Date: 11 September 2017. Hurricane Irma
Saga.
The
Hurricane Irma Saga contains the entire four part series
published on 18, 19, 20 and 30 September 2017. The hurricane hit St.
Pete on 11 September 2017.
© janice142
This the
total Hurricane Irma Saga. If you prefer the individual parts
they are found here:
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Date: 18 September 2017. Hurricane Irma
(part 1)
Most important
of all: Seaweed and I are now FINE!
Skipper and I are a-okay back where we belong: aboard
Seaweed.
Over the decades I have
experienced more than my fair share of hurricanes both afloat and
ashore. Some have profoundly effected my sense of well-being.
Others have helped frame my current life and lifestyle. This final
one, Hurricane Irma, has cemented a decision made back in the late
1990s, one that I had disregarded for Irma much to my chagrin. This
is a mistake I will do my utmost to avoid in the future.
There is an
old saying "Fool me once, your fault. Fool me twice, mine."
Hurricane Irma was my
Number Two... Keep reading for the whys and wherefores.
Skipper is with me, always. The
opinions expressed below are definitely my own.
To
backtrack a bit...
Kidlet moved to Pensacola for college in 2003. Hurricane Ivan came
blasting through in 2004. Kidlet's neighborhood was without power
for three long, hot humid weeks. If we had power, we could have
saved the carpets. Instead they mildewed. Everything was a mess.
It was just miserable.
Her kitchen did have propane for cooking so we became better
acquainted with the neighbors. You know, the ability to make
a pot of coffee first thing in the morning for the caffeine
addicted is a sure-fire way to cement friendships. I highly
recommend it.
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Hurricane Katrina arrived a year after Ivan to rub salt in the wounds.
Again Kidlet's house was without power for three weeks. The humidity
could have been cut with a butter knife. To make matters more
"interesting" Mother was in the later stages of Alzheimer's disease.
On good days Mother was a hand-full. Post storm, sans power, was not something
I would care to repeat.
Here's a
quote from Kidlet's blog during that time:
I wish my
grandma would stop touching my stuff and insisting it was hers to
begin with, then denying she ever touched anything, while my things
are in her hands.
When I contrasted life ashore without power with my life as a child
aboard our 40'er, there was no comparison. We made our own power. We
had our own ship's stores with lockers full of necessities. We
carried at least a month's worth of food at all times. We could
fish, read, swim, relax and eat at will.
Son and I are sharing clam dip on crackers aboard the
boat.
We were safe and secure aboard our boat. I wanted that. The
hurricanes (Ivan and Katrina) that hit my Kidlet's home shook me to
the core. I wanted to always have the means to create power in my
home. Now it has taken me nine-plus years to get where I wanted way
back when...
Today I
make my own power. My life is virtually the same rather I am tied to
a dock or at anchor in a remote cove. The air-conditioner does
require a generator and yes, I've got one. Life is truly wonderful
aboard my boat.
To leave
Seaweed was untenable. I did not want to leave.
This storm,
Irma, threatened massive flooding. NOAA was projecting five to seven
feet above ground level on their Slosh Surge page.
Link:
Update #46 for Hurricane Irma P-Surge 2.6
Frankly that worried me. When I was PROMISED an immediate return
after the storm was through I wavered. For the first time since the
fiasco in the Florida Keys when those of us who left were prohibited
from returning immediately, I considered evacuation. It was a
wrenching decision and I NEVER wanted to leave my Seaweed.
I was
heartsick at even the thought of leaving my home.
There was A LOT of pressure to
leave.
This is where I belong:
I love my boat, and life aboard her is sweet. I truly
am blessed.
I believe it is all too easy
for folks to say stuff like "you can replace your boat". No, I do
not
believe I could do so. Even the thought of trying to do such a thing
is frightening. There were only six of these miniature Schucker's
built. There are just three in existence today. Finding another
would be darn near impossible. Replicating all I have aboard, even
if I had the funds, would take time.
After the
half-century mark, time becomes all the more crucial. Younger folks
simply do not understand the ticking clock that accompanies those of
us past a certain age. Throw in cancer and mortality resonates in
our very being.
For the record, I am not dying. I am living. There is a difference.
To others a boat may be considered a luxury, a fancy way of living.
To me, my Seaweed is more than just a home. She's my shelter, my
safety, my tranquility and my happiness. All of that is in one 23'
long package. I love this boat.
Even on a rainy day, life aboard
Seaweed is happy.
I am inside with all my goodies enjoying the view
sipping hot mint chocolate coffee.
Details on how to make that found in the
Flavored Coffees (economical
versions) vignette.
More
tomorrow. This article has grown like crazy. I'll post the next part
shortly.
Date: 19 September 2017. Hurricane Irma
(part 2)
As written in
Hurricane Irma (part 1),
my Seaweed is more than just a home. She is my shelter, my safety, my
tranquility and my happiness. I love my boat. Protecting her is
paramount. Hurricane season each year is from the first of June through the end of
November. For me having places where I can hide from *fetch is
critical.
*Fetch
is the
length of open water between your boat and the horizon. A short
distance means winds and waves have less chance to build up. It is
safer. More information on fetch can be found in the
By the Shipyard article.
I intend to go further, see more places, explore and
enjoy life afloat.
I am not sure how far I will get however I have lots of charts. I
am waiting on incoming Amazon and
eBay orders.
