So we have changed our plans a little because of the forecast of crappy weather due to hurricane Sandy. We had planned to spend a couple more days cruising the southern Chesapeake before making our way to Hampton or Norfolk, but with unpleasant weather forecast we decided to tuck in to a marina in Hampton for the week before we head offshore to the Bahamas. The alternative was to find a secure anchorage, put out our anchor, and hang on for the next 4 or 5 days. As with everything it is a trade-off - it is much more convenient in a marina than being out at anchor in crappy weather, and assuming we don't get a very large storm surge or a direct hit from the hurricane with really serious winds, more secure.

The only real worry is that if there is a very large storm surge there is a risk that the floating docks will float right off their pylons and the whole marina and all the attached boats will then blow away (not a good scenario). On the other hand if it gets really really bad, we always have the option of walking off the boat to dry land. In any case, we are now committed as there are two more catamarans tied up behind us blocking our exit from the marina. But just in case this sounds more dire than it is, I need to point out we're actually having an enjoyable time here, preparing the boat for departure next week, catching up on the todo list, streaming a movie each evening while we have unlimited power and internet, and catching up with other friends who are also here in the Bluewater Yacht Marina. We're just keeping a careful eye on the weather at the same time.

In other news, we also decided earlier this week to join up with Salty Dog Rally for the passage to the bahamas (http://saltydawg.org). Rallies vary in their structure and organization, but they are basically a way of cruising with some company. We were a little hesitant about joining a rally as they can lead to poor decisions due to "group think" particularly with departure and routing decisions, but on the other hand they have a very positive social component and some helpful benefits such as professional weather services and tracking. More on this next week once we have the details.

We'll keep you posted as the storm unfolds. If you want to read more on Sandy, the official National Hurricane Center site is: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_atl.shtml. At the moment depending what source you use, we're expecting to get winds gusting up to the 50 to 60 knot range, with maybe 4' of storm surge. All very manageable where we are, but we need to be aware the forecasts are all a little uncertain as well.

Mark.