REEF RESCUE and RESCUERS HEADING FOR DOMINICA FACE PIRATES

Artemis suffered an engine failure in the narrow cut entering Hartmen Bay and finished up on the reef.

Getting her off was more difficult than usual due to the really big swell that was running. The breakers came close to overturning several dinghies. But she came off with no hull damage. Her rudder is damaged and she will need to come out for repairs I think.

Catastrophe happens!!!!
We hit the reef after engine problems in Hartman Bay. Mayday message sent...many many tenders arrived to help...marina work boat sent...coastguard arrived. Eventually our mast was gently pulled down and we were pulled very gently off the reef! The rudders broken, the keel (so far) looks fine, prop fine.....all looks cosmetic. We were towed to a mooring buoy and fortunately have not taken any water.
Many, many thanks to everyone involved. I cannot thank everyone enough for helping save our boat.
However Miles, Alison and Artemis have pulled through.

From Chris Doyle

Yachts bringing aid to Dominica may need to rethink. Very regrettably yachts bringing supplies to Dominica are getting robbed offshore by armed men in Pirogues. What worried me about this is that it is a societal ill. In Grenada in Janet, no one looted. The next hurricane there was a lot of looting. After a hurricane, when supermarkets are closed and there is no food, at least breaking in and taking some food has some sort of survival justification for anyone who is actually starving . But it has gone way beyond that. Now a hurricane is seen as justification for breaking into any kind of store and taking things for free on the grounds that if they take all insurance will pay. This is very wrong. By doing that insurance rates go way up and this gets put into the cost of things you buy from then on. That kind of permissive attitude has now led to the armed robbery of yachts bringing up aid. This is not stopping all aid but it is stopping some. Including a solar charging system with multiple mains outlets to help people charge their phones and batteries. There is a way too permissive an attitude in Dominica in general about this. To all my friends in Dominica who know stealing is wrong. It should not be considered acceptable when you have a disaster. It is also going to affect yachting. Because once people have got away with going out to sea and robbing yachts off Dominica, they are likely to continue one the storm is over. Dominicans who understand this must communicate to their sticky fingered brethren, and let them know that this kind of behavior i totally unacceptable. This hurricane is not a one off. With global warming you will get more. It is really dumb to harm those who try to bring you help.

Hurricane Maria

She is a big strong lady and even though she is 100s of miles to the North we have a contrary Westerly wind and rain squalls.

I am in a very protected spot in Clark's COurt Bay. GOOD
Other people know that this is a protected spot. err good sort of.
All this morning other boats have been piling in and anchoring around me. BAD
The first big rain squall has just blown through and at least two boats have dragged BAD
But both off to the side of Elephants Child.

GOOD NEWS FOR ME BAD NEWS FOR DOMINICA GUADELOUPE AND ST CROIX REALLY BAD NEWS FOR THE USVI AND PR

Well I am back at DEFCON 2 as it is clear that Maria will strike well to the North as a fairly compact storm.

Dominica and Guadeloupe are in the cross hairs for a strike by a cat 2 or 3.

St Croix will get hit then Maria is likely to strengthen further and hit the USVI followed by Puerto Rico as a Cat 3 or 4.

I really feel for those people who will be trying to get some supplies in then be faced with starting the clean up all over again.

St John to be evacuated

FEMA and the other government agencies currently on the ground here are recommending that all non-essential persons evacuate the island ASAP.

Back to more pleasant things. Clark's Court Boatyard organised some J24 match racing and they got some unusual light westerly winds for the races.

When they do it again I may see if I can rustle up a wrinklies entry, age 70 + to be in my gang.

But I may just enjoy watching it all from Whisper Cove Marina as I enjoy their very fine Sunday brunch

A local entrepreneur has been working on making this rescued cat into a water and fuel barge but things are proceeding slowly and he has allowed one hull to sink. Guess I need to go in and fill up with water instead of the delivery.

