September 5, 2016

Ah, yes, the joys of boat ownership during hurricane season.

We are blessed by having two boats in two oceans, over 3000 miles apart. And usually during the late summer months, the weather patterns on both coasts start to produce favorable conditions for tropical development. The water temperatures around our beautiful island, Martha's Vineyard, are warmed by the Gulf Stream. This keeps us warmer in the fall, but also provides a highway of sorts for storms to follow on their northward course. Our Herreshoff Catboat has weathered several hurricanes at her mooring in Katama Bay.

This year, however, our friend, Jack Brewer, who works at Martha's Vineyard Shipyard, decided that conditions were such that they should move the boat to a safer mooring in the inner harbor of Edgartown. Katama Bay is wide open and a strong southeasterly fetch and tidal surge, combined with some big seas could drive the boats ashore. At the moment we are hunkered down in our home in Katama awaiting what Hermine is going to do. Gusty winds, over 50 here, but out in the open, Atlantic gusts of up to 70 are predicted by Marine Weather, with some very heavy seas.

So, while studying the local computer models, I decided to check out the conditions in the Pacific where Cadenza is moored. She is safely ensconced at Paradise Village Marina in Nuevo Vallarta, where she rode out Hurricane Patricia last fall. The season prior, she was in a close relationship with Hurricane Odile in La Paz.

I am somewhat of a weather worry-wart ( WWW) and check many websites frequently for updates. Some of the best for the Eastern Pacific are www.eebmike.com and www.sonrisanet.org I also find www.windyty.com quite helpful for both coasts and, of course, the National Hurricane sites are very helpful as well. Today, all are cause for some alarm as rarely are we "attacked" on both coasts simultaneously.

The weather is something we have no control over, so "letting go" is one of those mantras that Terri will repeatedly chant . I guess it helps somewhat, as there isn't much we can do. Fortunately, we were able to arrive home yesterday before the storm hit. It is quite interesting being on a popular vacation island with so many tourists unable to leave because all the ferries have been canceled.

As far as preparation, we, of course do the usual storm preparation of adding extra lines, fenders and reducing windage. We also have great caretakers on both coasts: Eugenie Russell and Elizabeth Shanahan in Nuevo Vallarta and Martha's Vineyard Shipyard in Edgartown, Mass.

But, when studying both of the enclosed graphics, its a bit difficult to relax until these two blow themselves out far away and not cause much damage to anyone.

A good day to have some chowdah and a glass (or two) of wine and catch up on some reading. But, no, Terri has suggested we take the 4 wheel drive Lexus down to the South Beach for a photo opportunity.

Perhaps we should invite some friends to the house for chowdah and put Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be happy" on the stereo. Might as well sit back and enjoy while Mother Nature shows us that she is, indeed, in charge.