Spider Web and a Prayer

[Genesis]

That's rocking and rolling.....

Be careful.... going over the side in these sorts of conditions - or having someone in the marina get loose and come at you - could be VERY bad.

That's my biggest fear in these situations - its not my boat, its the idiot in the marina who thinks clothesline is perfectly fine to tie up with......

You're darn close to having those pilings not be long enough though..... looks like you'll be ok, as its pretty much heading out now in your location, but I wouldn't stick around for anything uglier than that.........

 

[Traveler 45C]

The Weather Ch. is worthless!!!

Pascal, great pics, I’m glued to my computer!!! Good luck.

When Dennis passed by here we got 100+ winds out of the NW. My heavy 45C took it well. The other boats were rockin’ and rollin’, mine barely moved. You should do ok.

 

[Angela]

Pascal's photos gave me chills. Exactly where in Florida is he?

Ang

 

[saltshaker]

Pascal,
How are you making out?

 

[Pascal]

no problem.... it's over -) didn't last long ... i'm in Miami, in Coconut grove... i was finally able to get off the boat around 9:30 (kindf acrobatic... had a pfd on...) helped a couple of neighbors with lines (missing pilings)... pulled a couple of boats off the pier... i don't care if the owner is careless it hurts to see a big Bertie, viking or (even) sea ray grinding itself to destruction.

altogether damage is minimal... i have nothing... not even a scratch this time around. yes pilings are WAY too low... couple of sunk boats on T docks at other piers. on my pier, the big steel 100 footer at the end had some cosmetic damage.. he ripped a piling when the wind shifted, helpped him replace a line...

down to 30 kts now, rain seems almost over.

here are a few more pics

 

[Pascal]

more pictures...

actually my slip is pretty well protected. i have a 100 footer steel boat at the end of the dock, 2 slips down, which is give some protection from easterly/SE winds. There is also a spoil island on the other sde of the channel to the east. Right across the pier and channel is a spoil islands wth tall trees. then on the West side is the city. north is a lot of piers, no fetch... wind is disrupted.

the boat wasn't rolling much. very little. others more exposed were. i helped a guy with a 55 sailboat pulling on a line after a piling went, that thing was rolling like crazy! sailboats... and he was more exposed to the SW...

 

[Traveler 45C]

Glad to hear you made out ok.

I hate to see boats on the beach.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Wow! How do you even get down the dock to help out? Be careful and watch out when the power comes back on. You don't want a surge to hit your panel and there could be some shorts out on the dock too.

 

[captddis]

Great pictures Pascal! All our water has left, the 46 looks like it is on plane. I won't complain though. Hope every one came through all right. My Uncle is in Key Largo I bet he has water inside.

 

[saltshaker]

Glad to hear you made it through OK.

 

[Pascal]

last batch...

 

[solanderi]

I had to go to work so that's why I have a functioning computer.

First and foremost is the safety of our family and friends. Thank God for that.

I'll send the pics when my computer is up again but my story is similar to Pascal's. Everybody lost canvas, Bertram among others with outriggers that snapped like tooth picks, I only saw a few boats grinding on the dock and it was too sporty to risk adjusting lines w/ debris flying all over....not pretty.

The clincher was the parking lot 100 feet from my boat slip had one car flipped over and four more stacked around it.....100 feet away ! Must have been a local tornado...I was sure the HAT TIME must have taken a bad hit.......nothing. Not a broken antennae, not a drop of water inside the salon, no cosmetics except for a palm nursery worth of debris in the cockpit. Absolutely outstanding and of course, lucky. I am sure when I clean her up I'll find something but as it stands, I am counting my blessings. Glad to hear others came through okay. Will check in later.

 

[labrador]

Glad to hear both of you made it through ok. Pictures were unreal, don't ever want to go through anything like that. Why do the sailboaters down there leave the mains on the boom and the self furlers on? It would only take a1/2 hour to 40 minutes to get them off. I think it should be req. in the marinas with a named storm due in! Those can flog anything to death in their way.

 

[Traveler 45C]

Sometimes those guys don’t even show up to tie up their boats. A sail boater 2 slips from me only shows up after the storm. Well, he does have it for sale… Maybe that explains it…

 

[Passages]

Guys,

We have family in Ft. Myers that we can't get through to - not answering phone or email.
Anybody know how bad it was over on that side of the state?

 

[labrador]

I have a plant in Sarasota with the employees in Northport. They came thru ok however will have to wait to see what happened to the factory. Not as bad down there as feared.

 

[Passages]

Thanks,

I Googled "Ft. Myers" and the reports are of relatively minor damage. Maybe the family is still holed up at some Hurricane Party.

 

[rmaher]

I had an email from a friend who lives along a canal in Ft Myers this morning. He said all utilities (including cable & corresponding internet) were out. (He was using his PDA!) Otherwise, he said they were fine. Lot of wind and rain but not bad otherwise. Wind was still blowing 50 at about 10 am.

Rob

 

[Genesis]

Ft. Myers didn't get it bad.

The worst was in the Keys and on the east coast. Most of the "dirty" side on the west end of the state was inhabited only by alligators...

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Michigan winters are looking better all the time.