Hurricane Irene

[Mimsy]

Stay safe East Coasters, our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Hoping Irene veers due east...

[rolandgilbert99]

Some tracks are showing the center of the storm as far west as over Lake Champlain, NY with winds in the 80 mph. This may cause some major damages on the lake since marinas there are not built for this kind of weather, docks are floating ones attached to concrete blocks and during normal summer thunderstorms damages are not unusual. Boaters also are not used to this type of weather and will mostly be poorly prepared, dodgers and sails may explode on some boats. Add some flooding caused by the rainfall and the northern part of the lake will again flood the Richelieu area, which is just recovering from unexpected flooding in the spring. Altogether, if the track of this hurricane is confirmed to go this far west inland it may cause lots of damages, not only to boats, but to building and electrical infrastructures.

[atoll]

so far "irene" has followed the continental shelf,if it continues on that track it may turn out to be a damp squib,with the destructive winds staying off shore........

[bobbr]

I'm on the hard at Casa Rio Marina on the Rhode River. There is a reason insurance companies pay for you to haul out--it saves them money (and you damage). I've seen postings suggesting boats are safer in the water than on the hard. Just not true statistically. I was on the hard for Isabel, maybe only 10' above sea level....no problems, while boats near me were destroyed, along with the docks they were tied to and other anchored boats blown way up on shore.

[Mark1977]

I think we may be OK here in Halifax Nova Scotia, but you never know. Without having a debate about what anchor is best, what technique do you use to anchor in high wind conditions???

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Mark1977

I think we may be OK here in Halifax Nova Scotia, but you never know. Without having a debate about what anchor is best, what technique do you use to anchor in high wind conditions???

drop n pray...let wind back ye up...
might need more than one anchor....

[rolandgilbert99]

I went through a Tropical Storm (not a hurricane) with 3 anchors at the bow. Today I would have an other 2 more at the rear with little buoys attached to the lines if I had to let them go. My two cents.

[tartansail]

The recent tracks seem to show the storm accelerating. The good news for those of us in southern New England is that it may come ashore in the early afternoon which is low tide. Earlier, it looked like landfall was going to be at high tide which would have made the surge impact much worse. Damn, I'm now checking the maps at least twice as often as they get updated.

[Hotel L]

I hope the NYers out there are ready. The news is reporting a 1ft surge already.

[sabray]

Short clip from galesville md mooring I don't want to hold the camera into the rain too long. Biggest threat here is some unprepared boat breaking loose http://m.youtube.com/?rdm=4nq0fymbs#...?v=tZturgwf7RA

[sabray]

Originally Posted by sabray

Short clip from galesville md mooring I don't want to hold the camera into the rain too long. Biggest threat here is some unprepared boat breaking loose http://m.youtube.com/?rdm=4nq0fymbs#...?v=tZturgwf7RA

Try this for video no great film not sure how to do this from iPad so try again http://m.youtube.com/?rdm=4nq0fymbs#...?v=tZturgwf7RA

[speciald@ocens.]

10PM in Annapolis. Riding it out in Annapolis Landing Marina. Gusts to 37+ so far; no surge.

[pillum]

Report in the Daily Mail in England:

A couple living attempting to outrun Hurricane Irene were also rescued today in the Chesapeake Bay as their sailboat was battered by 6- to 8-ft seas and winds gusting to 45mph, rescue officials said.

Unable to launch rescue craft, two rescue crew members swam to the sailboat, pulled the sailors off and hauled them back to shore in the Willoughby section of Norfolk near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay.

The couple, who lived aboard the ship, did not want to be identified. They were treated by medical personnel and taken to a shelter. Their cat also survived the ordeal.


For those still in the path and preparing, don't let this be you. This is only gusting 45kt...

[sabray]

Blowing touch above 37 I'm going sustained winds 45 probably more gusts going near 55. Boat has everything off no main no boom nod head sails and I'm laying over 10'degrees. I witness that's not 35 knots, not so bad but wind is above. 37 good night Irene, pray that all these moored boats keep there lines on the ball

[Pblais]

We are still getting gusts to 50 here but it has shifted to coming out of the north. The tide is dropping like a rock and in about 3 hours we should have moved out 6.5 ft of water to get us back to MLW in the lower Chesapeake or sloshed a large amount to the eastern shore in any case. We have had a poorly anchored boat out in the creek and it appears they got lucky.