|
 |
|
64
|
|
Hurricanes are a hazard to sailors in several parts of the world and, as a
regularly irregular occurrence, necessarily a subject which has to be taken into
account when planning passages and cruises. We hope to hear from anyone and
everyone with something to say on the matter.
|
|
As weather goes, hurricanes definitely belong in the extreme category. The
obvious tactic to employ at the interface between sailing and hurricanes is
absence, but that's not always possible. Our most recent encounter with one was
on the way to the Azores, when we took a bit of a lashing from the tail end of
hurricane Isaac. We know quite a few people were taken by surprise when the last hurricane of the
millennium, Lenny, appeared on the scene, very late in the season.
Maureen Pope, whom you may have met in person, along with her husband Peter,
or on the pages of The Great Adventure one of our Circumnavigators
features in the Sailors section, was kind enough, as always, to let us
share her experience of being caught up in hurricane Lenny in St. Martin in the
Caribbean in her letter home 'Anatomy
Of A Hurricane' which describes their very sensible preparations for the
hurricane which they knew they would have to weather...
|
 Jonathan Savage managed to take a couple of pictures while he weathered out
Hurricane Bertha, aboard 'G-String' in July 1996. Having
seen an inflatable dinghy fly past during a previous hurricane, Jonathan filled
his dinghy with seawater and let it sink.
 This protected the dinghy and,
additionally the sunken dinghy acted like a drogue, or sea anchor, helping to
stop the yacht from rushing forwards as the wind swung around and hit the boat
from astern.
|
An anonymous (oh, we know who it is but we promised not to tell) reader sent us this interpretation of the 1999 Hurricane Names List
(at that time Bret had just blown out): we didn't receive a list of
interpretations for the 2000 names...
|
Arlene (man, how mean)
Bret (Who could forget?)
Cindy (far too windy)
Dennis (a total menace)
Emily (she's all at sea)
Floyd (of calm, devoid)
Gert (intent to hurt)
Harvey (the muse deserts me)
Irene (should not be seen)
Jose (should stay away)
Katrina (there is none meaner)
|
Lenny (one too many)
Maria (we'd best not see her)
Nate (a windbag, mate)
Ophelia (This one could peel ya)
Philippe (This, you can keep)
Rita (oh, to delete her)
Stan (the mighty fan)
Tammy (a double whammy)
Vince (a violent rinse)
Wilma (I've had my fill, ma)
|
Hmmm. Yes...
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
