Hurricane Bill

[sailorboy1]

Hurricane Bill already effecting coast of New England and I'm sitting here with the Perfect Storm on TV. Talk about a reality check for going out this weekend!

[s/v Moondancer]

If Bill had run through the middle or lower Caribbean we might have been looking at another 'insurance crisis' when we came to renew. In Miami my insurance almost doubled to 3.3% of value, after we were hit by Wilma and Katrina and 100's of boats were destroyed...almost all of which still had their jibs on their furlers!

Phil, in Chagaramas Trinidad because of the insurance requirements.

[captmick39]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

If Bill had run through the middle or lower Caribbean we might have been looking at another 'insurance crisis' when we came to renew. In Miami my insurance almost doubled to 3.3% of value, after we were hit by Wilma and Katrina and 100's of boats were destroyed...almost all of which still had their jibs on their furlers!

Phil, in Chagaramas Trinidad because of the insurance requirements.

We have a business...we know a dozen Catastrophic Insurance Adjustors and they know us. We've been to the most damaged marinas, boatyards, and coastlines (as well as often inland...FAR Inland, where 140' shrimp boats were in the middle of 4 lane highways, and "Gambling/Casino" Barges were now on the land side of the former Hotel hosting same). Often the owners had taken every realistic measure they could to secure and protect their investment, stripping them of anything that would catch air and putting it below or removing from the vessel completely. They had their boats set on stands the hard at boat yards, secured to giant concrete tiedowns with pad eyes, in the end, shy having their vessel trailered dozens if not hundreds of miles inland would have been the only legitimate measure.

For every vessel fitting that "be prepared" category above there were/are/will be always (i feel certain) 10 (or a greater number), where they simply, while prioritizing the other preparations in thier lives (or not), the "good old boat" came last on the list (if at all).

Those folks ill-prepared boats, poorly moored or anchored, not enough scope out, with old or failing lines, no chafing gear installed, plenty of windage items topsides always break free and come ashore, like the bowling ball to deal it's blow to the row of pins or dominoes all stacked in a row, that's how the travesty usually begins. It's like the tale of a chain only being as strong as it's weakest link. We are only as prepared, no matter how much we do, as the poorest prepared of our neighbors, to windward.

Wish I had a nickel for every vessel seen that was the obvious originator of the particular catastrophe...with docklines still attached, chafed through & shredded, genoa on the furler, main & whatever was left of the sail cover on the boom, dodger, bimini...You name it, if it could have/should have been below, it wasn't.

Get prepared & while You're doing so....look around. If the majority have done, or are doing nothing to minimize damage, Get Your Vessel Out of There...they'll all be on the beach (or worse) in a little while. If You're anywhere close, regardless of Your ground tackle OR Preparations...
THEY'LL TAKE YOU WITH THEM.

Same goes for dry docks. Don't just get Your vessel "hunkered down";
Look around note what Your neighbors are doing (or not).

[Hud3]

Watch out along the Atlantic coast! Bill is churning up some very large swells, the worst of which are expected to reach Cape Cod on Sunday, at 18'-23' significant wave height. That means the largest could be almost twice that high.

From Dr. Jeff Masters' blog on wunderground.com (LINK)...

In the U.S., Bill's swells will reach New York's Long Island on this afternoon, and seas will build to 7 - 10' on Saturday and 12 - 16' on Sunday in the near shore waters. By tonight, Bill's swells will be affecting the entire U.S. East Coast from Florida to Maine. Maximum sea heights in near shore waters over the weekend will be about 6 - 8' from Florida to South Carolina, 11 - 14' along the North Carolina coast, 8 - 11' along the mid-Atlantic coast, and 11 - 14' along the coast of Maine. The highest waves along the U.S. coast will occur at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where waves of 18 - 23' are being forecast by NOAA for Sunday. Bill's high waves will likely cause millions of dollars in coastal erosion damage and create very dangerous rip currents and swimming conditions along the coast.