We
woke about 2 AM for bathroom breaks. It was cloudy outside and the winds had
decreased. Not a good sign as they
within 45 minutes they changed direction and intensity, building out of the
WNW. By 3, the lightning was visible
with some rumbles from far in the distance.
By 3:45, the winds howled, the boat healed, the rain dumped from the
clouds, and the light show and thunder were non-stop. Around 4:30, I heard the
loud sound of water dumping into the cockpit when the boat healed. This is not unusual as water usually collects
on the Bimini, but it was worth checking. I got up as I stepped on the rug at
the bottom of the stairs, my foot got wet. Pulled up the rug, tossed it outside
and accused Bailey of making the mess.
Once the lights were on and we started to clean up the floor, I noticed
that there was water on the counter, where Bailey could not reach. Water was
also on walls, lots of water. That is
when I realized, the intense rain and wind forced a lot of water under the
dodger and onto to hatch cover. When we
healed, it spilled into the cabin. It was frustrating: Each time Pete woke, he was
able to fall back to sleep, while I remained awake for hours listening to the
storm and wind.
On
the news, we learned later that an F-1 Tornado was on the ground for about 4
miles in Palm Beach Gardens, not far from the Riviera Marina we were for the
past 2 months. Thankfully, no one was
hurt.
The
Cruiser’s Net this morning added a Lost and Found for all that went missing. So
far, 2 smaller sailboats were wedged under the bridge and among the missing were
a dinghy, 2 kayaks, 3 fenders, 2 paddles, a mooring ball and a motorcycle
cover. A few have been found, but everyone has been asked to keep a look out
for the rest. Today’s wind had canceled or postponed a number of happenings,
including yoga, pump outs in the harbor and inspections of the moorings.
For most of the day, the rigging vibrated, the boat healed hard to
starboard and rocked over the waves as the water could be heard as it passed
the hull. NO, we were not sailing; we were in the dock! The skies were clear
most of the day, but a number of shower bands made their way east, while the
winds remained steady at about 25 mph.
Pete
settled up with the dock master and discussed the possibility of staying in the
slip for a while. We are good to the end
of January, but will have to check back to see if he can accommodate us for
longer. I will go over to the City Marina office and place our name on the list
for a mooring just in case.
I
laid down after breakfast trying to break a headache and catch up on some
sleep. After lunch, I worked on catching up with the blog and the photos. Hopefully, I will have everything done and be
able to post everything in a day or two.
By
dinner time, the winds had decreased to15-20 mph and the showers moved on to
the east. We were able to open the hatches a crack and have the breezes flow
though the boat. Pete crashed and burned after dinner, but I managed to stay
awake until 10 (what’s wrong with this picture?!). Hopefully, with the fresh air and gentle
rocking, sleep tonight won’t be a problem.
~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~
K & P
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