• Sailing is all about the Weather.

    Big into the exploration of Atlantic Hurricanes since Katrina came uninvited into his world, James (Jim) Gurley (JamesG161) has followed every Tropical Storm birthed in Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean waters since. Being a boater, he knows that we often need more time to prepare than we get from the TV weather folk. Jim relies on the science of storm development to share early warning info with friends and fellow boaters.

    Early in 2018, Jim and John Shepard, (JSSailem) started to chat about the weather data available. John asked Jim to help forecast Pacific NW storms, and this morphed into discussions on weather forecasting.

    For John, sailing in the PNW is sometimes hit and miss. One day is ugly, then a string of beautiful days but no wind, followed by a series of blue-sky days and 12 knot breezes. Being ready for those great sailing days means you need to look to the Pacific Ocean and what is brewing. John has been into Pacific NW Weather since the 1970’s when his first PNW November storm hit bringing more than 40 days and 40 nights of continual rain.

    Together we want to share information, new APPs, safety, and thoughts about letting the weather help you. Identify some of the resources for sailors and help prepare you for your next sailboat outing.

    It is far better to go out on the water knowing what to expect in weather terms, than to be out on the water and see dark ominous clouds suddenly appear, unprepared.

Hurricane Isaias <--- TS Isaias <--- PTC 9 <--- Invest 92L

Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Updated - winds increased to 50-60. My dinghy is trying to fly. Good thing it's tied to 4-points in opposing positions. I had also wrapped the spinnaker halyard around the headsail to help keep it together.
BTW I'm not on the boat. This camera uses cellular data and I'm doing a remote capture.

ledge light.GIF
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I kinda wish I was there. I do like a rip snorting storm when I'm high and dry. I rode many out in my Greenport building. But it's not mine anymore. :dancing:
 
May 23, 2016
217
O'Day 1984 23 Island Park, NY
Like like our boat fared ok... Can't say the same for our tree, fence, or patio table... Several boats at club s shredded sails and parted lines... Dock got chewed up... One boat tried to sail away... Which is what led me to the outer dock in the middle of the worst of it, after that dock took damage... And two pairs of boats tangled their standing rigging.
 
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Feb 14, 2014
7,400
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Which is what led me to the outer dock in the middle of the worst of it,
The same thing happened on our dock when TS Cristobal hit us.

A police officer had his boat, on our pier, that had no bilge pump switch working.

He braved the storm in the worst of it.
We were inside our Ford Expedition watching him closely to make sure he did not have a problem, while he was walking waste deep on the pier.

Hero or Foolish?

You both were lucky.
Jim...

PS: I was his "back up" tho and gave him a dry towel on his return.
 
May 23, 2016
217
O'Day 1984 23 Island Park, NY
Hero or foolish = success or tragedy...
Actually if those are the only 2 options I'll have to choose foolish for my situation... Hero isn't appropriate... no life in danger or saved, just things... Things we love, sure, and that seem to love us back, but things all the same.
There were about 4 of us out there at any given time... So at least I wasn't alone...
AND
I was the only one who bothered to don a PFD first.

Did I mention that if she HAD broken loose she would've collided with MY boat? Or that her owner is the most lovable 89yr old you've ever met? Or that going out there was the only way to keep HIM from going out himself?
 
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