Never mind Paloma.
We will be leaving Hampton, VA on Friday, November 7.
At 11:00 AM, 45 boats will assemble for the start at Thimble Shoal.
This may be my last blog entry until the BVI's.
Stuckie,
~~~/)~~~
~~~ ~~~
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Update, November 2, 2008
Nothing new to report. We still expect to depart on Thursday.
The delay has given us more time to tune-up the boat.
Water speed sensor replaced, stored Dingy outboard, tightened trampoline net, etc.
I even learned how to grease head pumps.
stand by, George
~~~/)~~~
~~~ ~~
The delay has given us more time to tune-up the boat.
Water speed sensor replaced, stored Dingy outboard, tightened trampoline net, etc.
I even learned how to grease head pumps.
stand by, George
~~~/)~~~
~~~ ~~
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Update November 1, 2008
Due to a LOW developing along the coast, our departure has been delayed until Thursday. The weather experts here expect the system to have passed to the north by that time. Unfortunately that means that we sit in Hampton, VA now, instead of the BVI's later.
George
~~~/)~~~
~~ ~
George
~~~/)~~~
~~ ~
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Annapolis to Hampton, VA
Thanks to all my friends & family for your "BonVoyages".
Friday,
CatAway left Annapolis at sunrise.
Winds were 25-30 knots with gusts to 45!
Very manly, at triple reef, we cut 8 knots or better on a beam to broad reach all the way to Solomons, MD. 45 Nautical miles. Made it to the dock by 2:00 PM.
Saturday,
89 nm to Hampton, VA. Winds, 20-25 knots. Beam to close haul, starboard tack.
Single reefing, brave? yes. However, this boat is very stable.
average for the day: 7.5 knots 89 nautical miles.
left at 7:30 AM, arrived after dark in Hampton, VA around 9:30 PM.
It was dark and a little scary following a shallow channel to the marina.
Made it safely and easily.
Attended a Gulf Stream weather report meeting.
Gulf stream sailing tactics.
Demonstration of life raft deployment. eeek!
(real stuff!)
Stuckie
Friday,
CatAway left Annapolis at sunrise.
Winds were 25-30 knots with gusts to 45!
Very manly, at triple reef, we cut 8 knots or better on a beam to broad reach all the way to Solomons, MD. 45 Nautical miles. Made it to the dock by 2:00 PM.
Saturday,
89 nm to Hampton, VA. Winds, 20-25 knots. Beam to close haul, starboard tack.
Single reefing, brave? yes. However, this boat is very stable.
average for the day: 7.5 knots 89 nautical miles.
left at 7:30 AM, arrived after dark in Hampton, VA around 9:30 PM.
It was dark and a little scary following a shallow channel to the marina.
Made it safely and easily.
Attended a Gulf Stream weather report meeting.
Gulf stream sailing tactics.
Demonstration of life raft deployment. eeek!
(real stuff!)
Stuckie
Monday, October 20, 2008
Caribbean Sailing Voyage, November 2, 2008
Family, friends, and sailors,
Some of you may have heard of my planned adventure on the High seas. On November 2, I will embark from Hampton, VA on a 1500 mile sailboat cruise to Tortola, British Virgin Islands. It takes about 8-10 days to get there. I'd like to tell you that my manly voyage will be sailing solo in a Kayak; but, instead a Fountaine Pajot, Belize 43 will be the vessel of choice. This is a fine catamaran.
Altogether, we will be a crew of four.
CatAway is owned by a couple that will spend six months sailing the Caribbean Islands. Nice, eh? This will be there second journey to the BVI's.
The Caribbean 1500 is a rally of boat owners that gather each year just after hurricane season for the journey. About forty boats have signed up. The rally provides seminars on best practices and provides boat inspections for safety, etc. Go to the Carib 1500 web site if you want more information.
I hope to transmit progress reports by email on occasion. Yes, email is possible albeit slooow by satellite. However, all boats will carry tracking GPS transmitters. You can see the progress of all boats on the tracking web site. To make it fun, this is a race.
Ken & Joan Wenyon of Hilltown, PA, near Montgomeryville, are the owners of CatAway.
Web sites:
The boat:
http://www.fountainepajot.com.au/belize43-catamaran.htm
http://www.letsgocruising.com/cataway.html
Caribbean 1500 Rally:
http://www.carib1500.com/events/caribbean1500.html
Tracking site:
http://onltr.magnatrax.net/no.php?fid=10330
George’s blogsite:
http://www.georgesneighborhood.blogspot.com/
BTW, I will not be taking my golf clubs and my insurance is paid.
Capt. Stuckie, aka George
~~~ /)~~~
~~~ /) ~~
~~ ~
Some of you may have heard of my planned adventure on the High seas. On November 2, I will embark from Hampton, VA on a 1500 mile sailboat cruise to Tortola, British Virgin Islands. It takes about 8-10 days to get there. I'd like to tell you that my manly voyage will be sailing solo in a Kayak; but, instead a Fountaine Pajot, Belize 43 will be the vessel of choice. This is a fine catamaran.
Altogether, we will be a crew of four.
CatAway is owned by a couple that will spend six months sailing the Caribbean Islands. Nice, eh? This will be there second journey to the BVI's.
The Caribbean 1500 is a rally of boat owners that gather each year just after hurricane season for the journey. About forty boats have signed up. The rally provides seminars on best practices and provides boat inspections for safety, etc. Go to the Carib 1500 web site if you want more information.
I hope to transmit progress reports by email on occasion. Yes, email is possible albeit slooow by satellite. However, all boats will carry tracking GPS transmitters. You can see the progress of all boats on the tracking web site. To make it fun, this is a race.
Ken & Joan Wenyon of Hilltown, PA, near Montgomeryville, are the owners of CatAway.
Web sites:
The boat:
http://www.fountainepajot.com.au/belize43-catamaran.htm
http://www.letsgocruising.com/cataway.html
Caribbean 1500 Rally:
http://www.carib1500.com/events/caribbean1500.html
Tracking site:
http://onltr.magnatrax.net/no.php?fid=10330
George’s blogsite:
http://www.georgesneighborhood.blogspot.com/
BTW, I will not be taking my golf clubs and my insurance is paid.
Capt. Stuckie, aka George
~~~ /)~~~
~~~ /) ~~
~~ ~
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Hurricane Names of interest
I did a little research on hurricanes. Sometimes the storms reflect the personalities for which they were named. Something like a horoscope, eh?
Danny 1997 – Danny was the only hurricane that made landfall in 1997. Starting slowly, it gained some strength. A small hurricane when compared to most. Even when the storm softened, it held its cyclonic form. Usually when most hurricanes fade into a depression, he picked up strength heading off in to the Atlantic in a hurry. Danny was one of the few to make it “all the way” to the North Atlantic.
Danny came from a weather system of non-tropical origin. On 13 July, a broad trough triggered a cluster of thunderstorms over the lower Mississippi River valley forming the storm. Hurricane Danny made its first landfall, just northwest of the Mississippi River delta. Danny was a very small hurricane, and significant effects were confined to the area immediately around the eye. The slow-moving hurricane wobbled to the east, bringing the eye to the mouth of Mobile Bay, Alabama. Danny continued to move erratically, toward the southeast over extreme southeast Alabama, while weakening to a tropical storm. The low pressure system moved over North Carolina as the center neared the Atlantic seaboard near the North Carolina/Virginia border, the cyclone began strengthening. After buffeting southeastern Massachusetts, Danny lost its remaining tropical characteristics, and turned out to sea -- for good. The cyclone was absorbed in a frontal zone over the North Atlantic. Losses from Danny were about 60 million dollars. The National Hurricane Center estimates around 100 million dollars in total damage.http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1997danny.html
Danny 2003 Danny is back again for more. Some promise but fading away.
Hurricane Danny was a long lived Tropical Cyclone that a developed over the North Atlantic on July 16. Within 600 miles of Bermuda, Danny turned north while just achieving hurricane strength.
Danny maintained intensity for the next 24 hours! The storm headed south and degenerated into a depression on July 20. Never making landfall, Danny’s remnants formed several slow moving clockwise loops and then dissipated east of Bermuda.
Isabel 2003 – Starting out as a Category 5 ripper, she slowly stalked the Carolina Coast. The storm never wavered off course. Fortunately, the storm “eased off” from its Category 5 status to a very angry Category 1 storm just before landfall. “Eased off”, tell that to the fish!
Hurricane Isabel knocked out power to more than 5.5 million homes and businesses before weakening into a tropical depression Friday as it raced toward Canada, swamping some tidal communities along Chesapeake Bay but breezing inland with less rain than expected. A day after plowing into North Carolina's Outer Banks with 100 mph winds, Isabel moved across Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania on Friday as its winds eased to around 35 mph
Georges 1998 – Out-of-Africa, stopping at all the Caribbean hot spots and on to the Red-neck Riviera for more fun, Georges was wet, wild, and expensive.
Insured property damage estimates that Georges caused a total of $2.955 billion in damage in the United States including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cuba and Dominican Republic not included.
In the first 60 days or so after Georges made its final landfall in Mississippi, the American Red Cross spent $104 million on relief services in the United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, the Florida Keys and the Florida Panhandle. This makes it the most expensive disaster aid effort in the organization's 117-year history http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1998georges.html
Diane 1955 - A home wrecker and unfriendly to the the mid-Atlantic coast.
Category 1, Killing 184 people put Diane at Number 13 on the deadliest hurricane list (name is retired). Diane caused heavy rains, compounding the flooding caused by Connie not even a week earlier. As Connie moved out to the north, Diane followed the storm and also struck Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Virginia, through Philadelphia and on to the Jersey shore, (no kidding.)
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/valate20hur.htm
Bud- 2000 A real storm that minded its own business, made a few waves, and hurt no one.
The origins of Bud can be traced to a tropical wave that emerged from the coast of Africa on 22 May. The wave generated little convection as it moved across the Atlantic and Caribbean. Although Bud passed near Socorro Island, and large waves associated with the storm likely affected portions of the Mexican coast, there are no reports of damage or casualties. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2000bud.html
Catherine not a used name, yet.
Michael 2000 From out of the cold, Michael loitered, gained strength, and then decided to pick on Canada. Michael was a nice storm. It gave the weather men something to do.
The precursor low-pressure system that eventually became Hurricane Michael developed as a result of an upper-level cold low that migrated southward from the mid-latitudes and interacted with a stationary front over the southeast Bahaman Islands. There were no reports of injuries or deaths as Michael traversed Newfoundland as an extratropical low pressure system. Tree and structural damage on Newfoundland was reported as being light. Damage was confined mainly to home roofs and siding, and trees being downed. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2000michael.html
Marie 2002 There was a Tropical Depression numbered 14; however, it never became strong enough to be named. Almost; but, Marie never happened. The name is reserved for the future.
Danny 1997 – Danny was the only hurricane that made landfall in 1997. Starting slowly, it gained some strength. A small hurricane when compared to most. Even when the storm softened, it held its cyclonic form. Usually when most hurricanes fade into a depression, he picked up strength heading off in to the Atlantic in a hurry. Danny was one of the few to make it “all the way” to the North Atlantic.
Danny came from a weather system of non-tropical origin. On 13 July, a broad trough triggered a cluster of thunderstorms over the lower Mississippi River valley forming the storm. Hurricane Danny made its first landfall, just northwest of the Mississippi River delta. Danny was a very small hurricane, and significant effects were confined to the area immediately around the eye. The slow-moving hurricane wobbled to the east, bringing the eye to the mouth of Mobile Bay, Alabama. Danny continued to move erratically, toward the southeast over extreme southeast Alabama, while weakening to a tropical storm. The low pressure system moved over North Carolina as the center neared the Atlantic seaboard near the North Carolina/Virginia border, the cyclone began strengthening. After buffeting southeastern Massachusetts, Danny lost its remaining tropical characteristics, and turned out to sea -- for good. The cyclone was absorbed in a frontal zone over the North Atlantic. Losses from Danny were about 60 million dollars. The National Hurricane Center estimates around 100 million dollars in total damage.http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1997danny.html
Danny 2003 Danny is back again for more. Some promise but fading away.
Hurricane Danny was a long lived Tropical Cyclone that a developed over the North Atlantic on July 16. Within 600 miles of Bermuda, Danny turned north while just achieving hurricane strength.
Danny maintained intensity for the next 24 hours! The storm headed south and degenerated into a depression on July 20. Never making landfall, Danny’s remnants formed several slow moving clockwise loops and then dissipated east of Bermuda.
Isabel 2003 – Starting out as a Category 5 ripper, she slowly stalked the Carolina Coast. The storm never wavered off course. Fortunately, the storm “eased off” from its Category 5 status to a very angry Category 1 storm just before landfall. “Eased off”, tell that to the fish!
Hurricane Isabel knocked out power to more than 5.5 million homes and businesses before weakening into a tropical depression Friday as it raced toward Canada, swamping some tidal communities along Chesapeake Bay but breezing inland with less rain than expected. A day after plowing into North Carolina's Outer Banks with 100 mph winds, Isabel moved across Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania on Friday as its winds eased to around 35 mph
Georges 1998 – Out-of-Africa, stopping at all the Caribbean hot spots and on to the Red-neck Riviera for more fun, Georges was wet, wild, and expensive.
Insured property damage estimates that Georges caused a total of $2.955 billion in damage in the United States including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cuba and Dominican Republic not included.
In the first 60 days or so after Georges made its final landfall in Mississippi, the American Red Cross spent $104 million on relief services in the United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, the Florida Keys and the Florida Panhandle. This makes it the most expensive disaster aid effort in the organization's 117-year history http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1998georges.html
Diane 1955 - A home wrecker and unfriendly to the the mid-Atlantic coast.
Category 1, Killing 184 people put Diane at Number 13 on the deadliest hurricane list (name is retired). Diane caused heavy rains, compounding the flooding caused by Connie not even a week earlier. As Connie moved out to the north, Diane followed the storm and also struck Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Virginia, through Philadelphia and on to the Jersey shore, (no kidding.)
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/valate20hur.htm
Bud- 2000 A real storm that minded its own business, made a few waves, and hurt no one.
The origins of Bud can be traced to a tropical wave that emerged from the coast of Africa on 22 May. The wave generated little convection as it moved across the Atlantic and Caribbean. Although Bud passed near Socorro Island, and large waves associated with the storm likely affected portions of the Mexican coast, there are no reports of damage or casualties. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2000bud.html
Catherine not a used name, yet.
Michael 2000 From out of the cold, Michael loitered, gained strength, and then decided to pick on Canada. Michael was a nice storm. It gave the weather men something to do.
The precursor low-pressure system that eventually became Hurricane Michael developed as a result of an upper-level cold low that migrated southward from the mid-latitudes and interacted with a stationary front over the southeast Bahaman Islands. There were no reports of injuries or deaths as Michael traversed Newfoundland as an extratropical low pressure system. Tree and structural damage on Newfoundland was reported as being light. Damage was confined mainly to home roofs and siding, and trees being downed. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2000michael.html
Marie 2002 There was a Tropical Depression numbered 14; however, it never became strong enough to be named. Almost; but, Marie never happened. The name is reserved for the future.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
picture posting
Just trying out a photo posting
Tortola: My sailing destination after hurricane season.
Not my boat!
Is this a Schooner, a Ketch, or a Yawl?
Tortola: My sailing destination after hurricane season.
Not my boat!
Is this a Schooner, a Ketch, or a Yawl?
Getting Started
Hey, George is on line!
I'll be posting photos for friends and family on this blog site.
Looking forward to your comments and news.
George S
http://www.georgesneighborhood.blogspot.com/
I'll be posting photos for friends and family on this blog site.
Looking forward to your comments and news.
George S
http://www.georgesneighborhood.blogspot.com/
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