Sunday, August 28, 2011

IRENE


The first wave of clouds wind and rain of Irene Saturday afternoon.
We sailed to Fall River from Newport on Wednesday.  It was a beautiful sail, 15-20 knots of wind, so we just used the main. Pulled into our slip without a hitch, and proceeded to get things ready for hauling for the hurricane.  More and more of our dockside friends showed up over the next few days, CJ, Linda and Susan, Mike and Pam, Scott and Donna.
Notice the shadows on the cooling towers of the coal plant.  Also, that's the Energy Independence unloading coal.  She passed us traveling up Narragansett Bay on Tuesday.

Truly Topless she is! Lori DaSousa's boat.  Aptly named this very day.  Hope she rides out the storm well in her slip.
Borden Light started hauling boats that very day.   David and I love to watch the boat yard at work.  George drives the travel lift like it's a toy car, the guys are a well tuned machine, knowing exactly where to put the boats and be prepared to push blocks under keels, and place the poppits.  I am amazed at the number of boats they pulled between Wednesday afternoon and Saturday evening.  We watched Mike drive his father's boat "Lundon Bridge" into the travel lift without steering, "I don't need the wheel - just use the engines!" he said, sounding a bit like Captain Ron.  And he accomplished the task without touching a boat, a dock or the sides of the travel lift.
Lundon Bridge in travel lift ready to be hauled Thursday night.  They parked their trucks with their lights on to light up the lift area.

Friday night proved to be fun, after all our work was done - taking off the jib, the side curtains, and laundry, we sat on the dock with our friends, watching the boats being hauled and finally ended up at the Tipsy just in time to close it down.

Saturday - 7:30am - Obsession was in the travel lift and on the hard by 8:30am.  More work - bimini and dodger need to be removed and stowed, cushions, tie down the electronics covers, tie up the bimini and dodger poles, pack clothes and food make sure everything is tied down and nothing left loose to fly around.  Again, George and Mike and the Borden Light crew worked alongside many volunteers getting as many boats out of the water as they could until 5:00pm.
Right where we wanted to be. In front of G Dock clubhouse and on the pavement.

One of the tires of the travel lift went right through the boardwalk next to Obsession with the boat that was hauled right after us.  Glad we ended up on the pavement.

We checked into the hotel, (got Hurricane rates!) went to dinner at White's and then crashed on the soft, DRY and comfortable King Size bed, being lulled to sleep by the news and weather.

Sunday morning - I was up at 4:00am to my favorite Channel 10 newscaster - Frank Coletta, and Gary Ley.  (Is anyone surprised by that?) Hurricane not as strong as expected, but "still beware" was their mantra.  After breakfast we drove over to the Marina to check the boats,
Unusual high tide.  This is as high as it got this morning.  Phew!
Just enough room to walk through.  Like a maze!



 the tide, the docks etc.,  then drove through the condos.  Surprise!  Obsession is fine.  But what? Trees down by the condo? Oh dear!
Tree down in front of our condo.  No major damage, just the fence.

As the wind started to pick up, and the rain got heavier, we decided against a trip to Newport across the Sakonnet River Bridge, and opted for the hotel for a bit.  As I write this the electricity is out here in the hotel, and as I check my facebook (using my iPhone hotspot) it seems to be the norm around Rhode Island.

This is a new age.  My mom has facebook, and can communicate with us all during the storm (as long as she has electricity).  Sharing pictures and thoughts with friends near and far almost instantly is part of this age of communication.  Love it.  David even has entered the new age.  He has a new Smart Phone - a Droid-X.

From the Point in Newport - one boat is losing it's jib - the red one on the left.  Very windy and rough in Newport.

Forty Steps.  Photo by David with his new Droid-X





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