Seaweed takes care of me. When the sun shines I have power via my
Renogy
solar panels. When the breeze blows, I have more power from my
Air Breeze Wind Turbine Generator. If neither sun nor wind cooperate, Bluebell powers
my life. Bluebell is my gasoline generator. Bluebell will even run
the air-conditioner. At anchor, off the grid, my life is wonderful.
I am truly blessed.
Yamaha EF2200iS Inverter Generator |
I have a Yamaha 1000
which I love. It is easy for me to start it. What I like best
is that I can turn off the fuel and 4 minutes later the motor
stops. This way my carburetor is empty which keeps it from
getting gummed up. Yamaha's have a fuel shut-off valve which
Honda's do not come with.
You can install a shut
off valve. |
Honda EU1000i Inverter Generator |
My friend
Irene has the same generator as I do. We have Yamaha 1000's.
Irene made a blue canvas cover for hers. Mine is
stored inside under a beige cover.
But I
digress... Suffice it to say, Seaweed is special to me. Very, very
special.
The local cops were riding in
their cruisers up and down streets blaring recordings saying "get
out" along with a "mandatory evacuation order" for barrier island
residents.
I was busy tying Seaweed off to the neighbor's dock and my
mangrove. Plus I set my anchor out in the middle of the canal to
pull myself away from everything. None of this was easy.
Irene aboard S/V Katja was preparing her Valient32 at
Treasure Key Marina in the Bahamas.
Storm preparation is not simply a matter of
adding lines to your vessel. You must adjust them to account for
tides, wind direction, and more. Plus with a sailboat all the sails
have to come down. None of this is physically easy.
For Seaweed
that meant five lines from her port side up wind (eastward) to four
different pilings. The five lines all ended on separate cleats. I
had six lines on the starboard side. Undue stress at any single
point was to be avoided.
Next I rowed
my anchor out into the canal. That meant finding fenders to float
the anchor chain. Physically I could not simply row upwind with all
that chain dragging across the bottom. I tied fenders to the chain
each fifteen feet to help lift the chain.
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Some may suggest that I
could have just dropped the chain length desired into my
dinghy. I considered that. The problem would have been
untangling the chain and letting it out without giving myself
a swimming lesson.
What I
should have done: Two or three days prior to the storm I
should have taken my anchor out via Seaweed and planted it
mid-canal.
Next I could have returned
Seaweed to where I am rafted up, then laid out more
chain. The chain would lie across the bottom until just prior
to the arrival of the hurricane. With the chain lowered it would
not interfere with other boaters as they moved their vessels
around.
The day before I could
have adjusted my anchor and tightened up the chain.
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Using the fenders was not entirely successful. I would have
preferred to have the anchor out an additional 25'. I wasn't strong
enough to make that happen. Instead I got out about 50' of chain and
called it Good Enough. Not ideal, but then the world seldom is
perfect.
In Treasure Key Marina, my friend Irene adjusted and readjusted her
lines through tide changes.
Irene is one smart cookie:
She's left up her bimini to provide some shade. That came down last!
Making the lines the correct
length, taking into considering storm surge, preventing the boat
from touching the dock... All of this is difficult. It is an art
that boaters continually work at perfecting.
It is always a good idea to have another boater check your work. An
experienced eye is always a good thing. Once you are done though,
you are done. There will always be those who criticize. Hindsight is
20/20 and rubbing salt in a wound is never helpful.
Date: 20 September 2017. Hurricane Irma
(part 3)
Believe me when I say hindsight is
20/20. Everyone is smarter after the fact. I sure was/am. Knowing
what I know now, would I have left? NO WAY. And I was not the only
person who felt betrayed. Universally, those I met across the bridge
on the mainland side were all sorry we had left our homes on the
beach. The promises made of an early return were not kept.
Telling me 10' to 15' of water is
expected in Miami and watching a reporter standing in ankle deep
water does not engender trust in the news media. This storm, here,
was over-hyped. NOAA had the storm surge wrong -- all wrong.
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None of us want to be forced off our boats.
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This is my
happy spot.
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This is NOT a
happy spot.
Irene's boat Katja ↑
spider-webbed for storm. |
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You may note that Irene (photo, above right) has her lines to and from all her cleats.
Those of us who have owned a boat for any length of time have added
cleats. It is a given. Boats need more than they have as standard
equipment.
Buy large
ones, big enough for your largest storm lines. Aboard Seaweed I
primarily use 8" cleats, all stainless of course.
Storm
preparation is physically demanding work. Getting a boat ready for a
hurricane is mentally exhausting. Nobody wants to contemplate
ever leaving their
home unprotected for some other place. We nest, creating a safe nook for our
lives aboard our homes.
As for me, I dug out every line I have stowed and put them all out. There
is no use storing a spare line in a locker when it might be
necessary to keep my boat in place. I knew that once the lines were
set I would have the boat too far away from the dock to exit. That was
okay and I was perfectly satisfied to stay aboard centered in front
of the mangroves.
These are
"my" mangroves. I share with a variety of waterfowl.
Seaweed is barely visible just above the main
cross-wise branch.
The plan was to tuck in as close
as possible to my mangroves. I centered Seaweed between the boat to
my west and a finger pier on the east. There was approximately 5' of
open water between me and the hard stuff. To get to land I could use
Algae, the dinghy. (Algae has an automatic bilge pump so I am not
concerned about even torrential rains.)
I am well protected from winds via
the mangrove. Mangrove swamps are often considered hurricane holes.
Folks look for them, tie off to the branches and sit tight during
major hurricanes. When I was growing up, that is exactly what we
would do. Mangroves also offer a "soft edge" when the winds kick.
