Monday, June 4, 2012

Weather Adventures

June 4- Today started like any other perfect day on the water. The sun was shining. A pleasant breeze was blowing. The marina was open so that we could get more diesel. With all these good factors, we set off to find adventure. We were merrily cruising along with the shrimp boats. We were moving right along. And then as the song says, "The weather started getting rough. The tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew..." Oh yeah, for sure we ran into what sailors like to call a squall. Peggy and I like to call it a monster thunderstorm. So, it was a real thunder boomer. And, the dingy decided that it was time to join the party, so it starting flying above the foredeck trying to become a free range dingy. Finally, the intrepid crew decided to run with the storm. It wasn't too bad for a bit- if you think gigantic waves, thunder, lightning, rain, driving rain, hail, and wind is a not too bad scenario. Yes, the wind was gusting at 72 knots with white out conditions. The wind was going sideways knocking off the tops of the waves. The annoying part was that there was actually a point in the middle of the storm when it slacked off. Our intrepid crew thought the worst was over. No such luck. That's when it really picked up and hit the 72 knots. Peggy and I tried singing. But, eventually we got to the point when we just sat there in stony silence - silently praying for the end of the storm. However, Terry, Mike, and Carol did a phenomenal job of taking us through the storm. However, Peggy and I were slightly worried when we heard them laughing. For us, it either meant we did not have to worry OR that they had already gone over the edge and had cracked up! Luckily, it did mean the worst was over. That was verified when Mike yelled into the cabin, "You'll need to take the chicken out of the freezer if we're going to have chicken for dinner tonight!" he would have to bring up food while the boat was pitching and rolling all over the place. At that point, food was not a happy thought. Jacob was in charge of getting the chicken. Peggy and I were not moving from our spots on the settee. In fact, we didn't even go to the bathroom during that storm! Terry keeps trying to assure us that our best course was the one we took. I just kept saying that I could not believe I actually paid good money at amusement parks to ride the wild rides! But, we are now anchored in the intercostal waterway just below Savannah. As always after a storm, the skies are clear, and the weather is, as Carol always says, bluebird perfect. Again, LUX did an excellent job riding out the storm. She is a stable, well made craft. And, she continues to perform well beyond our expectations.

1 comment:

A. Trent said...

My favorite quote as the trip/patrol was past the 1/2 way point was:
The End Is Near.....

And one last thing.....
As superstitions go we've all heard the "having a women aboard" one,, Interestingly enough, there is a way to counter this effect. While having a woman on board would anger the sea, having a “naked” woman on board would calm the sea. Imagine that. This is why many vessels have a figure of a woman on the bow of the ship, this figure almost always being bare-breasted. It was believed that a woman’s bare breasts would “shame” the stormy seas into calm.
So when the sea's get tough, we are either going to need a "wooden Mermaid",, or a volunteer....
Be safe, I hope the rest of the trip is uneventful...

love
a;)