Hurricane Joaquin: Path change and plan B implemented

Friday was spent with breaths half held, eyes glued to forecast monitors and wind maps while waiting for the seller to call so we can determine if we’re going to leave our boat where she is in Spa Creek, or if we’re taking her 4 hours south to a marina in a protected harbor. The experts are predicting that Hurricane Joaquin is going away from the coast and into the Atlantic, which is fantastic news.  However, the system causing us all the wind and rain remains in place, and gale force winds are sweeping the area.

This wind is incredible, its power shushing through the trees as a constant backdrop to our daily activities. There are times the wind whispers, and times it sings beautiful operas, and then there are times it shouts louder than a train pulling into station. As I type this,  the tree tops are bent over, hunched like old ladies over their walkers, and the wind murmurs unintelligibly as they shuffle in place.

Blurry but beautiful in our new Frogg Toggs. We are ready for foul weather!

The Frogg Togg foul weather gear I ordered was delivered Friday afternoon, and I felt like a child again playing dress up. The material feels like cardboard and styrofoam had a baby, and are big enough to be pulled over a variety of clothing including sweat pants and a sweat shirt.  This is good, since the Toggs themselves don’t provide much insulation.

Shortly after these pictures were taken, the seller called. We are all on the same page, much to my relief.  If we try to move the boat, we are placing our lives at risk.  Yes, the boat can handle the waves, but it’s the wind and the current that makes us nervous.  We’d rather not be someone else’s dinner story, work gossip, or brief news story.  We’d rather not be someone else’s educational story as to what not to do during bad weather.  There are enough of those stories as it is.  Instead, the boat is going to stay where it is. The sails have been strapped down in such a way they cannot come unfurled. The seller, who only lives 15 – 20 minutes away from Annapolis, is handling the boat this weekend as he does not need assistance to add or adjust lines, and we live just over 2.5 hours away.  He’s keeping us apprised of everything via email and phone calls.

Such an email from the seller arrived Friday evening: “I went to Annapolis late this afternoon to check on the boat. Everything was fine but I adjusted lines and added four more to keep the boat safe with the 30 knot northeasterly wind coming down Spa Creek. Plus fenders on both sides in case another boat goes astray. It’s in good position now and the wind is not expected to get any greater than it was this afternoon when I was there. I’ll check on the boat again tomorrow morning at low tide.”

I am so grateful to this seller for taking care of the boat.  True, neither Essex nor the broker has called to say the loan has been finalized, which means the seller still owns the boat, and one might argue this is in his best interest as he’s protecting the sale.  But, I sense there is more to it than that.  I sense he truly cares, and is doing what is right.  I sense this boat has been important to him for many years–he purchased the boat brand new and has been its only owner.  I sense he has worthy character, and his moral compass would not permit any other action, even if boat ownership had transferred on Friday.

I’m also glad that we’re able to email or call each other to discuss the status of things.  Peter had a conversation with him yesterday regarding advice for hiring a captain and recommendations as to who he’s used in Annapolis for rigging maintenance.  I’m so glad we’ve removed the broker as our intermediary, as we’ve learned bits of information has not been passed along to us, such as  the seller’s offer to spend a day with us going over the boat, its systems, and sailing techniques.  That will be wonderful!

Hurricane Joaquin: Planning

As of this morning, Hurricane Joaquin has been upgraded from a level 1 hurricane to a level 3.  The temperature here has dropped noticeably–I have the windows open and goose bumps prickle my skin.

Right above the “O” in Washington in the picture below, I’ve added a little red X to mark the general location of our boat.  As mentioned yesterday, we’re very concerned with the current possible trajectories and the possible impact this may have on our boat.