My location was ideal. Yet I left my Seaweed. I bowed to pressure
from a multitude of well-meaning friends. The wildly inaccurate
NOAA Hurricane Irma P-Surge 2.6
report played a part too.
The decision I made to leave my home haunts me. The strong independent woman I see myself
as, caved. When I look in the mirror I am not happy with myself.
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The feeling of inadequacy will abate. That will not happen overnight.
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Hurricane in Year: |
Aftermath of storm: |
|
Andrew in 1992 |
Locals giving directions
saying "turn right where the Circle K used to be" |
Georges in 1998 |
Government "for our own good" refused to allow FL
Keys residents back home. |
Ivan in 2004 |
No power, carpets mildewed,
hot and humid |
Katrina in 2005 |
More of the same, hot and
humid, no power for three weeks. |
Irma in 2017 |
Once again, government
officials refused to let locals who left in good faith return
ASAP as promised. Say "never again" and your thoughts are
echoing my own. |
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I am having an extremely hard time accepting that I would leave a great spot, go
to the mainland, live once again without electricity, be barred from
returning by authorities, and, well, all that "for my own
good" ... ARGH!
One of these days I am going to find this design
↑ on a magnet for my
microwave.
I am suffering from a feeling of betrayal. I was lost and helpless. Though my physical
safety was okay (albeit without caffeine because there was no power
on the mainland where I was) my mental state was frazzled.
It was AWFUL. Thank goodness I
have friends. The folks I was staying with were amazed that I
received text messages and phone calls all through the night. I am
blessed with a circle of friends.
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NOAA kept notching up the
height of Irma's impending flood water levels. [Update #46 for Hurricane Irma P-Surge 2.6]
The Slosh/Surge report predicted horrible floods everywhere.
The Slosh/Surge report predicted horrible floods everywhere. NOAA predicted
storm waters between 10' and 15' above ground level in Miami at one point. Ha. I saw a
reporter who was standing in ankle deep water on *Brickell
Avenue. When I mentioned this to my kidlet she assured me that
the water was deeper.
*Brickell runs along the
riverfront in downtown Miami.
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During the night Kidlet and I
sent text messages frequently.
Here is one of our early morning chats:
7:39 a.m. Me: They lied to us. I
am fine and very mad with lying media. Fifteen feet of water in
Miami turned out to be ankle deep on Brickell Avenue down by the
river. Liars and media hype shysters. Argh.
7:39 Kidlet: Where are you? Who
lied? And it was more than ankle deep in Brickell. I saw at least a
foot.
7:50 Me: If so, the reporter was in a pothole.
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As you can tell, I'm
becoming frazzled. All night I've worried about Seaweed. I
read the NOAA Surge reports and based my decision to leave on
them. At this point I still think I can return home without
delay.
Life is about to get
worse. J.
And please note I am not
normally so irate. Nobody, at least not me, is at their best
when under stress. I am not proud of my texts. Still, this is
real world, and I am not sugar-coating my distress. Irma was a
pivotal moment in time for me. The whole fiasco was dreadful and
I do not ever want to feel that way again... |
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This
is the picture ↓ Kidlet sent proving that Miami had more than
ankle deep water downtown.
Though no where near
10' to 15', it might be knee deep. |
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The pressure to leave my
Seaweed was
intense. When the next door neighbor guaranteed we could return the
next morning I agreed to leave. From the moment I said yes I
regretted saying so. My stomach was in knots and I was beside myself
with regret. I should have listened to my gut.
A good friend had offered a place for us to stay. It was a cement
block house and therefore safe from storm winds. That was very kind
of him. I was told the house was just a mile from Seaweed. I knew
that I could walk home from that distance should there be any
nonsense about returning quickly due to trees down in the roads. And
we had the Emergency Access Permit which was supposed to allow us to
go home ASAP.
This is the
Magic Admittance placard, aka Emergency Access Permit. It was all a
lie.
We were not permitted back on the beach.
This deputy sheriff ↓ is prohibiting yet another person from
returning home.
The deputy said it was "too dangerous" and that downed power
lines could electrocute us.
OF COURSE
THE POWER LINES WERE DOWN.
In the town I am in, all the electric lines are buried beneath
the ground.
There is
another excuse, written on the back of the Magic Permit that did not
let us in:
It says:
"BE PATIENT.
Access to affected areas will be controlled. You won't be able to
return home until search and rescue operations are complete and
safety hazards, such as downed power lines, are cleared. It may take
2 to 4 weeks before utilities are restored."
FERTILIZER. Totally 100% garbage. We were told 200 Emergency First
Responders were staying at a resort on the beach. So it's perfectly
safe for them, but not us. We who have assets and motivation to take
care of our stuff are prohibited from returning. To say I was
DOGGONE unhappy would be the understatement of the century.
Leaving the
beach was a HUGE mistake. And believe
you me, I was not the only irate individual...
Skipper was watching the traffic jam too. It was
ridiculous and the populous was not amused.
My faith in government
Emergency Management was shattered. For the record I do not blame
the frontline deputies who were just spouting what they were told to
say.
Watching
some cars and trucks being allowed to cross the bridge did not help
my sense of humor. Had those of us with the passes been allowed to
return immediately, the frustration and anger I witnessed would not
have occurred.
I did not hear
one person say "Gosh, it's good to be safe and secure in the hot sun
with no electricity while government so-and-so's keep us away from
our homes." Instead I listened while men and women swore they
would
never again leave their residences.
