It is amazing that God can teach you things in small amounts at a time. When we needed to learn about sailing in fog - a happy little fog appeared first so when the bigger fog came we were ready. When we needed to sail in rain a little rain came first and then a big storm of rain came with 36k winds and we faired happily. When we got fowled with a lobster pot it was a calm day when we got fowled with a lobster pot again it was windy and we were close to rocks we knew what to do... Well another learning curve has been given to us as we have been watching the locals and the boaters and the marina all get ready for a hurricane or a tropical Storm. Well a tropical storm is defined by winds 40 - 75mph ... a hurrican is 75 and up then there are categories of hurricanes the more wind the higher the number category. Earl was a category 4 but is now bumped to a 1 so that is probably 80 mph winds. we are in a harbor so we are not directly in the winds and big swells.
Given all this we have not lived through or lived in a tropical storm so I can't tell you what it is like... all I know is that it is the calm before the storm... it has been calm all day... hot heat then the temp dropped about 20 degrees... the barometer is supposed to drop... (That is another thing we need, our barometer does not work-well if it did work that would help in the learning about storms)... the fog came rolling in and here we are waiting for first the rain to come and then the winds. preparedness guidance was given to us by our insurance company thru email... we did all those things. the boat looks pretty bare with just a front boom with no sail... everyone that is left near us are all in good spirits. there are about 3 boats that are sailing around like us...
This new revelation of hurricanes leads Ben and I to... hummm maybe we should wait out september and leave in October a very cold undertaking one that he would have to find a buddy to go with since I have committed to work (don't worry Erin, you can tell the office I'll be back) but an option. I think right now there are 5 hurricanes a brewing in the south coming up. We want to make a be-line for the south but maybe not. We'll wait out this one and then see if there is a 6-10 day weather window to travel south. ? who's taa know... it's all in the learning. I think if we did go south we would have to definitely figure out our SSB single side band to get weather reports. yesterday Ben pulled up the laptop to see all the frequency and times the weather is talked about on SSB.
So when the student is ready the teacher appears and here we are wide eyed and bushy tailed scrambling to figure out this next piece of equipment that we have been lax at, our SSB.
Well I'm going to make popcorn to get ready for the storm... We are going to eat popcorn and watch the storm... ok we are going to watch a movie too only our second movie since we left! cuz we've been too busy blogging and putting up pictures. I'll post pictures tomorrow if the wifi works. funny our phone works at high tide and so does wifi. amazing what 12 feet will do.
Love you all!
blessings
we hope you get sleep cuz we are sure we will be up with the pounding of the storm that is why it is movie and popcorn night.
Pam
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