[C320-list] Elsa

[RONALD HODEL]

Good luck Jack and to all of you who have to deal with storms. 
Ron Hodel
#1070 Lokomaikai
Dana Point, CA

Sent from my iPad

> On Jul 6, 2021, at 6:13 AM, Jack Brennan <jackbrennan at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> Good luck to fellow west Floridians on the Catalina 320 list.
> 
> The bad news is that Elsa is heading right toward us, and we are in the dangerous semi-circle. That means we could get winds substantially stronger than the 70 mph currently forecast for us. We’re also looking at a 3- to 5-foot storm surge.
> 
> The good news is that I moved my 320 to the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina last December. It is in the safest corner of a hurricane hole marina. Sonas almost was lost last fall when TS Eta trashed the dock behind our townhouse on the island of Tierra Verde.
> 
> I stripped Sonas down to bare deck, except for the main. I finally have the Dutchman adjusted perfectly, and I couldn’t bear to mess with it. So the main is tied and bungeed in multiple places. I took photos, too, just in case the unthinkable happens and I have to deal with Geico.
> 
> I am always surprised at how many boat owners don’t prepare for tropical systems beyond adding a couple of lines. Really? Leaving the Bimini, dodger, solar panels and jib up in 75 mph winds? No insurance company will pay you due to the fine print requiring adequate prep for storms.
> 
> Living on a low-lying island, our biggest concern is flooding on the first floor. It’s a “flow-through” garage – meaning it’s meant to handle water in a hurricane – but everyone puts up drywall and converts part of it to a bonus room. We may be carrying armloads of books into the upstairs at the height of the storm.
> 
> It’s the price we pay for 12-month sailing.
> 
> Jack Brennan
> Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320
> Tierra Verde, Fl.
> 
> 
> Sent from Mail for Windows 10
>