Hurricane Irma strengthening in the Atlantic

a reply to: MysticPearl

Cool. Mine was on a 46' haole sampan.

I got over it myself, but my sister never did. She wanted to die rather than go on the boat.

a reply to: Nyiah

He is right about being on deck making a huge difference. Growing up on a sailboat I'd dread going down below to take a piss. More than three mins and I'd feel sick. Lose all sense of balance. I'd go back on deck and pick out any distant piece of land I could find and focus on it. If we were too far off shore I'd look down at my feet.

Weird thing is my sister would spend the entire day down below while we were rocking and rolling and never got seasick in her life.

originally posted by: violet

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: violet

If I were in Miami, I wouldn't leave until after that right/north turn is established. I guarantee that the projection on Friday will show IRMA making a Sunday landfall somewhere else, or just maybe, not at all.

Not so sure that's wise, but what do I know? I'm not a meteorologist, nor do I live there.

As far as potential storm surge and damaging winds, I'm not sure it matters much which way it goes. It's going to pass over or near Florida at any rate.

Should it look like you're in the bullseye, waiting until the last minute to leave means no gas, and being stuck on the freeway not moving in horrible humid heat.

Still though, the final forecast is yet to come. More on it tomorrow

If I had children at home, it would be a different story. No need of exposing them to any risk. We'd go up to Atlanta for a few days.

It's that right/north turn prediction that I have doubts about. Not that it will happen, but when/where. It's not exact science, like predicting the path of a solar eclipse. The computers are predicting how 3 weather systems will interact to produce that sudden turn north. I wonder what the VEGAS odds are right now, for a direct Irma-Miami hit?

a reply to: Phage

So you're a fellow cruiser?

My brother and I would be clutching the winches numerous times every summer. My parents love sailing well off shore in the Atlantic off Long Island and seasickness was regular. Never felt scared. We knew 10ft waves meant nothing. It's just the up and down, rocking and rolling we hated. I also get feel sick on planes if bad turbulence but that too has nothing to do with concern about the plane going down.

Funny thing is my dad has probably sailed over 50K miles in his life, transatlantic, thru major, major storms, never once got seasick, nor my sister.

originally posted by: MysticPearl
a reply to: Nyiah

He is right about being on deck making a huge difference. Growing up on a sailboat I'd dread going down below to take a piss. .

Why not pee over the side?

a reply to: carewemust

Too risky to stand on the side and pull your willy out in 10-12 ft seas.

I never got seasick in calm waters.

a reply to: MysticPearl

Had some experiences when the ocean was just too...much...to be afraid. Not sure what the word would be for it. Exhilarating? Certainly gets every part of you firing on all cylinders.

My dad was the same. She was a twin diesel, he'd be in the bilges fixing a blower or water pump or something in 12' seas. Didn't phase him. But, like I said, by the time I was 12 or so, I mostly got over it and didn't get sick. Except for the bilge part. Couldn't do that. Good thing dad could.

But since he had never experienced the misery, he didn't have a lot of sympathy. But he would hold the bucket.

originally posted by: MysticPearl
a reply to: carewemust

Too risky to stand on the side and pull your willy out in 10-12 ft seas.

I never got seasick in calm waters.

Oh..that's right. We're talking about a sail boat. I was thinking fishing boat. You're right. Down below was the best place to go.

a reply to: Phage

Watching your dad in the bilge is a true badge of a cruising kid. My dad was regularly in the bilge as well, also every time we anchored it seemed he'd jump in the water and make sure the propellor was clean.

There were certainly times I was on heightened alert, that'll happen covering 50-60 miles in a day going to Block Island or Nantucket, we did hit choppy and rough seas at times but my dad had been through it all, said he was a sea dog and we, sea pups and we were earning our stripes. He loved throwing on the foul weather gear and standing on the helm with waves crashing over the side. It was a weird sort of fun, adventurous, even when puking over the side. Pulling into Mystic Seaport on a cold, foggy day and seeing the large pirate looking ships as a 7 yr old is something I'll never forget.

