SEDATION 4 vs Hurricane Frances

I purchased another 50' of 3/8" chain and another 40 lb. anchor to reinforce the Bahama Moor and deployed them strategically (see layout at right) to center the boat in the middle of the narrow lagoon. A unique 6-point bridle was fabricated to limit the boat's swing radius. Large stainless U-bolts were installed through the bridgedeck adjacent of the main 2" athwartship bulkhead which supports the mast tube. More U-bolts were installed under the bridgedeck just forward of the stairways in each hull. I spliced thimbles into both ends of two identical 9' lengths of 3/4" nylon rode then attached them to the main bulkhead U-bolts using 3/4" shackles. I spliced another pair of thimbles into a 7' length of 1" nylon rode to serve as the master snub line for the entire rig. The free ends of the 3/4" athwartship lines were attached to the master snub thimble with 3/4" shackles. Another harness, with a thimble spliced into the center of 5/8" rode, was also attached to the master snub with a 3/4" shackle, then their free ends were tied to the aft U-bolts with anchor bends. The original mooring bridle (5/8" nylon with a center-spliced thimble) was also attached to the master snub, using a 1" shackle. These lines would assure that the vessel did not flip-around during the storm or lift the bow in excessive (tornadic) winds, but contributed nothing to the design forward-loads of the mooring rig. The other end of the 1" snub line was secured to the swivel, where the anchors' 3 chains and 1 line came together, using another 1" shackle. Appropriate shackles were used on all other chain- and rode-connections in a traditional manner.
By dusk on Friday, September 4, I had to wrap-up preparations and load my stuff into the dinghy before hauling it out on the trailer. The skies were spectacular and I snapped this photo with the tops of the clouds, toward the east, illuminated by the colorful sunset. Weather before and after a hurricane is beautiful to behold.
It was a dark and stormy night. (I've always wanted to use that passage :) Frances moved very slowly onto land and seemed to last forever. Hurricane force winds blew all night and past dawn. Cabin fever was setting in. We were all deaf from the nonstop howling of wind and rain. By 0900 I decided it was time to venture out into the tropical storm force winds to check on SEDATION 4. Gusts to 70 mph were still frequent and debris was flying everywhere, so I donned my GoreTex rain suit, bicycle helmet, inflatable PFD, dive mask, handheld VHF and Nikon underwater camera in preparation. Jerry decided to accompany me and donned a similar outfit, then we began attempting to walk, between bands of blinding rain, into the high winds.
Jerry's brother-in-law was monitoring our progress on the dinghy's VHF, back in the warehouse, just-in-case. We reached the shoreline of the lagoon to find the road flooded and covered with debris. Intervals between rain bands were becoming longer so I handed the VHF to Jerry and headed out into the flood alone.
I snapped this picture, looking back down the flooded road, during another band of blinding rain. Those square dots in the photo are called "back scatter" and result from the camera's flash reflecting off rain drops. I was half way to the boat, by then, and the flood waters were already a foot deep.
Through the mangroves I could see glimpses of SEDATION 4. She appeared to be floating high and level.
Further down the flooded road I was able to snap this photo which hints at the waves within the sheltered lagoon. A sandbar usually isolates this lagoon from the open waters of Newfound Harbor (which was one reason for seeking shelter here) but the flooded river allowed long-fetch waves to traverse into this usually calm cove.
Finally alongside, near the small dock that was "home" for several months, I could see the forward covers were still intact. All appeared well and I probably should've turned back.
Further past the flooded dock, I snapped this photo. My 6-point harness and 4-anchor Bahama Moor were holding nicely. The original, 5/8" 3-strand nylon, bow bridle is visible leading aft instead of forward. These lines DID see some loading during the hurricane as evidenced, later, by the jammed anchor bends on the bow U-bolts.
The road ahead was badly flooded with large waves crashing across it from the southeast. How could I resist traversing those last hundred yards?? A swamped boat was just begging to become subject matter for this photograph. Another feeder band of heavy showers, visible in the distance, was rapidly approaching but I wanted to make it all the way to the point.
This was as far as I dared proceed. Maintaining balance in the wind, with waves crashing up to my waist, was quite intense. The rain was stinging and becoming heavier, so I finally turned around after snapping one last picture. We hiked back to the warehouse re-fueled by adrenaline, and enjoyed some cuban coffee. Though electricity had been out for almost 6 hours, there was plenty of hot water in the heater's tank so i enjoyed a hot shower and shave. That was refreshing.
Our friend Larry Crumley showed-up soon afterward so we loaded-up an ice chest and piled into his Ford Explorer to (what else?) go exploring. Winds were still averaging 50 mph with gusts to 65 and the rain often reduced visibility to less than a car length. Nobody else was on the roads so we just drove around and assessed the damage first-hand. We stopped at Jerry's apartment on the north end of Merritt Island and found that his ceiling had become water-logged and collapsed. The exterior roof was OK but sustained hurricane-force winds had blown rain UP into the soffet vents, then across the attic space and OUT the other side! His den and its contents were ruined. This is when Jerry started drinking heavily.
At one point we got stuck in a muddy field and had to dig our way out. How the 1000 lb. trailer tongue landed on my left foot is a long story but suffice it to say that this photo, taken later that evening, only illustrates the early stages of swelling. That is when I started drinking heavily :) By morning my foot looked like Homer Simpson's (Dohh!) and remained that way for almost a week.
The winds subsided by late Monday evening so we launched the dinghy early Tuesday morning and I headed back to the boat. She was still anchored about where I left her ... maybe a few yards further south. It was mostly dry and comfy inside. A few "nuisance leaks" left small puddles on bathroom floors. These didn't even require a shop-vac to dry. The forward portholes, which are still temporarily affixed with double-sided foam tape, had seeped some rainwater but that's the total extent of damage incurred. Not bad, huh?
The National Guard was called-in and curfews were imposed for the days that followed. When we were allowed to travel, I snapped a few photos of miscellaneous damage. This helicopter was blown off its display mount at the Veteran's Memorial Museum just 1/2 mile north of the lagoon where SEDATION 4 rode-out the hurricane.
Once we were permitted to cross the bridge into Cocoa Beach, I snapped this photo of the courtyard outside my old beach-side place at Winslow Beach Garden Apartments. The sand dunes had been flattened, the mangroves practically destroyed and the secondary (interior) seawall was covered with sand. Compare this shot with one taken a year ago.
That nice 24" high white wall is where I stood to snap my sunrise pix every morning. I had to stand atop the wall to see the ocean, Not any more!