The next
time a mandatory evacuation is ordered the majority of those folks
will not leave. Our faith and trust were betrayed. We have long
memories. I know I will not leave my home again. That is precisely because
promises were not kept.
Fool me once,
your fault. Fool me twice, my fault.
The thing is, back in 1998 the Florida Keys had a mandatory
evacuation order for a hurricane. We were all promised immediate access
after the storm had come through. Then it was "too dangerous" and
nobody was allowed back.
Now those
that stayed, they were right happy with the services provided. Those
kept out were not!
I swore
then I would never leave my home. Then, well, this time I was
"assured" with the Emergency Access Permit I could return immediately. First thing in
the morning sounded about right. By then the threatened surge would have passed
and so too, the storm. Instead, I got broken promises.
A lot of
the lies were broadcast by the over-hyped media brats who lack the veracity
of a two year old child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
They spew the government lies, and tell us we are all safe because
of their diligence. Bah humbug. And there was a lot of humbug!
I am a
little more than miffed as you can tell from the preceding
paragraph. This is real life though. I am not always a wonderfully
patient person. Sometimes I have had Plenty. This was one of those
times. J.
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Now about that
surge? Want to see it?!? Sure you do.
Here's the
"surge" at Cheryl's house.est |
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←
Alchemy as the water drains from the bay.
Alchemy, Island Time and
Youroumei after the storm.
Cheryl and her husband Fred
own Island Time. They were smarter than I was. They did not
evacuate. |
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Instead of the dreadful storm surge the experts
predicted, we had extremely low tides. The water was sucked out of
the bays. Extraordinarily low water levels were experienced up and
down the Gulf coast of Florida.
This is the beach at John's Pass.
↓ Cheryl confessed that she had
never had the beach all to herself, until Irma.
A lot more of the sand was exposed due to the
extremely low tides.
JOHN'S PASS is a channel into
the
Gulf *ICW from the Gulf of Mexico.
*ICW: Intracoastal Waterway |
CARRABELLE,
Florida is where I met Cap'n Kim.
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The Apalachicola Bay by Carrabelle normally looks
like this:
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Effects of
Hurricane Irma on Apalachicola Bay: |
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Beachcombers enjoyed
exploring the flats exposed by Hurricane Irma.
Photos by Cap'n Kim. |
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I've taken Seaweed across the bay
where these photos were taken.
It's a mite too shallow right now! |
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This is the view of
Apalachicola Bay, back to normal the day after the storm.
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We were fortunate in that the storm surge never
happened here. I do feel for those who were inundated with flood
waters. Hurricane Harvey in Texas comes to mind...
Here the meteorologists
got it all wrong.
Yes, I realize I "had it good"
when compared with others who were prohibited from returning for a
much longer duration. Being away from my Seaweed and not knowing her
fate was traumatic. The aggravation of not being allowed back
promptly contributed to this overwhelming feeling of despair and
anger.
Date: 30 September 2017. Hurricane Irma
(part 4)
Getting ready for a major hurricane is never easy.
Knowing when to trust the broadcasters is problematic at best.
Sometimes newsmen get it right and other times predictions are way off
the mark. Listening to television live on YouTube was a new
experience for me. Additionally there was one website that struck a
home run as far as hurricane information was concerned.
Mike's Weather Page: http://spaghettimodels.com
Spaghetti Models has an aggregate of storm
information. Each link opens in a new tab. The page continually
refreshes itself. All in all, when I wanted to see where Irma was,
how the storm surge was for my area, winds, tracks, the cone of
doom, all of that and more could be found from one link. I'd
recommend adding Mike's Weather Page aka
Spaghetti Models to the bookmarks on your computer.
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My friend Tom on S/V Gone Tropic had another method of verifying
news reports. It was far smarter than my own media-based
information. Tom's way of confirming what was being broadcast
was to look at webcams in the areas that were effected.
When the newsmen were
saying how awful it was in Key West, Tom was watching people
walking down Duval Street (downtown Key West) drinking beer.
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This is Tom:
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I did a quickie Google search
for webcams in
Key West. Here are a few for your convenience:
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Old-timers
are a skeptical bunch. I rather like that!
In the future I will look for webcams. Though they will not work
when the power goes out, until then I will be able to contrast
what is shown on broadcast television versus on-the-scene from locals.
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During
Hurricane Irma I was able to watch television broadcasts via
YouTube
on a tablet. That was a whole new experience for me, and
rather nice at that!
Back in 1993 the children were arguing about a television
program I did not want to watch. To solve the problem I
unplugged the TV. Then I carried it next door. Lo and behold,
those folks could use an extra television. Problem solved.
My feeling is if I would
not invite you into my home, I am surely not going to allow
you to come aboard Seaweed via a television screen. I guard
my happiness. Joy is precious and I do all I can to maintain
a high level of contentment.
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Back to storm preparations:
If flood waters are expected the lines on your boat cannot be too
short, nor can they be too long. They must be long enough to account
for the rising tides. The lines should not be so lengthy that you will
bang into anything near you when the lines are slack.
I know I was physically exhausted
by the time I had Seaweed ready. Fortunately I have a good supply of
food aboard. I also topped off my water tank. I was going to be
a-okay aboard my boat.
Then I left. We all know hindsight
is 20/20. Now that it has been a few days I realize more of my
errors in judgment. Besides reading NOAA's Surge report [Update #46 for Hurricane Irma P-Surge 2.6]
and trusting its veracity, I also failed in another manner. I did
not follow what old mariners in coastal regions have learned over
the years.
