Carribean during hurricane season

[John A]

Rick,
Thanks for the pics. Its really hard to convince people just what the huricane season means. It's equally frustrating to explain what your experiences have been and then people take issue with you when you try to answer their questions.
Sailing east from Florida is an upwind sail in the best of times, during hurricane season it canbe life threating.
If people chose to ignore the facts, that's their choice.

Skipmac, the jaywalking comment had nothing to do with boats, but was in referance to people assuming responsibiity of the risk involved for their actions.

regards John

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

ABC, Tobago, Venezuela... all hit by hurricanes or they passed south of them, hence, a lottery.

cheers,
Nick.

So is the east coast up to New York...

[flysci]

How about flying from Miami to Seattle and sailing the NW? Just a thought.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by John A

Rick,
Thanks for the pics. Its really hard to convince people just what the huricane season means. It's equally frustrating to explain what your experiences have been and then people take issue with you when you try to answer their questions.
Sailing east from Florida is an upwind sail in the best of times, during hurricane season it canbe life threating.
If people chose to ignore the facts, that's their choice.

Skipmac, the jaywalking comment had nothing to do with boats, but was in referance to people assuming responsibiity of the risk involved for their actions.

regards John

One last try and I give up. Sure hurricanes can be life threatening, never in any way said or implied otherwise. Sailing any time any where can be life threatening. Driving on the highway (forget about jaywalking) is life threatening. My point is NOT to ignore any risk or to not assume responsibility for one.s actions but the exact opposite, to know and understand the risks and to assume full responsibility for one's actions.

Let me add to the warning of Nick's photos. I had a friend who lived in south Miami when hurricane Andrew struck. He lived miles inland in a solid, well built house. The house was reduced to rubble while he and his family huddled under mattresses and tables in tub on the back side of the house. It was by far the most terrifying experience of their lives and they survived only by luck or the grace of God, however you prefer to see it.

These are facts.

1. The risk and danger of a hurricane is not to be ignored. Hurricanes can be horrible, dangerous and can kill you.

2. Anyone who ignores the risk of a hurricane is foolish.

3. Hurricanes can occur any time of year, not just June through November.

4. Nowhere in the west north Atlantic is immune. Hurricanes or tropical storms have made landfall on the north coast of South America, Panama and all the way to New England.

5. Hurricanes do not appear magically overnight from nowhere. Weather satellites, hurricane hunter aircraft, deep sea buoys and other modern technology provides reliable information and advance notice of hurricane formation. This can range from a few days to a few weeks.

My conclusion and decision, based on facts and for which I assume full and complete responsibility, for one who is aware of and understands the risks and carefully monitors weather data from multiple sources, the risk of being caught in a hurricane is very small.

If you do not understand the risks, cannot or will not monitor weather conditions or have some situation that would prevent you from evacuating in case a storm approaches then should should by all means stay home. To do otherwise is extremely foolish.

If you think Grenada or Panama or Chesapeake Bay or wherever you are is totally safe then stay where you are but be prepared, you might be in for an unwelcome surprise.

[Jane.Joy]

Originally Posted by skipmac

By the way, I am not trying to convince anyone to do anything. Just trying to present a balance picture of the risks and counter the arguments that going any where south of GA in August-September is the height of folly.

Ditto.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

...which boats do you charter where during hurricane season? All charter boats were laid up, closed for business.

I have chartered from Sunsail in the BVI in July and August in the past. They are definitely not all "laid up." True there were not nearly as many boats out as you would see in February or March, but that was part of the appeal (that, and the tremendously better rates!). I have not been farther south at that time of year. Maybe it is different when you get down to St. Lucia or Grenada.

The point is that one must understand the risks, and then choose what to do based on ones tolerance of those risks. We made the decision to charter more or less "last minute," as one depression was moving out and no others were forming. We realized that there was a possibility that we would have to cancel, evacuate, cut the charter short, or sit out a storm in a hotel room on one of the islands.

To the OP, only you can decide what risks you are willing to accept. If you were to put a deposit on a charter, and then have weather force you to change plans, would that ruin things for you? Would losing your deposit break the bank? Some people get their hearts set on a particular plan and can't have a good time if everything gets changed. If that's you, or if you cannot afford the possibility of losing your deposit because of a sudden storm, then better to make other plans. If you are willing to go with the flow and adapt to whatever happens, then no reason that you shouldn't plan on the possibility of chartering a boat in the Caribbean at that time of year.

[s/v Jedi]

Yes, chartering in the BVI or Spanish Virgins is possible. I somehow always think of Leewards and Windwards for Caribbean, so that is where my comments were aimed at.

cheers,
Nick.

[svwindhorse]

John- how do you like hauling out at Puerto Del Rey. We have
been hauling out in Trinidad and were thinking of trying Puerto
Del Rey. What is the yard like, is it very secure? I think I remember
years ago there were some security issues there.- John SV Windhorse

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, John (“Windhorse”).