Irma left behind conditions for spectacular sunsets.

Makes my sundowner G & T a little more special.

DEFCON 4

Local weather guru Chris Parker has issued a warning for the possible rapid intensification of the system due to hit on Monday.

Cat 3 or 4 with Guadeloupe or Dominica as the target.

NOT GOOD

MORE HURRICANES

It looks like both the yellow crosses shown in the previous post will develop into storms then hurricanes. It is early days for reliable forecasts as to track but most models have one missing the islands and the one closer to the islands passing over Martinique Dominica or Guadeloupe as a storm or cat 1 hurricane.

Had some collateral damage from Irma, the fresh produce shelves were just about empty in the supermarket as the supply which comes through Florida was disrupted.

Just the three systems to worry about

OK it looks like Jose is no danger to Grenada but it has been doing loops.

The two potential storms are both moving into conditions that favor development.

I am keeping a close watch on the one closest to Africa. I have a BAD feeling about this one.

TOPICAL ONLY IN AMERICA

Some Americans preparing for Hurricane Irma are coming up with unusual ways to show their defiance.
They are planning to fire bullets into the storm or use flame throwers and lasers to show their resistance

although there's no way to stop the path of a hurricane.

ONLY IN AMERICA

Well not this week. It is only in the UK that I came up with news that tickled my funny bone.

The young lady out on a first date who got stuck with her arm inside a bathroom window as she attempted to retrieve her poo. REALLY?

The mature lady who blew up her car with a can of air freshener. [ I could do that I have lots of practice with making potato cannon. }

THEY GOT OUT OF DODGE

Several cruisers that I know who were in places like St Martin the BVI Antigua St Barts set sail South when it was clear that there was a significant risk of a hit by a major storm.

They aimed for Martinique St Lucia and in the case of little Haymeade Carriacou. I am sure they were glad to drop the hook in a sheltered spot and catch up on sleep.

Their reports have been trickling in of their successful escapes amongst the news of boats who remained in St marten or the BVI and are sunk or damaged. Some of the yards in St marten that insist on dropping the mast and use sand screws to strap down the boats have faired well but there is one that has a trail of damage across it from a low flying catamaran.

IRMA in ANTIGUA BARBUDA ST MARTIN THE BVI THE USVI

Only 2 reported deaths so far. I am sure this number will grow but a lot less than I was expecting.

These are all places I know well and have anchored in. Sometimes leaving friends behind who ride out the season because they are working up there. At least one couple in St Martin have lost their boat but they heeded the advice did what they could and moved ashore for the passage of the storm.

Barbuda got a direct hit and I suspect the damage to the housing stock will be dramatic as they are lightly built wooden houses for the most part. UPDATE 90% of the houses on Barbuda have major damage. I death reported so far

BVI also got a direct hit.

Paraquita bay, Tortola, view of the carnage in the hurricane moorings.

This is the big charter boat Marina on the South side of the BVI

Lots of damaged boats.


I have just heard from two friends who decided to stay in North Sound BVI. This would have been the last place I would have chosen but their boat made it through on its own two anchors. They did the sensible thing and moved ashore into a concrete and steel built hotel.

Nothing heard from Branson's Blog from Neeker island though.

NOW 180 GUSTING 220 AS IT HITS ANTIGUA BARBUDA

Wow just wow

IRMA THE MOST POWERFUL ATLANTIC HURRICANE EVER

Irma is now the 5th strongest hurricane ever formed in the Atlantic basin - winds 180 mph and the strongest ever outside the Caribbean Sea or Gulf of Mexico. A hurricane hunter is still checking and has not reached the northern eyewall where the earlier strongest winds were so it could be even stronger than that!

This is the wind forecast for Anguilla speeds in mph.
Wednesday

07 AM NE 144 172

08 AM ENE 172 201

09 AM SSE 161 190

Wind speed of 172 steady with gusts to 201.