Hurricane Earl

Hurricane Earl stayed just low enough to give the extreme northern islands a lot more than a scare. It could have been worse as the eye did pass just to the North which meant that the islands got the winds in the south side of the hurricane which are less due to the westerly movement of the storm.Winds on the North side being typically 20 to 25 knots higher.


However many boats have been sunk on their docks or driven ashore. Roadtown Anguilla reports eight out of ten freighter/ferries ashore and the commercial docks in Roadtown in the BVI seems to have been very badly hit. The sunken boats picture is from there.

Anchorages open to the South or West seemed to have suffered the most.




This boat was on a mooring in Sopers Hole. [ AKA West End ] It looks like little was done to prepare it for the hurricane as the sails are still on the booms and the cockpit sides are fitted. All of which should have been stripped off along with the deck stuff, it all creates windage.






Elephants Child was kept on a mooring in Chocolate Hole and reports say that only one boat is left afloat there; the rest have been driven ashore and some are holed.


Anegada seems to have had the hardest hit with services still out and only the sketchiest of reports coming in. No reports of deaths anywhere so far.

Duley and Flora Disco and the dog on Folk Lauric should be OK as they were in the inner lagoon in St Maarten but reports are still sketchy and the designated Stormcarib reporter has posted pictures of her uprooted palm trees from her garden and not the lagoon or anchorages.

My haulout is cancelled B*******R
Looking at boats on the beachputs things into perspective but I was not a happy bunny on Monday when the boatyard said they could not haul me for "logistical" reasons.

Ah well it is the Caribbean, it will get done, just on island time though.

OH YES

Fiona is on her way and Gustav may be the next one out of the Cape Verdes hurricane factory as a wave with some convection is slowly getting organised down the near the ITZ.