Pensacola FL Sailing Blog – sailingnightwatch

My, my, my, my, my. It is getting that as many boats show up for this show as during the summer. Could be that it was a beautiful day with no wind until after lunch. It picked up to maybe 12-15 knots, but died off about dusk.

The air show was excellent as usual. It is held at Pensacola NAS and there are thousands of people that show up at the base to watch the air show and see the large static display.

Some friends of ours stopped by and we had a nice visit during some of the show. They left shortly before the Blues started to fly. The Blues start there show with the flight of their C130 called Fat Albert. This was the last time they took off with Jado assist. It was used for short runways, but the updated aircraft does not need the assist. Too bad. It was always impressive to she such a large lumbering plane take off at about 60 degrees up angle.

We had a nice sale home until we made the turn for the beach bridge. Then we wind was dead on the stern. This boat does not move fast on that angle and will roll back and forth for no reason. One should tack down wind like on a schooner. Yes one should, but I knew my martinis would be waiting after the boat was put to bed. I could have used the alcohol for medication for the no see’m bites by the time we had everything put away. A very nice day.

This is November. I have know hurricanes this late, but who needs them? I have set through cat 1’s before, but you still have to get the boat ready for prolonged winds and any surge that may come along.

I spent Sunday turning the boat around and getting it tied for facing to the south. I also got the enclosure and bimini removed. The wind died about dusk and I was also able to get the sails off. That was a long tiring day.

Monday the wind came out of the east and was picking up speed. I broke out all the heavy lines and got 2 anchors out and set along with bow, stern lines and spring lines on both sides. By late afternoon I was able to able to get the boat off the pier and about a third of the way into the cannel. By now the hurricane is a tropical storm, but there is going to be a 5 foot surge with it.

By about 10 PM we had peek winds about 40 knots and that was about it. High tide was in the very early morning and we did get the surge, but only about 4 feet. The wind shifted to the south during the night and by morning was blowing out of the southwest. The wind then shifted to the north and stayed there for the next couple days.

By Tuesday afternoon evening I was able to get the boat back to the pier. I retrieved the lines from across the canal had got everything laid on the pier. My neighbor helped me get the anchors our of the ground and the anchor lines laid on deck. Thank God for trip lines. This was the third exhausting day in a row.

Wednesday I spend scrubbing the 2 anchor lines and the 14 extra mooring lines I had used. As they dried I wrapped them back up and restored them.

The next couple days I got the bimini and enclosure back on. Friday, the wind died enough to get the head sails bent back on. Saturday morning I got the Main and Mizzen back on just in time to leave for the homecoming Blues show.

Friday I also helped pack up the kids and grandkid so they could move to their winter rental.

For those of you who do not live in hurricane country, all this was a hell of a lot of work. But it is the price one pays to live in paradise.