Dorian

[thomm225]

They're saying it's back to a Cat 3 (and wavering a bit East and West) and the Navy up here is sending their ships out to sea.......for safety

And they can dodge the storm quite easily since most can maintain 30 knots or better.

Many of the left yesterday

[Captain Bill]

After previous hurricanes there were reports of relief supplies being held up by Bahamas customs to collect import duties. Lets hope that under the current dire circumstances they don't repeat such folly.

[belizesailor]

The practice is all too common in many places. I bet the officials are already scheming.

I hope there is a very special Karmic reward for those who can stoop so low as to steal from people in need.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

The practice is all too common in many places. I bet the officials are already scheming.

I hope there is a very special Karmic reward for those who can stoop so low as to steal from people in need.

Take a look:

https://www.bahamas.com/sites/defaul...n-aug-2019.pdf

[jmh2002]

^^^ Good, thanks for posting because unfortunately there are always an unscrupulous few who seek to take advantage.

[alansmith]

Anyone paying attention to the other tropical depression headed to the Caribbean as we speak. Check it out on Windyty.com

[B23iL23]

Only one I can see looks like it's heading north for Newfoundland. Have I got the right one?

[weavis]

I had the experience myself of living and working in the States for 14 years. They sure as eggs are eggs in a different thinking mode to the Brits.

However, having gone through a few hurricanes in Florida, I was humbled and privileged to work alongside an army of warm-hearted and selfless human beings giving their time and energy to look after their fellow people who had suffered.

One case in particular I recall, There was a house underwater with elderly folk in it on the top floor. The river was running fast and no one could get to it, the helicopter was busy seeing to other folks. Time was running out.

One guy in the group said he would get out his airboat if I as a medic and 2 others would come as well to help remove them. Every single person in the group offered to help, the old, the young the women....

Now the airboat was not just an airboat, it was new, it had been worked on for months and was a beauty... that didnt matter to him... the people mattered.

As was quite large 5 of us went, We had poles to push off the debris in the water. It was difficult to say the least. The owner/ pilot of the airboat had a great sense of humour. Every time we got hit by floating wood or metal, he would make a comment like "another week" to indicate the time it would take to rectify the dints and bangs...

We eventually got there, we tied off on the lee side of the current and went inside. the older man had emphysema, so I stabilised him, and his wife had a banged-up leg... Managed to splint that and then the younger guys picked them up and took to the airboat.

On our return, we picked up 2 very tired dogs swimming in the water...

Unfailing sense of humour, amazing determination and when we got back they went straight out again looking for animals. I waited with the folks until ambulance managed to get through the roads to pick them up.

A BBQ trailer business from Georgia, loaded up his huge concern and trucked all the way to our town and fed everyone for 10 days free of charge.

The local supermarket trucked in bottled water free of charge.

The military and police help was amazing.

One huge business brought in hundreds of 3-kilowatt generators and loaned them to everyone.

We had a town meeting a month later to say thank you to everyone. There was nothing but an atmosphere of selflessness among the people who contributed and helped. They asked me to speak and I declined... the mayor decided he would talk about one or two events i was involved in.. He started by saying,
" Now them there English folks with the funny manners and way of talking, aint as stuck up as they would have us believe. Dr G here never slept for 4 days and ran the emergency centre until the hospital could come in... I want to mention one trip he went on down by the farm. Someone was stuck in the outlet and the water was rising... now Ben knew that the sewer outfall was filling and soon overflow, and was trying to get around the back to pick the guy up in the boat.. Dr G saw that the water was rising fast and said to ben, Iwill go and get him, take the boat to the next bend and I will float down with him... then he went over the side... Ben said he didnt have time to tell about the sewer.. Dr G had gone..

Now Ben said that he felt bad... but watched fascinated as Dr G went straight to guy and went with the flow to my boat....followed by this brown murky water from the sewer.... He got to boat and we got the guy in and the Dr G got in I backed into the flow and we headed off..about 5 seconds in front of the sewer outlet water..

Dr G just looked at me and said.. "Phew.. pen and inks a bit dont it?" I still dont know what that means but dr G did not know till just now what had happened..."

The Mayor went on the thank "International help" because of me being there and said how much he admired the Brits for their nature. I couldnt let that go so I stood up and said " I bet you guys wish you hadnt thrown all that tea overboard now..."

So when I see the help given from the pockets of the Americans.... I know it to be real and selfless and given from the heart....

thank you America.

[jmh2002]

[Exile]

Great story Weav. Worth a couple of re-reads actually. Thanks for posting it. And thanks to you and so many others who performed selfless and indeed heroic work on behalf of others.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Exile

Great story Weav. Worth a couple of re-reads actually. Thanks for posting it. And thanks to you and so many others who performed selfless and indeed heroic work on behalf of others.

Naah... the bill is in the mail....

People the world over want to help...... During my 7 years for WHO and other rescue organisations, In the main, I saw nothing but compassion and caring and willingness to help wherever and whatever.

One of the most selfless acts I recognise is the pilots who flew over Chernobyl to drop cement... knowing they would die.

It makes me tear up occasionally...

People can be beautiful...

I have a philosophy of "why not?" There is never a loss in helping someone else... even if they go on to fail again, we done did what we could.

[Exile]

Speaking of . . .

Bahamas Hurricane Relief by Cruisers - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

[thomm225]

So we are only getting gusts to 65 knots or so but our boats are being pounded by the NE wind. There are several slots between the condos that allow the wind to come through fully

I added another line to my boat

There are 4 jibs that have become partially unfurled so far ay my marina

It appears the jibs that have shredded are better for the boat. Those that are still whole and partially unfurled are beating the crap out of the boat they are on

My boats were on trailers for the other 8 hurricanes I went thru so you could find good spots to put them

[contrail]

Originally Posted by thomm225

So we are only getting gusts to 65 knots or so but our boats are being pounded by the NE wind. There are several slots between the condos that allow the wind to come through fully

I added another line to my boat

There are 4 jibs that have become partially unfurled so far ay my marina

It appears the jibs that have shredded are better for the boat. Those that are still whole and partially unfurled are beating the crap out of the boat they are on

My boats were on trailers for the other 8 hurricanes I went thru so you could find good spots to put them

Where, exactly, are you?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by contrail

Where, exactly, are you?

Virginia Beach, VA (Norfolk/Hampton Roads) in Little Creek. Maybe 20 miles south of where I was last Friday Night

We're just getting outer bands...….but it's playing havoc on the lines etc with light wind then heavy and repeat

Water level is good though and I'm definitely not complaining just putting out some info. I think I'd rather be at anchor than at the dock but there's no place close by except Willoughby Bay

Also I have used a couple old halyards to help strengthen my old dock lines which may have been a bad idea because the halyards don't give much like the dock lines do and anchor rode so it's jerking the boat quite a bit on gusts and loading up the hard points. Glad I'm not a liveaboard today

There are several liveaboards on their boats at our marina though. I talked to one of them last night. He's on an old Columbia but at least he's young …...under 40 I'd say

https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_pa...?station=chyv2