November 9, 2009

Extended Layover: The Boat Marina, Fort Walton FL

Woke up early again this morning at 5:00AM. Listened to the weather forecast for the area most of the day. Updates on the progress of the storm were hourly.. Seems that the Hurricane IDA is headed this way and expected to hit about midnight. According to NOAA weather radio the waves 10 miles off shore in the Gulf are now 7 to 10 feet building to 14 to 20 feet. Winds are 25 to 35 with gusts up to 40.

As soon as the sun came up at 6:00AM the Marina was alive with activity. Boat owners were nervously checking their dock lines and securing their boats and adding more dock lines. Marina employees were busy with the “hurricane haul-outs“. At the beginning of each boating season boat owners have the ability to purchase the hurricane haul-out option for an additional $500. This option can be called when hurricanes are forecast and approaching the marina in Fort Walton Beach. Boats electing option are pulled out of the water with the travel lift and placed in the parking lot of the marina. When the storm passes, the boats are then put back into the water. The boats that I saw being placed on the hard were large expensive motor vessels, many with fly bridges and part of the charter fishing fleet..

Met with Joyce the manager of the marina about 9:00AM. She told me that if I would like to stay, the charge for keeping my boat here would be $100.00 per month. This is a discount of 20% from the average monthly fee offered by other marinas. Seemed like a fair price to pay to have a temporary slip in FL. Joyce told me that I could borrow the old marina work truck and make a run to the store for provisions. I needed beer and ice. Also wanted to make a trip to the Library to use the internet to check the progress of IDA and the prices to travel home.

Returned to the boat and added aft spring lines. Hopefully they will keep the boat from being pushed into the dock and damaging the motor during the Hurricane. Water Mark is backed into the slip.

Took off the mainsail and stored it in the “V” birth. Cooked a ham and cheese omelet with Texas toast for breakfast. Called Sandy with a hurricane update. Sandy said that the storm is making the news up north and she strongly advised me to get off the boat and get a motel room. At least until the storm passed. I told her that I would think about it. However, after thinking about it, I have no intention of leaving the Water Mark alone in her first tropical storm. Winds are now coming out of the east southeast at 24 miles per hour. Waves hit the hull from the stern and shake the boat. And the worst is yet to come.

After lunch, I sat down in the cabin of the boat and decided to update the log and wait out the storm as I monitored the NOAA weather radio.

At 8PM The boat is rocking and rolling from the current and shuddering from the strong wind produced by IDA. The storm is moving toward us at 18 to 19 MPH. IDA should make a landfall by midnight as forecast. IDA should produce between 3 and 6 inches of rain and increase the tides by 2 to 3 feet. Was told this would happen and to tie the dock lines high on the pilings so the boat would rise with the tides and expected surge. Winds are so strong that he rigging is vibrating like a guitar string. IDA made land fall about midnight as I sat drinking my third Fosters Lager. The boat rock and rolled, shuttered and vibrated as the winds reached 55 mph and rain poured into the cabin from the companion way from the gusts. Tried to mop up the excess water but new water would quickly replace the mopped up water. The carpet in front of the galley was soaked. The aft sleeping quarters was soaked. The starboard birth in the Cabin was soaked. I set out all of the pot and pans as well a extra cups to catch the stray water. I just keep coming. I must have rained 3 inches in the boat. By 2AM I was exhausted and crawled into the sleeping bag that was up in the “V” berth. This was the only dry spot on the boat. Must admit that I did not get a very good nights sleep. About 5AM I wished that I had listened to Sandy and gotten a motel room.