Hope y'all safe in Florida?

[Herschel]

So far so good here in Orlando. Getting some rain and wind in bands. Got the home, yard, vehicles, and travel trailer prepped. My Mac is in the marina in Sanford. Since my old dock (E on the west side on the marina) had been damaged by Ian, I was moved to B dock on the east side. The largest of the yachts are tied up to that dock so hopefully it is the strongest, but we are exposed to the waves and wind from Lake Monroe due to the seawall being overcome by flooding. The liveaboards who have what looks like a 35-foot cruiser decided to bail due to wave action this afternoon, but reported my boat was in good shape and doing well. I went up Tuesday and doubled up all mooring lines, added spring lines, stowed the dodger, collapsed and secured the Bimini. Main was already off, but it was too windy to attempt the taking down of the jib, so I just reinforced the furling with line in three places, positioned the fenders strategically. Now, it is wait and see time.

[NiceAft]

Good luck Herschel.

[Russ]

Herschel, your boat looks as secured as possible.

Good to secure the headsail. One of my pet peeves is captains that leave the "tail" sticking out of their roller furling headsail providing wind a method to pull it out. I've seen a boat in our marina have the headsail unfurled with heavy wind and it destroyed it.

I like how you used the stanchions as an auxiliary dockline connection point. Doubled up on mains.

Hopefully, your neighbors have secured theirs.

[Be Free]

Rain and wind bands are hitting my area now. Storm surge prediction has been raised slightly but I'm still higher than the surge. A few limbs down but nothing major yet. The storm should pass over me just after sundown tonight.

[OverEasy]

So it seems that the Florida State Capital will participate in this hurricane this time….

Kind of a relief though that it’s headed inland where it can dissipate instead of zigzagging back out over water where it can pick up steam again…

Hope it fizzles sooner rather than later….

[Herschel]

Got up to the marina today to check on the boat. While I was worried about the NE wind and water exposure during Nicole that drove out the nearby liveaboards on their 44-footer, all was good today. Finally got the jib off the furler so I can have the leech and foot Sunbrella cover remade. Hopefully Doyle is still available down in West Palm County. Got to adding up all the hurricanes that my Mac has successfully faced: Charlie, Francis, Jeanne, Matthew, Irma, Dorian, Ian and Nicole with brushes from several others, of course, but these are the main ones that required careful preparation. Except for the first three in 2004, all have been handled at my marina slip. So, kind of proud of the old girl. Aptly named I suggest---American Spirit!

[Jimmyt]

Great news! Whew!

[Russ]

Great news! Whew!

+1

[Herschel]

Wondering how "Be Free" up in Steinhatchie made out.

[Be Free]

We definitely got some tropical storm speed winds. Small limbs down and some minor flooding up here. I'm only aware of one power line that went down about a half mile from me. I drove down to the where I could see out the channel to the gulf and then back along the river just after the storm hit here. It was raining but no signs of any flooding or damage.

What was left of the eye passed over here just before dark. There was not much rain after the eye but we got close to 6" before it got here. The storm surge hit us about 3AM. I walked down to the river at 4AM to give it a chance to move the mile or so up-river to me. The forecast was for a 5' surge around then. The water was right at the top of the bank so no flooding where I was.

I'd like some of the engineering types here to check my math. I measured a 3 degree angle from the top of my driveway to the river bank. I paced the distance as 385 feet. I'm assuming that my eye was 5 feet above the road. I came up with approximately a 15 foot change in elevation from my driveway to the bank.

Any takers?

[Jimmyt]

Glad to hear you’re ok!

About 20 ft for 3 degree slope over 385 ft. Actual math is 20.15. If the three degrees was from your eye level, I’ll have to recalculate. Just let me know.

If you have a tape measure, a level, a cold six pack, and an assistant; you could probably get a better number. Measure from the ground up to your eye. Using the level, take a sighting up the slope to the ground. Have your assistant place a cold beer at that spot. Move up to the cold beer (drink it) and repeat the process until your last sighting is on the wall of the house. Have your assistant put a piece of blue painters tape on the wall at your sighting (I haven’t figured out an easy way to make a cold beer stick to a wall). Count the number of empty beer cans and add one for the piece of blue tape. Then multiply that count by the distance up to your eye. If you can still find the tape measure, get the distance from the blue tape down to your floor. Subtract this from your previous number. Voila! You now have estimated your floor elevation (and likely consumed 3 or 4 beers).

I used a two foot level to try it, but needed a stake to steady it while I took my sighting. This will get worse as you work your way up (due to beer), so a stake will probably be necessary. If you have a self-leveling laser level, just use that at a fixed height for your increments.

Yes, I’m being silly. No I’m not encouraging drinking. Just throwing a little redneck humor in with the engineering to keep everyone from going to sleep.

[Herschel]

Glad to hear you’re ok!

About 20 ft for 3 degree slope over 385 ft. Actual math is 20.15. If the three degrees was from your eye level, I’ll have to recalculate. Just let me know.

If you have a tape measure, a level, a cold six pack, and an assistant; you could probably get a better number. Measure from the ground up to your eye. Using the level, take a sighting up the slope to the ground. Have your assistant place a cold beer at that spot. Move up to the cold beer (drink it) and repeat the process until your last sighting is on the wall of the house. Have your assistant put a piece of blue painters tape on the wall at your sighting (I haven’t figured out an easy way to make a cold beer stick to a wall). Count the number of empty beer cans and add one for the piece of blue tape. Then multiply that count by the distance up to your eye. If you can still find the tape measure, get the distance from the blue tape down to your floor. Subtract this from your previous number. Voila! You now have estimated your floor elevation (and likely consumed 3 or 4 beers).

I used a two foot level to try it, but needed a stake to steady it while I took my sighting. This will get worse as you work your way up (due to beer), so a stake will probably be necessary. If you have a self-leveling laser level, just use that at a fixed height for your increments.

Yes, I’m being silly. No I’m not encouraging drinking. Just throwing a little redneck humor in with the engineering to keep everyone from going to sleep.

But have you figured in the impact of the tidal bore? And just what size beer cans are we dealing with here? Is there a correction for your being in the Central Time Zone? Definitely not bored...
But, seriously; glad all is well in Steinhatchee.

[OverEasy]

Whew!
Glad that’s over!
Glad ya’ll made it through!