There were no
seabirds flying inland. None.
I am well aware this system
cannot be considered scientific. It is based on lore handed down
through generations of mariners and decades of personal observation.
That said, from the time I was a little girl we
judged storms by the seabirds. Seeing frigatebirds flying inland was
a sure-fire sign that a big storm was incoming. Getting to safe
harbor was Very Important. Frigatebirds spend much of their lives at
sea. When they decide the weather is too foul, it is going to be
bad. Very, very bad.
I saw no frigatebirds flying inland this time in my
location. I saw them for Hurricanes Andrew, Ivan and Katrina. Here
in St. Pete there were no frigatebirds seen by me prior to Hurricane
Irma's arrival. From that I should have realized that either the
trajectory or intensity were not what the news stations were saying,
at least for my area.
Note Seaweed ↓ tucked in close
to the mangroves.
I pulled Seaweed even closer into the mangroves the
day before Irma arrived.
Of late I have been fortunate enough to be rafted
behind a reader's house on the gulf coast. Honest to goodness,
it is right spiffy here. Even though the area is snazzy I have the
most fun exploring nearby coves and anchorages. I prefer remote
places with lots of wildlife.
When I get back underway in a week
or so (I am waiting on a some
eBay and Amazon indulgences) I will
miss the nice friends I have made here. The Gulf coast really is a
wonderful cruising area. I like the green waters too.
Gus is one of the new friends I
made here. He lives in the mangroves.
The birds Gus, Buddy, Ella and Isis made it through the
hurricane. All have been back for their hotdog treats.
In coastal areas folks who live in houses had work to
do too. Older beach houses often have solid wood furniture. One
friend removed the bottom drawers and placed them atop her dressers.
This is a lot of work. Muscles that folks didn't know existed,
ached! Had there been flooding this idea is one with merit.
Storm preparations for those of us in coastal areas
means
a variety of things. Some folks raise their stuff off the floor.
After the work was done, a walk on the beach was in
order for Cheryl and her husband Fred.
This is the virtually deserted beach at John's Pass
just prior to Hurricane Irma's arrival.
As for me, that beach looks just
about perfect. Back when dinosaurs walked the earth and I was just a
young boat brat, beachcombing was a favorite hobby. I collected
seashells. Lots of them! I keep my collection on beaches of the
world. Perhaps you have seen some of them?!?
Other folks who own property on
the peninsula decided to sandbag their houses. Trust me when I say sandbagging is
not for the old. I cannot even suggest it for the young unless
in far better physical condition than me! I did it once decades ago and that was
plenty. Filling the bags is backbreaking. Hoisting them when
filled is not easy. All in all, this is one of those things worth
hiring out.
I put sandbagging right in there
with sanding the bottom of my boat. There are some jobs that belong
to the young. I am not young anymore.
Post storm I was surprised by how
long it took me to feel like myself again. I am just now getting back
to normal. I have been sleeping much longer than usual. My get up
and go, got up and went.
Going to my bunk so early, sometimes even in
daylight, was a real change for me.
This worn-out feeling has been shared with phone friends. The most
comforting part is that it seems rather universal in those of us
over fifty. I will not name names, however almost every gal and guy I have
spoken at length with has mentioned the same exhaustion.
One fellow went so far as to say
he never wanted to be in a hurricane's path again. Years ago I
viewed storms as a common occurrence with just a bit of extra work
thrown in. Now hurricanes are major life events.
I know that getting older is not
for sissies. When the realization that you are no longer young knocks
you on your transom, it is a bit of a shock. At least it was for me!
I am not invincible. I get tired. I have had plenty. Etc.
The barometer continued to fall as Hurricane Irma
approached.
Cheryl has a weather glass and the fluid level fell.
A low level indicates foul weather is impending.
During the night I was in contact with friends near
and far via Text Messaging.
Side note: T-Mobile service failed. Verizon had good coverage and zero outages.
YouTube and the news channels broadcasting live were
helpful. If only they had been accurate... Staying informed help me
keep what little sanity I had remaining.
|
It is interesting to note
how low the water went as far away as Apalachicola and
Carrabelle. |
|
APALACHICOLA
and
CARRABELLE
are located on the panhandle of Florida.
|
|
The Carrabelle River →
Marina view, extreme low tide.
Taken at 0400, 11 September during Irma. |
|
|
|
← Apalachicola Bay, just before Hurricane Irma
arrived.
The Apalachicola Bay after
Irma passed through ↓
|
|
In the morning I like others drove
to the bridge by my McDonald's to go home. I was filled with hope and a renewed sense of "there's work
to do, and I want to get at it" ... also in there was the desire to
have coffee. In the "safe house" there was no power. Argh.
Trust me when I say I am far more
pleasant and easy to get along
with when well caffeinated. Others will attest to this fact too.
Unfortunately residents were not
allowed back home, regardless of the Emergency Access Permit we all
had. Outrage followed. Men who have served in wars are generally
cantankerous when lied to. As we had been promised an early return
the later in the day it became, the more surly those waiting became.
This is the Emergency Access
Permit. ↓
On the
mainland where I was stuck there was no electricity. Even if grid was not functioning for the
houses on the beach, I have power aboard Seaweed. Only I could not
get to her. That broke my spirit. I have food, water,
Skipper toys, my stuff, and my life aboard the boat. I was beyond
livid, especially when we were PROMISED and immediate return.
Lies. Lies
and more lies. The whole process was to get people off the island.
