Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy 2012, courtesy of NOAA

Did you know that Craig's moms name is Sandy.  Hmmmm, did she have anything to do with this?  She said early on that it was going to be wicked.  Now she wants to take it all back.  Ha Ha Ha

It's not all her fault.  Earlier this summer when we where hanging out with captain Dan, he said "you know, you should probably replace those dock lines"  We admitted that we could use some new ones, "but why do we need new ones, we don't stay at marinas and unless we are in a hurricane, we think we'll pass"  Was that the kiss of death or what?  I'm sure Dan is saying "I told you so....."  Dan, you'll be happy to know that we have 4 new dock lines (2x40 feet and 2x50 feet)!

All joking aside, hurricane Sandy is on her way.  There is no more guessing and no more hoping she will veer east and head out to sea.  We don't know exactly where she will hit but it will impact us where ever she does.  The reports say she is 600 miles wide.  We have access to some of the best marine weather out there provided by Chris Parker and the Marine Weather Center.  We get updates twice a day and can make decisions based on that.

This is a picture from the passage weather website we use for wind speed and direction.  Keep in mind that this is wind speed in knots (1.15 times mph) on the water.  This is the forecast for Sunday night.

We moved the boat to a wide slip (one we can spider web into), on a floating dock at the Bluewater Yachting Center in Hampton VA.  It is a new facility and in good repair, so it should hold up to the wind and storm surge.  We will rise along with the surge in tandem with the dock - that's how a floating dock is designed.  The pilings are not terribly tall, so hopefully the storm surge will not be huge.

We have battened down the hatches, removed the jib sail, lashed the main sail, removed the dodger, enclosure and cockpit cushions.  Essentially we have removed or lashed down anything and everything that could blow away or chafe.

We consulted with our insurance company to find out what their expectations and/or requirements were.

Craig's mom and stepdad have been with us this week and they have worked harder than I think they bargained for.  They came down for a vacation and spend time with us.  That plan was thrown out the window nearly as soon as they got here.  They have worked hard on the boat or looking after the girls so we can work.  We couldn't have done it without them (or their car!).  A huge thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We are ready for whatever Sandy brings, to the best of our abilities.  It is a scary thought that our boat could be damaged and we have come so far!   Let's hope for the best.  We'll update you as soon as we can.