A frustrating phone call with a glimmer of hope at the end…
I contacted the broker yesterday to see what the plan is for this situation.  He seemed very relaxed about it all, stating that we do not know what Hurricane J is going to do yet, and we should all settle down and wait a few days before making any decisions.  Understandable, but what is the plan?  He went on to lament the poor timing of this storm, what with the Annapolis Boat Show this weekend, and how they have 14 boats in the water for that show along with three tents.  “So, is there a plan?” I asked yet again, only to receive more vague generalities about how the storm isn’t yet talking to us to let us know where it’s going to go.  It may fizzle out, or get blown into the Atlantic without coming close.  However, the broker did reveal a tidbit of information just as I was getting ready to howl in frustration at my question being dodged.  The seller of the boat had stopped in earlier to drop off paperwork, and had asked about the storm and when the transfer of ownership would occur.  (The truth is, no one knows exactly when this will happen.  It may be tomorrow at the earliest, but it depends on when all the paperwork is received and then processed.) Anyhow, given how the boat’s current location is in a field of other boats in not very well protected waters and is not even secured in a slip, the seller mentioned moving the boat this Friday or Saturday to a nearby marina where it is better protected, and can be tied off.  So it seems if the boat is still owned by the seller this weekend, he’ll move the boat.

That left me with this question: If the transfer of ownership occurs on Friday…will it be up to us to move the boat?  The idea of moving the boat to a a nearby protected marina is very smart, but also daunting as I’ve only sailed for a few hours under ideal conditions. The harbor is 4 hours away by boat, and there will be rain, waves, and wind with which to contend.

Taking Action…
We needed more information, and, after talking with Peter about everything, we decided to contact the seller directly.  We weren’t sure if this was a faux pas or not, as the broker has been acting as our middle man this entire time. But I figured at this point, who cares?  The boat sale is nearly finalized, the broker’s main concern is clearly not about our boat, and we need to not wait until last minute to determine who is going to do what with this boat.  The broker had accidentally included the seller’s contact information in an email chain at the beginning of this purchasing process, so we had both his email and phone number information.  But which to use?  We went with email, so the seller wouldn’t be in an awkward position feeling obligated to talk with us or whatever.  In the email I explained who we were, our concern with the boat, and offered to assist with the move and hurricane prep.  If he was interested in discussing this further, he could call us at our phone #.

A plan is made…
The phone rang 30 minutes later, and we had an excellent discussion regarding the boat.  Regardless of who owns the boat this weekend, the seller’s plan was to move the boat.  He figured he wouldn’t mind.  (We don’t!!)  He’s grateful to us for our offer of assistance, because he didn’t want to have to single-hand during bad weather.  His plan is to contact the marina and see if they’re willing to let him rent a slip for a week.  This marina is right down the road from his house, so he’ll be able to check on the boat fairly easily if he needs to.  We’re going to watch the weather, and make a decision about when to move the boat.  We’re all in agreement that we’d rather be safe than sorry.  He isn’t yet sure which day would be best to move the boat–Friday or Saturday?  We explained it would be easier for us to move it Saturday, as Peter has work that he can’t get out of on Friday.  But, if necessary due to storm timing, I can go without Peter to help move the boat.  Either way, the boat will make it to the marina, and will then be tied up with multiple lines within a slip.  We discussed getting the boat hauled out, but the seller isn’t convinced that’s necessary at this time, given the location of this marina within a harbor, he thinks the worst to happen might be a storm surge (where the water swells very high).  The docks are all floating, though, and should move with the water.  Everything will just lift.  The lines will keep the boat secure as a bug within a spider’s web.

Carolina Yachts shows how to tie up a boat in a slip in preparation for a hurricane

Moving the boat is going to be “interesting.”  I made my first boat related purchase last night.  I thought my first purchase would be something fun like a hammock, but alas, it turned out to be something much more practical.  I bought his and hers Frogg Togg rain suits.  They should arrive tomorrow.  Of course, I just realized I didn’t buy rain boots.  Maybe I can find those locally?

Further reading regarding boating and hurricane prep:

A link to an excellent PDF article about why and how to prep for a hurricane.  It gets really good on page 4.

Setting dock lines 

BoatUS has this article

Meanwhile, life on land continues…
We live in an area that is sandwiched between two rivers.  The closest river is the Potomac–it’s a few minutes walk away, with the Rappahannock a few miles behind us.  With the boat plans made, we can now focus on the house situation.  Our biggest threat here with the rain is going to be flooding and loss of electricity. This morning I went around the outside of the house, picking up items that might get blown away and placed them into the shed.  I’m collecting water and thinking about lighting, and food prep.  We have a gas stove/oven, so heating or making food won’t be an issue. Though, with power loss we’ll have a hard time keeping refrigerated food safe to eat.  I brought out our cooler and might get some ice for that after we return from moving the boat.  We’ll see.