It worked. I would not put a lot of money on the cooperation of
residents in future Mandatory Evacuation Orders though...
Seaweed nearing McDonald's last summer.
At the
local McDonald's that I usually visit by boat there was quite a
crowd of geezers. There were shouts questioning the parenthood of
the patrolmen prohibiting us from returning home. Apparently old
people are scary to armed officers because soon there were seven
cruisers present, up from four.
Incidentally, I do consider myself
a geezer. I have lived a good life. My grey hair nets me Senior
Discounts and I like a bargains. When I am being Prim and Proper, I
call myself Vintage.
Telling men
who fought in wars that it is too unsafe for them to return home is
not conducive to a happy group. I heard many say they would NEVER
LEAVE again. I understand that totally. We were promised an
immediate return. That was a lie.
This is the life I love:
You see, years ago after going through
weeks without power ashore (post Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina) I
swore that my life afloat would be totally self-sufficient. I wanted
my dreamboat to be comfortable 100% off-the-grid. Additionally I
continually strive
for a life that is decadent. Believe me, I do not suffer aboard
Seaweed. She is home, she is perfect and I love this boat.
Well-meaning friends simply do not get it when they say to evacuate.
They speak of "a boat can be replaced" not understanding that
Seaweed is not just a boat. She is home, she is my life, she is freedom
and independence. She is more than a hull with my stuff aboard her.
Seaweed is
my joy. Pressuring me to leave achieved the result desired. The cost
though is one I will not soon forget. I hate that I chose to
leave Seaweed. That was a HUGE mistake on my part. I will not make it
again.
My Seaweed
generates her own power via solar panels. I have all the comforts of home aboard her.
There is instant coffee, both flavored and regular.
Enjoying a cup is a wonderful break in time.
It allows me to remember past joys and contemplate further
adventures. I like this stuff!
In the meantime I knew that there was power on the beach. Though I
was stuck on the mainland my friend Cheryl had all the comforts of
home. Indeed, she was home because she was smart enough to stay
there. She perked a fresh pot of coffee and had the welcome mat out.
On the "safe" side, no electric, no open McDonalds's, a
closed Village Inn diner, no
convenience stores opened, no restaurants serving, and NO COFFEE.
Texting friends and checking on
folks became an outlet. I did not know if my girl was okay at this
point so I was beyond frantic to return. I did not know if Seaweed
had survived.
I knew Alchemy had experienced low
water and wondered if Seaweed was floating properly.
Note the Great Blue Heron near the forward windows.
She is staying out of the winds.
What was worst
of all was not knowing how my Seaweed had fared. I was frantic with
worry. I was beyond angry at myself for caving to people banging on
me to leave, be safe, etc. I went from comfort to a place with no
electricity, no caffeine and Armed officers who refused to honor the
promises made just 24 hours earlier.
Heck, we were originally told we could return at eleven, then one,
and finally at 4 p.m. Ridiculous. Totally 100% fertilizer. Now that
is not to say that all of the beach is fine and has power. Some does
not. There are trees down and locals getting things taken care of --
at least those that were smart enough not to leave.
Cheryl and
Fred ↓ stayed. They are smarter than I was.
Text messages became my connection with the
world.
To fully
understand the state of my mind, with permission I have copied
below some of the text messages that were sent and received for the duration
of Hurricane Irma. If by the end of this you still believe "We're
from the government and we are here to help you" I cannot help but
wonder about your sanity. Mine is intact, barely, after this fiasco.
If you would like
to skip this part, simply know this: I am never at my best without
caffeine. Not being allowed to promptly return to my Seaweed is
another sure-fire way to earn my wrath.
Throughout the
night I exchanged texts and received phone calls. The folks I was
staying with had no idea I knew so many people. Ding. Ding. Ring. It
was wonderful. At least I thought so.
12:40 a.m. 11 September 2017 to Kidlet from Me: All is well. No power in this
place but power is on on the island. My friend Cheryl stayed.
Everything is okay. Windy but fine and no flooding. Tide is still
way down. RE: Check in
12:54 from
Cheryl to Me: Water is
beginning to come in again, boats starting to float off bottom. Wind
direction changing but still very strong gusts.
Me: Glad
you're getting water under the keels again. With the winds the boats
will be better afloat. Thank you for keeping me in the loop. No
electric here. Bah humbug.
1:01 from
Cheryl to Me: Really
you should be asleep!
Me: Not a
chance. I am worried sick about my home and won't rest until I am
back where I belong.
4:15 a.m. to Kidlet from Me: Okay. Now no power. Reading my kindle.
Going home in morning. So surge did not happen. Surprise
surprise. I love my Kidlet. RE: Check in
6:15 a.m. From Me: Good
morning. We are relaxing and going to McDonald's for coffee soon.
All is well except no power here. How are you. RE Check in.
6:15 a.m. From Kidlet: Is McDonald's open? I doubt it
(it was not open)
This is the road in front of Publix
(grocery store) and McDonald's. Both businesses were closed.
There was no electricity at the McDonald's and Publix
shopping center.
|
As the hurricane approached
Florida I heard from a lot of boaters. It was quite heartening to
receive notes from so many old friends. We checked on each other.
Plans on how to protect our vessels were discussed. Boats were moved
to safer locations.
Hearing how
another person manages their storm preparations is useful. No one
person can know it all so we learn from each other. I like that.
Larry was one of the folks who sent a text message to me.
You met Larry and his bride
Eva in the
Imaginary
Friends IRL (in real life) article.
|
|
Larry: *Bucky
is behind her residence, probably the most protected place on
Longboat Key, but when you're on an island, protection is vulnerable
too. We've got two places here on the island, Eva is in Germany, and
I've got two cats to worry about. I guess by Thursday we all know
how much trouble we're in.
*Bucky is Larry and Eva's 36'
Manatee.
Me: I have found fetch to be
the most worrisome aspect. Here the *McMansions have blocked
wind. There is one large mangrove behind Seaweed so pulling her into
it will be on the agenda at the last minute. Oh, and getting a new
battery for Algae for her automatic bilge pump. I have been bailing
and that has already gotten old. I am spoiled Larry. I hope Eva is
having a nice time and missing you too. Take care and keep safe.
Like you I will be watching the storm track.
*McMansions are the new oversized
homes that are replacing the more modest family home of yesteryear.
|
|
More text messages from 11 September:
8:39 Larry:
Janice: You still here? Don't know about Bucky yet. Can't get
on Key.
Me:
Lying government tells us the same. I never should have left.
The line of fertilizer is they are assessing because of downed power
lines. Larry the lines over on the beach are buried. The neighbor
has power and a fresh pot of coffee.
8:43 Larry:
Where
is Seaweed parked?
Me: Same place, pulled back to the mangroves. She is tied off well and spider webbed
in. I am so beyond angry. We were assured we could come back with
via fancy pass. They lied just like in the 90's for the hurricanes
in the Florida Keys. Folks left the first storm and then never
again. We were assured we could get back by a local politician. He
was wrong.
8:55 Larry:
Well,
the thing that tortures me is that IF Bucky is damaged and I can't
get there in time to save it, I'm gonna be angry. I never have had
such tension and stress over a storm.
Me: Ditto
twofold. And I knew better Larry. This same thing as those hurricanes
so many years ago. And we were assured a different scenario. Never
will I leave.
Just heard
from my smart neighbor who stayed. Seaweed is fine. Cheryl sent a
picture of my girl.
Cheryl's text: She's
waiting for you but said don't worry she's fine...
When I got the picture from Cheryl of my home I cried. The
emotional strain had been HUGE. Not knowing Seaweed's fate
was terrible. Then not being allowed to return... It was all
too much. There was such relief seeing my Seaweed I cannot
even begin to describe it.
Leaving home was a huge
mistake. The stress and worry took a large toll on me. I
feel like I aged a dozen years in a single day. The whole
Irma fiasco truly was awful.
Thank
goodness my Seaweed survived intact. I was blessed.
|
I told Larry about the good news regarding Seaweed.
9:10 from
Larry: What a
relief!
Me: I will
continue to pray for your Bucky. She's got so much of you in her...
truly a beautiful gal. And that transom door is a thing of beauty.
9:15 from Larry: Thanks
Janice. There was no real surge, but the storm blew all the water
out of Sarasota Bay, leaving my canal almost empty. I'm hoping that
there was no damage to the bottom, preventing it from refloating.
|
Boat owners invest a great
deal of ourselves into our vessels. We personalize and tweak
them. Even factory fresh models soon thereafter are changed,
added to and enhanced. These things make each boat unique.
The care, time and money we
put into our boats drive up their intrinsic value. Most of my
net worth is in this boat. It is the same for many live-aboard
boaters. We don't have anything else to fall back on so when our
boats are in peril, it's Serious.
Not knowing the
fate of my Seaweed was DREADFUL!!! |
|
9:15 To Kidlet from Me: The electric here is flickering. On Seaweed there is
power. In case you wondered. RE: You're where you need to be
9:15 from Kidlet: You're the most stubborn woman
9:16 from Me: Thank you and the acorn doesn't fall far from the
tree young lady. RE: You're the most stubborn woman
|
This is Buddy. ↓
I worried about
him during Hurricane Irma. |
I ached to be home. I
had
seen a photograph so I knew my boat was okay. That was a
huge relief.
And too, I wanted to be sure
my birds all made it through the storm okay. Buddy is a little
guy. He's still a teenager.
The night herons have a
hierarchy and Buddy is definitely low bird. I make sure he
gets his ration of hotdogs every day.
He was the first to eat
hotdogs and Buddy is a bit too brave. The older larger males
took a while to trust me.
They are going to miss me when
I head out. |
|
9:30 to Irene on Katja from Me: Lying government won't let us
return because they are assessing downed power lines. All power
lines are buried. I am stuck on the mainland and so mad you cannot
imagine
9:35 Irene: Shoot!
9:37 Me: Amen. RE: Shoot!
9:38 Irene: First word that came to mind after an actual visceral
reaction. Your worst fear
9:39 Me: It is. I am holding on by a thread and it is frayed.
10:05 To Kidlet from Me: The government still won't let us cross the
bridge because of
downed power lines. All the power lines are down. They are buried.
Lies lies lies. So mad. Never leaving my girl again. And they have
coffee over there. Power went out at safe place we stayed at last
night at quarter past twelve. There is power on the beach. My girl
friend took a picture of Seaweed. She needs a bath. Lots of little
branches on her solar panels. RE: Check in
10:11 from Kidlet: So you know she's okay. Good.
10:08 to
Cheryl from Me:
Thank you very much. Come get us. We are stranded at McDonalds's and
McDonald's is closed. We have had no coffee and are getting cranky.
I am so relieved my girl is okay. I have been terrified. Thank you
more than you can know
Cheryl: Wish we
could come get you but we'd all be stranded. This is the Citgo
by Conch Republic
Me: Thank
you again for the picture of Seaweed. A load was taken off my mind. I
still want to be home and learned my lesson. Never leave. That Citgo
sign is great. There will be an article. Photos by Cheryl. ;)
10:50 Me:
Cops are letting some in over the bridge but not us. Only three
vehicles so
far
10:51 Cheryl:
Bay
News 9 says they will be opening the beaches within a couple hours
Side Note: T-Mobile is down. Only Verizon has coverage.
11:17 to Larry from Me:
Any word on your Bucky? I have seen a picture of Seaweed with a lot
of small branches. She is afloat and missing me! No damage visible.
I wish the same for you.
Larry: Nothing
yet. Just sitting here suffering! Even worse would be that my Bucky
is suffering!
11:30 Me:
Exactly. And next storm the evacuation order will not be as
appealing. I have relearned a lesson. We are still locked out. BAY 9 News said beaches would be opened in one hour.
This is Edwin:
11:31 from Edwin: Give me good news
11:34 Me: Seaweed is fine and I am stuck on mainland because
government won't let us across the bridge onto the beach. Some
people are special. They get to go but our fancy passes are totally
worthless at this point. And there is power over there, including
coffee. I am suffering without my tea or coffee. Caffeine is necessary
for my personality improvement.
My friend Lynn on In Ainneoin gave
a report in the morning as to her boat. It is in the St. Marys Boat
Services boatyard. She said: Dave
and the cat are good but I woke him up and he hasn't looked out yet.
Two tornado warnings overnight but they didn't touch down. No power
of course but that could just be the yard power. Waiting to hear
from you as soon as you can.
I told her my tale of woe regarding broken promises and being
stuck on the mainland.
11:54: from
Lynn on In Ainneoin: Hey wait. Are you not on Seaweed? What did I
miss?
Me: I was an idiot and believed the surge reports for the peninsula.
Never ever again.
12:08 p.m. to Kidlet from Me: My friend on Longboat Key still can't get on his
island. He doesn't know if his boat survived. Yet.
12:15 Kidlet: I'll pray :( where is Longboat Key?
12:16 Me: South of here by about one hour.
12:36 Kidlet: Wow. It was bad there too.
The natives were getting ugly. We
wanted to go home!!!
12:53 Me to Larry: The
geezers on Madeira Beach are near revolting. It is getting ugly.
People want to go home.
Larry:
Still no
info on Bucky. This is absolute torture.
Me: Not
knowing is impossible. Someone with a boat could make a Fortune.
There are a lot of angry volatile geezers here.
1:27 Larry:
Bucky
appears to still be tethered and level according to a neighbor.
Me:
Wonderful. I know that must be such a relief. Congratulations.
Between 1:30 and 4 o'clock I
basically sat in a truck reading my
Kindle and stewing. By then the
phone calls and texts were tapering off. I lost myself in a book
while waiting.
At 4 p.m. the beaches were finally
opened to all. The lines were tremendous. Eventually I made it
back to my girl. Gosh it was good to be home.
Having a
picture of Seaweed made the day survivable.
Just being able to see her was a big boost to my moral.
All those hours of not knowing
how my Seaweed was faring were the absolute worst. I left and
should not have done so.
I did
not want to leave my Seaweed. I had experienced a bunch of
bureaucratic liars previously. In 1998 the authorities promised if we left
the Florida Keys for Hurricane Georges as the mandatory evacuation ordered, we would be
let back in ASAP. That was a damned lie.
All the
previous not withstanding, I am most angry with myself. I knew
better. The rage expressed toward Emergency Management more
accurately ought to be pointed directly at me. I was wrong to leave
my home.
|
The boys (my birds) were glad I
returned safe and sound. |
|
This is Grumpy Gus.
→
He is not nice to Buddy.
This is Ella ↓ waiting for
her hotdogs.
Ella is a Great Blue Heron. I
named her after Ella Fitzgerald who sang the blues... She's a
blue heron singing the blues. There are three blue herons though
they come individually for the most part. |
|
|
Though
I have been on a rant in this article, this is real life. Boating is
not all sunsets and iced beverages at anchor in remote coves.
Yes, I moaned and groaned... and
then I went looking for an appropriate Aphorism. Each article, after
the Comments and Categories section (scroll down) has an Aphorism.
I have collected those posted thus far onto the
Aphorisms
page. Today's though, well, I needed to read it again. This one
really puts into perspective Life.
I need to be more like Tom.
|
It was little wonder that Tom seemed all but
immune to being bothered by small vexations.
A tedious assignment at work? A football game to cover in a
blizzard? A late-night shift
followed by an early-morning wakeup call? Please. He had seen worse.
He could always
know: No one could throw anything at him as tough as what he, and
the soldiers of D-Day
with whom he had served, had seen when they were young. They were
constantly among us,
once upon a time. They moved among us, and they elected to keep
their pasts invisible.
They were, in every sense of the phrase, men among men. Forever.
by Bob
Green, regarding Tom
Pastorius, member of 101st Airborne Division from Canton, OH who
parachuted behind enemy
lines on Utah Beach. |
|
Did Hurricane Irma impact you?
How and what did you do to prepare for the hurricane?
Regarding the Comments Section,
found at the end of every article:
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Before you type in each block be
sure to hit the backspace key. Coding inserts a space in every box.
Your email address will come back as malformed unless you remove
that space. (You don't have to include your email address.)
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The capcha is case sensitive.
|
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