I however hung up my sailing pants years ago. Not for me.

a reply to: MysticPearl

We, as a family, lived on board in places where few had been. My father was a waterman. I'm grateful to have absorbed a small bit of what he knew.

I never was much one for sailing, except on small cats. Beating for long distances sucks.

a reply to: carewemust
Well I don't think there will be a direct hit to Miami as in that's the first place it makes landfall in the CONUS.It's gonna take a hit from it in some way, the storm surge and wind might be life threatening. I think it might skirt the Florida coastline and make landfall further up in Georgia or the Carolinas. It's all speculation at this point and I wouldn't bet in Vegas on it!

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: Nyiah

I wonder if you had booked a cruise for the Caribbean, does the cruise line give you a refund?

Alot of cruises are being canceled. I think what they're doing this time around is refunding 50-100% in addition to giving a 25% discount for the next cruise.

My friend is on a Celebrity cruise right now that left Miami port Monday. I am worried for her, as all the islands they were supposed to visit have either been hit by Irma or are in the path.

I saw on my local Fox4 news that cruises were being canceled and the ones already on voyages are cutting their trips short and returning to port. If that's true how is she going to hunker down in Miami? They drove from Dallas, Tx.

I'll be praying for her and all Floridians! This is a monster storm still barreling along aS a Cat 5!

a reply to: ProphetZoroaster
Keeping in mine that I have no love for airlines

Jet Blue is my favorite.

It is good to know there are some mariners on here.

I have been cruising this summer on my 38' sailboat but now stuck in the path of Irma. Currently in Daytona Beach, I plan on going north to St Augustine(and go up the San Sebastian river)for the storm but really dont like the projections. No where to go that seems safe.

originally posted by: carewemust

originally posted by: MysticPearl
Apparently every building on Barbuda was knocked down and everyone's now homeless.

The Accuweather expert said today at 4pm that he was worried sick about Barbuda, because all of the island's monitoring instruments went offline after midnight last night. And no communications were coming out of the island..even 14 hours after Irma had passed.

According to this article on Zerohedge, the prime minister of Antigua & Barbuda says that 90+% of all dwellings on Barbuda have been destroyed, and 100% of the communications infrastructure. The island has a population of about 1800.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

I think you may need to understand that no car, be it volvo or a geo metro are going to be floating at ten miles an hour wind .... nothing under 100mph is going to be lifting cars off the ground.

"Floating" in storm surge, geez

This is grim.

Joe Bastardi thinks it will beva cat 5 when she hits Florida. He expects some strengthening right before landfall. The computer models verify this.

There is a chance it could be a sub 900mb storm.

originally posted by: jrod
This is grim.
Joe Bastardi thinks it will beva cat 5 when she hits Florida. He expects some strengthening right before landfall. The computer models verify this.
There is a chance it could be a sub 900mb storm.

You take care!

Sorry I'm late to the party everybody, have been getting both of our work buildings ready during the day,and our home ready during the night. I just wanted to add that yesterday I-95 North bound was gridlocked to barely moving at all. The back of one of my work buildings faces 95 and it was like that all day, it looked like it was moving a little faster at night.

So anybody leaving from down south be prepared for the traffic. Even the roads taking you to Lake O and further west were backed up.

I like how the 'spaghetti models', which are continuiously changing....now tend to forecast IRMA to not make landfall on top of Miami--- but to stay some 10+ miles offshore and be guided by the gulf stream waters up the coast to SC

from there after the forecasts just sorta stop....(? the very first projected path was for the storm to go up the Chesapeke & hit both Baltimore & DC ?)

I also have respect for the hurricane that developed in the Gulf & is heading for the Gulf coasts on the N & NE & due E...(iow: everywhere that Harvey did not strike so far)


'there will be whirlwinds along the coast(s)' a prophecy of peril which might be applied because of the earlier warning by way of a continental Eclipse late last month ....
wow.... what will come undone after the sep 9-23rd weeks of Jupiter births in Virgo ? EMP/conflict/a humbling defeat ?