1992)in Miami. Oh yes I did!
I lived aboard, and had no insurance so I paid attention-not a scratch. Went down to Islamorada and Brazil for several months afterwards.

I’m glad my wife is in Europe so I don’t have to be fretting about her safety. I’ll wait til the eye hits land before I prep.

That's a valid point. Born in Florida, lived here my whole life. I have been through I can't remember how many dozen hurricanes in 40 years and can only remember 2 where the bulk of the storm hit during daytime. One I rode out on my old boat. I had just bought it and within an hour of the closing I got a notice from the insurance company saying that because there was a named storm in the region they had suspended writing any new policies. I figured that was too much money to lose, so I bought every pre-cut rope west marine had and made a big spider web out of them tied to multiple different pilings on all sides to/from every cleat on the boat, plus both anchors down, and stayed onboard. It was a cement dock, so I figured if that boat went anywhere it would have to be some real Day After Tomorrow stuff and it wouldn't matter anyway. Came through fine minus one cracked salon window.

Random side note, the marina the boat was in when I bought it was owned by a company called loggerhead. I'd intended to move the boat but the storm wound up with me staying longer than I thought I would, so I rented the slip for another month, their rates were so lopsided that it was cheaper than paying for a week. They called my cell phone at like 4pm the day before the storm was supposed to arrive and said we're checking everybody's insurance, bring a copy to the office or you'll have to leave. I said well funny story, I can't get insurance because a hurricane got named right when I bought the boat, here's the letter from them. Corporate told the guy I had to leave. At this point it's like 5pm, the storm was supposed to be there the next morning, and some guy in their corproate office somewhere is screaming at the marina manager to call the cops on me. I said I'm not leaving are you nuts. Call the pope if you want, you took my money for slip rent, and you touch my lines you can expect a response. Never heard anything else from them. When I went to pay my bill, manager guy apologized and said he thought it was ridiculous. I will never give that company another dollar as long as I live.

The other one hit abnormally late that year, I was home for thanksgiving and rode it out with my parents. Howling wind, the cupola flew off the garage and smashed into the back of the house. Went driving around during the eye.

[rsmith]

FWIW tape the fuel vents and any thing else salt water can drive up into. The driving spray is mostly salt.

[Pascal]

Well the redneck drunk donkey with the dogs that Pascal makes fun of was right the 11 pm has the eye tracking more to the east putting the west coast in the worst quadrant.

At 4 to 5 days the tracks always shift back and forth. He wasn’t the only one who had mentioned the possibility , Dr Cowan at Tropical Tidbits did as well. Problem with the west coast and storms coming from the south is that just a 20 miles shift has a huge impact.

[JuiceClark]

The forecast couldn't be worse for here around Sanibel and up through Tampa.

The dinghy is off the bow and secured.
6 lines to pilings and the anchor is out. Another 4 lines to hard parts of my floating dock in case of an extreme high or low surge.
After taking the bridge windows down, I left the vinyl cover on the helm...but put 5 bungees over it to hold a bit longer.
All vents are taped closed. Taped all around the electronics boxes so water can't blow in.
Ran tape around the hatches outside to dissuade water blowing through the gasket.
Left the add-on baitwell in the cockpit full of water.
Batteries are full and will disconnect the shore power tonight.
Kayaks and anything that could fly is in the garage or lashed-down.

I'm not sure what else to do. Hoping for the best, expecting the worst and dreading this PITA.

[madhatter1]

It's headed right for us. 34 Is on the hard, engines up on pallets. Hope they are high enough. 46 is tied up at Riviera Dunes in Palmetto FL. Highly protected basin. Another member here is also there. Multiple fenders and tight lines. Floating docks. But what if the whole dock floats above the pilings? I hope not.

At the house we picked up anything in the garage that could float and make a water line. Then went through our possessions picking winners and loosers. Only so many hangers and high places to stow things. We never once evacuated but leave in the morning taking all vehicles including the Firechicken on a trailer. Timing and angle of the storm are worse case scenario. Hitting Wednesday night/Thursday early AM during an extra high tide. Could wish for a "Charlie" chipshot but why? Then some else gets whacked. It looks like our turn. Hunker down. Put your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye!