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Hey east coast guys, just want to wish y'all good luck with this storm that's headed your way. Irene is forecast to become a Cat 4 storm before hitting the US and as a multi hurricane survivor myself (worst was Andrew in '92) I can certainly sympathize with what y'all are about to go through.

Be safe!!

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Haven't had a good wallop since Bob in 91. We're overdue. I remember looking up at the blue sky as the eye passed over my house. Depending if it hits the outer banks or not, we could be in for a major slam. Thankfully the storm surge should coincide with the new moon low.

I'm trying to fish tomorrow, but I don't know if the ramps will be passable with everyone pulling out.

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Thanks Cliff,
Thankfully Both my boats live on trailers and the whaler in the garage. I feel for those scrambling at the marinas right now. Haven't done anything yet but we'll be fueling up the chainsaw, generator, and all the vehicles tomorrow and getting food and water ready. Oh yeah beer! In Gloria we lost lots of trees with three on the house had to put a new roof on. We were out of power for about 10 days. I'll probably won't sleep and stay up all night Saturday watching the storm move in.

Tom

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Tom,

Sounds familiar. If I were you and able to do so, I'd fill up all my gas tanks today. Tomorrow there might be a mad rush on fuel.

Good luck!!

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The old saying "Hide from the wind and Run from the water" is critical with these storms.

There is no time like the present to get fuel and supplies. Things get crazy quickly.

Wishing everyone good luck on the east coast.

Rick

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blindeman is down in the Bahamas right now!!!!! =8-O

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Thanks. The last time the projected path shifted a little west, the NOAA data puts the eye about 68 miles east of Southport, NC at about 8:00 a.m. Sat. morning. That's bad enough, but there's plenty of time for another jog to the west. Then it could get really ugly. A Little Madness is in the back yard, covered & secured. Staging the generator this evening along with front windows storm shutters. Beer's cold & plentiful, along w/food, and it sounds like a Hurricane Party's a brewin! Hazel put commercial fishing boats up in our front yard in the Old Yacht Basin here, when she went in around Murrell's Inlet in SC back in 54'. We're alot more prepared for Irene than a tornado or earthquake, both of which we've had in the last week. Ya'll have fun now!

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Best of luck to those who have elected to Hunker Down.

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what do you all think about mooring whips and plenty of slack in the lines to ride out this storm in Jersey?

17 foot whaler with automatic bilge pump
14 foot whips

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Sissle-

It's pretty much certain you are going to get heavy rain. I would not use the bilge pump. Pull the plug and put the battery in front of the cooler (to help reduce stern heavy trim).

I would add a second line (with a little slack) from below the mooring ball to the bow eye.

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pull the boats, i have seen what a storm can do to a whaler when it breaks loose, and it is not pretty.

The 18 is coming out by noon friday, I have plenty of gas for tractors or chain saws and I will gas up the 4 wheel drive.

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we usually just worry about noreasters. It's been a long time since Gloria so no sense in skimping on being prepared. I wouldn't Lea e a boat in the water during a hurricane no matter who made it. Take the time to pull it and you Won't likely regret it. Thanks for the well wishes.

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My Montauk ran out Hurricance Bob on the lake tethered to a mooring (which was dragged more than 20 ft by the storm). Pull the plug... she'll settle a bit and then ride fine.

Whips... I had them and don't trust them in heavy waves//// too much play!

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For what it's worth, I keep my 17 in a slip at the most protected Marina I Boston Harbor. I normally use way-too-heavy docklines, etc. I've worked around the water my whole life, and know how to rig a boat to survive a storm (I used to run a 17 as a rescue boat on LI sound, and have had them out in 70+ kt conditions). So, all that said, I'm posting this sitting in my truck at the ramp waiting for a buddy to lend a hand hauling her out!

If you can - PULL YOUR BOAT!

Good luck to all-
Adam

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Bow and stern lines with extra slack. Spring lines. Extra fenders.

Or put the boat on the trailer, drive 200 miles inland. get a nice hotel room, order room service and watch the hurricane on TV. (My preferred solution when I lived in Florida.)

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Just left Nassau. In Miami now heading back to Richmond to re-live Irene all over again. I think what's somewhat unique about this storm is the size of the thing. We were in the heart of it for over 24 hours. Not too much damage around Nassau. Mostly trees down was it. But if it picks up steam up the US coast it will be a mutha simply due to how long it will take to move through. It only takes one tree to fall in the wrong place to cause heartache. Batten down and stay inside.

Bruce

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I read that though the storm is a Cat 2 now, they expect it to reintensify to a Cat 3 before hitting NC and that it's the strongest storm to hit the area in seven years.

Wow.

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Fortunately she now seems to be losing a little power and will likely be a Cat 1 when the worst hits land. Still a huge storm though.

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I am in Bath NC. The outer rain bands have arrived now. Bath Creek is a well known "hurricane hole" and the Creek is now full of mostly sailboats at anchor. My 1988 15 Sport CC is in the garage. Even though I am right on the water, I am not in an evacuation zone, ie no flood insurance needed, as house is 18' +/- above water level.

Should get 5-7' rise in water level, 6-10" of rain and 80-100 mph winds. If I lose any trees, I just hope Irene selects one that we want down anyway and drops it in the reight direction.

I just hope any power outages are brief, as I will miss the A/C.

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The eye wall collapsed earlier today and the storm is not expected to gain any strength. the latest updates have it hitting NC as a category 1 and it will loose power as it goes up the coast. that's not to say it's still not a very dangerous storm, dumping lost of water and packing a huge storm surge.

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Seems they cant make up their minds on the intensity. Spent the day moving poll furniture in, battening down. Debated on taking the cover off the boat, but I backed it up against the side of the garage between me and my neighbors, left the cover on and tired it down nice and tight. Also chocked the trailer tires and hammered in a fence post at the trainer tongue, wrapping the safety chains around so it doesn't spin. We will be getting heavy water here, high tide on the De river is Sunday am. Add that with the winds pushing the water up the De Bay into the river...get your swimmies!

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I'm hunkered down in NJ on a Barnegat Bay lagoon. Montauk is out on the trailer & stripped of gear. My Edgewater 26 is up high on the lift. At the height it is raised, if it were to float off, EVERYONE on the NJ shore will be in big trouble.