Next message: George Geist: "Re: lv-ab: Silly plan"
We went down to the boat (5 hours away) which is moored at St. Simons
Island, GA. Friday night in the midst of the Tropical Storm Gabrielle.
Winds were running 20-25 knots with gusts higher. I wanted to make sure
she was secure and I wanted to do some more work. The wind was from the
north east and Wind Angel was taking the storm on dead astern. It
reminded me of watching horses standing with their rump to the wind in
the blow before the storm.
The lines were tight and I rigged another spring line to my neighbors
cleat, just for safety. We arrived after 10PM and retired shortly after
arrival. I kept hearing these ominous sounds of banging, clanking,
whistles, and shuddering. I finally got up to see if I needed to secure
anything. I went outside and wandered around the boat and dock, but
nothing seemed to be askew. The boats were doing a slow dance in their
slips but I couldn't account for many of the weird noises, so I retired
again and ignored the wind. The predicted rain never really arrived.
We had a few sprinkles but that was all. The next morning they were
calling for the winds to increase to 40 knots, but that never happened.
They gradually lessened during the day and temperature remained
moderate. Just after dark, we started to see a star or two. The wind
was still blowing, perhaps 10-15, but it was refreshing. They were
predicting more rain, but I didn't believe it since the clouds appeared
to be dissipating. It was the first time we haven't had to run the fans
all night to stay cool. In fact, Sue dug around and found the quilt
before we went to bed. We found ourselves wrapped up tight in it by
morning. That was probably the best sleep I've had this year. Sunday
morning was cool and clear. The skies were a bright cobalt blue with
just a streak of white clouds. As we were gathering our belongings to
start the long trek home, Sue commented, "I'd rather go sailing than
home". That is the scourge of the working class, but one of these days,
we'll be able to go sailing and be at home.
Jim.
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