Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Riding the storm out, October 29 2012

When we first got to Elizabeth City, we heard about a storm named Sandy that was forming in the Caribbean. People in Elizabeth City seemed unconcerned. In fact, when Dan asked the lady at the visitors' welcome center about it, she replied, "I don't think that there is much to worry about. Y'all gonna be fine."

Well, she was right, we are going to be fine, but Sandy has proven to be something to worry about. We read an article from the Weather Channel that described this storm as one that will, "...occupy a place in the annals of weather history as one of the most extraordinary to have affected the United States." We find ourselves on the edge of the storm, knowing full well that people further north are really going to get hammered.

We left Elizabeth City on Friday and motored back up the Pasquotank River toward the Great Dismal Swamp to a "hurricane hole," behind Goat Island. Before we left town we stocked up on food and wine and took the sails off the boat. In these conditions you want to reduce windage as much as possible.

We are sharing this spot with seven other boats.




This is our view forward from the companionway. This is the view (only darker) that Dan had as he stood watch all night to make sure we didn't drag, or one of the other boats didn't drag into us. We decided that since no one dragged the first night, it was safe to sleep the next night.




This is Groovin', our friends from Toronto and a trawler behind them




This is the Mary T, from Maryland.

We have spent four days at anchor listening to howling winds, often confined in the cabin due to rain. However, we are safe and consider ourselves very lucky to have gotten this far south before the hurricane hit. It was within the last couple of weeks that we were in the places that are going to be hit hardest by Sandy. We are concerned about the people who live in those areas and those traveling there on boats. Tomorrow we hope to head back to Elizabeth City and wait for favorable conditions to head further south.

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Location:Behind Goat Island, in the Pasquotank River

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