Coconut Grove

Saw my car yesterday for the first time in eight weeks; always wonder if it will be here when I finally get back to Miami. Towing/impounding cars is a municipal sport here, (big money) their competitors, "car thief's", want the money too; they just announce themselves more honorably. I wonder why I keep the hassle of it but it's sure nice to go where you want, when you want, without reliance on taxies and jitneys.
Miami dodged the bullet of direct hits from four storms so far this season, but they did get a fair amount of wind as evidenced by the two sunken sailboats I see near to where I usually anchor.
Yesterday was the first day in a month and a half that the tropics were quite; no waves or depressions all the way back to Africa, how nice.
Mark

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West Palm Beach

I have been at anchor here for a few days, visiting with my friends Mike and Sandi. Today is the first day that the winds from Ike have subsided, I'm very glad not to be anywhere near the Gulf of Mexico.

This is a note of interest for the "gonnabe" live aboard's. Since installing a new refrigerator and sperate freezer a while back I have been thinking of ways to use the space left vacant by the removal of the old, so called "holdover" freezer space. It's a fairly big space that I had thought to install a drop in 12 vdc refrigerator system for about $1,200, when all said and done.
The problem with boat refrigerator systems are, they are very expensive, require a lot of installation and reconstruction and whatever food product touches the evaporator plate freezes. Added to that they consume about 6 amps DC per hour.
Capt. Mike told me of a system, that in appearance looks like a Coleman cooler, but has a self contained cooling system that is powered through a 12 vdc cigar lighter plug. The system employs a small amount of ammonia and two small cooling fans. On start up it uses about 3 amps, then drops down a little after it has run awhile.
This system is not a refrigerator so there is no evaporator to freeze product, there's just cool air going in the box. It will only take the inside air down to 40 f below ambient, so if the air temperature in the galley is 80 f then the temperature in the box will be about 41 f, perfect for produce or juce. The price is really good at $100.
I have spent 4 days in reconstruction and installation, (I'm not a technician) I installed the cooler box in one piece and guess what; it works.
Mark

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West Palm Beach

Ike's track sure changed dramatically yesterday with the midday forecast. The day started with me sailing north up the southeast coast of Florida to a better location, knowing that time had run out for sailing to a completely safe location. Settling for a location still well within the danger zone was not a comfort but I was determined to work with what I was given.
The storm track was pushed more south and west by the persistent, semi permanent Bermuda high that directs the prevailing winds in these parts. The high was believed to slightly retreat to the north or diminish somewhat thus allowing Ike to track to the north west. The danger zone included all of the state Of Florida. The latest has the high holding fast, in fact it is extending west to the golf of Mexico all the way to the coast of Texas pushing or holding Ike to a west southwest tract. There is the possibility that the high will split in two, leaving a pathway for Ike to travel up the west coast of Florida and build in intensity.
The good news for me is that my location is on the extreme eastern edge of the danger cone, the bad news is that upper right quadrant of a hurricane is known as the dangerous semi circle or what is commonly referred to as the dirty side. The dirty side usually has the highest winds, the most rain, and tornados. If the track remains as forecast my location will be spared from the worst.
The above conversation is what we sailors talk about 24/7 during times like this, to a point of information overload, and mental shut down. You get calls; did you hear the latest's, if this happens, then; and so it goes.
I feel much better about things today, but of course I'll stay on the information overload highway till the storm is long past this area.
Mark

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Hanna-Ike

Hanna:
I sailed from the Bahamas four days ago to avoid Hanna, this morning I'm sailing north to Palm Beach on her remaining winds. I'm three miles off Miami cut in 25 kts from the west, hugging the coast to be in the lee of the main land. I was going to go out in the Golf Stream to take advantage of it's 3 kt northerly flow but it looks pretty ruff out there.
It's amazing to think that Hanna is probably 600 miles away from Miami and I'm sailing 8/9 kts on her wind.
Ike:
The computer tracks for Ike yesterday morning had me feeling almost comfortable running south and west, to Key West and perhaps beyond. While sailing down the bay towards Key Largo, I received the latest weather up date in which, the NHC expanded the danger cone to include the entire state of Florida, the Bahamas and most of Cuba. No place to run was my first thought, a thought that was hard to adjust to given my history of sailing away from the danger zone. No place to run, is to me, a chilling concept.
I stopped the boat and anchored near Elliot Key, I checked every weather source available, one forecaster after another. Weather bloggers, even the not so great weather channel, NHC and many more. I was kidding myself, I was looking for a forecaster that would give me what I wanted, an escape route, a way out, a place to sail to that was safe from the powerful wind that's surely on it's way; there is no way out.
Ten or so hours later, I accepted the concept of no where to run, I started to think thoughts like; the media always show boats mangled in marinas, it wouldn't be very interesting to show boats and marinas that did well in storms. In fact most boats that are properly made ready, do make it through. Anyway, I had to work on my attitude, get some positive thoughts going, go through the drill in my head, the long check list of items to make Stray Cat as safe as I can before I leave her to go to a place of personal safety.
Captain Mike ward and I have been talking about this storm for days, going over plans, his and mine. Mike drives very large luxury motor yachts, he knows I run from storms, he also knows exactly how to tie up a boat for a storm. Mike has a private dock on a inland cannel available to him, that I may use. Mike also has spare large dock lines, fenders and a big ass anchor I can use. So with Mike's help and Sandi his first mate, chef, and overall admiral, I'll enjoy expert knowledge, help, friendship and the very best food.
More later,
Mark

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Hanna

I didn't write yesterday, I slept the day away. When I made it to Bimini the wind and sea state of the Gulf Stream were so favorable I sailed right through to Miami. I arrived after midnight having sailed 135 miles from Chub in 16 hours; just a bit better then 8 kts.
Hanna is due to; forecasted to, guessed to, blow through here Thursday/Friday with lots of rain, the wind maybe 35 kts with guest. If all that holds true I'll be happy I sailed here. If the track wobbles a bit to the west, conditions will worsen; I'll run for the Keys.
Ike is projected to be here in the south east Florida area the Friday after next, if the projection holds true, I guess I'll sail north.
I had a problem with receiving emails for a day and a half, that caused a lot of concern for all the people who are keeping up with my adventures, not to mention my inability to get- up to date weather. Some sailing friends down in Nassau where I had just sailed from, called the Chub Cay dock master to see if I arrived safely, they wouldn't have known that I didn't check in, I just anchored in the cove for some sleep and sailed on for Bimini.
First step was to trouble shoot the HF radio, the automatic tuner, the Pactor III modem, power source and antenna system. After several hours of one eye on sailing, the other on the radio systems; I was sure there was nothing wrong with the onboard systems, I didn't know what to do next.
Labor day morning I was trying to recall when I signed up for the sail mail system that makes everything work. My guess was almost one year to the day when I was sailing in Panama. Sail mail is a wonderful program and worth the $250 per year; seems if you don't pay the fee the systems program automatically shuts off your in box (no mail) but you can send. I took a shot at sending an email to operations with credit card info. Three hours later, on labor day, I was turned back on, stress relief.
When the system came back up I had a huge number of emails, I have been working on them, just a few more to go.
The hurricane season is really building in number of named storms; I have already run from three and there are at least three more headed this way. Historically the season peaks on September tenth; Yeah well, they are lined up like freight trains, from the west coast of Africa to Miami. I don't see how it can get worse, so it has to get better, right?
Mark

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Hanna

This morning I discovered that I'm not receiving emails,I know this since when I requests weather reports I get no reply, also I normally get about ten emails each day. I seem to be able to send so I thought, Id get a log entry out to let people know I'm alright and I'm not ignoring them.
I made it to Chub Cay uneventfully, anchored there for a peaceful night in 20 kts from the north. This morning I watched Sat TV for Hanna news, which they are still not covering very well. I did see the cone of confusion, the track, such as it is, and decided to take off again, this time heading west for Gun Cay/Bimini and maybe even Miami.
This 85 mile passage is so far, really good, with 20-25 kts from the north while I'm sailing west. I have been averaging 9 kts, with a top speed of 11.9 kts. I'll make Gun Cay by 17:00 today, if the Gulf Stream looks ok I'll sail for Miami probably arriving around 24:00. If the stream looks bad (most likely) I'll stay in the Bimini chain for the passage of Hanna.
I will post another entry tonight and hope it gets out.
Mark

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