Hurricane Gustav

Geology would also work in the oil fields - looking for oil and all that...I'm not sure if I would suggest a maritime career or a career as a rodeo clown. That should be about equal in the fun department - maritime pays better.

 

It is interesting that no aerial photos have been shown following the hurricane...I still wonder how Fourchon faired.

 

no fly zone?

 

If the 'fly's' have any sense they've long gone! I mean they would have difficulty standing up in that weather let alone flying!

 

as demonstrated by the numpties trying to fly but only sliding backwards - - - AS SEEN ON GLOBAL TV - - - - got their 15 seconds of fame - and prolly did not know it...

 

there's always some one ain't there!

 

And someone who is out there.... Hannah, Ike...... Man, I'm glad it's only raining here, not too much wind.

 

Nothing, absolutely nothing, tears apart a family quite like 100+ knot winds...

 

Not only the family but everything they possess too! guess some never recover!

 

There goes Ike:




Three in a row.
Take care, Chuck.
(And all of you over there)

Cheers.

 

We are still out trying to set anchors at this rig - they have all eight primary anchors changed out and set and we are working on the second storm anchor. It looks like we will get the third one done before having to run and hide again. This job is never ending...not that I am complaining. My vessel is only J-locking the system so the other vessel can overboard the anchor. It's nice being on the smaller support boat sometimes!
We are all holding our breath waiting to see what Ike is going to do...not even sure where to run and hide yet.

 

Heading into Fourchon to try and top things up (fuel, water, groceries) and do a crew change - they are talking about evacuating Fourchon tomorrow - not sure where I will run to after that if they make me leave.

 

Nice updates - I particularly like the personal involvement side of the story - I am praying that you do keep safe...

 

Who knows what this hurricane is going to do when it enters the Gulf.

I was in Cancún in 1988 when the eye of category 5 hurricane Gilbert hit us with winds over 300 km/h at around 02:00 the 14th of September. We were not evacuated, nor advised at all about what to do. Full family, servants and dog hidden all night long in a no-windows room, children and dog sleeping peacefully and the elders listening Cuba's "Radio Reloj", the only radio station constantly transmiting updates on the hurricane (TV stop working by 23:00 that night). Provisions in the second floor of the house, just in case we got flooded by the rising sea level. Luckily nothing serious happened to us.

Cancún was seriously damaged and I think something like 25 people died there, many of them drunken fishermen who were aboard their boats in hurricane holes, partening while the hurricane passed by.

The previous afternoon the Coronel chief of the local Army's regiment, in charge of the safety measures in case of civil catastrophe, asked me if I had a parabollic TV antenna and was following the track of the hurricane, to then keep him informed about it. Unbelievable.

A friend of mine, who lived in a beach front property in Cancun's island, firmly moored his 38' sailing boat to the pier he had in front of his home, looking the Isla Mujeres bay. He also layed out four or five anchors around the boat, fired engine on and stayed aboard to try to manage the hurricane. Crazy guy. Around 01:00 he realized that the boat was being washed ashore along with the pier. He had to abandon the boat. Luckily he had layed a life line from the boat to his home and he managed to pull himself along it, so saving his life. Sea flooded completely the lower floor of his house, washing all furniture out to the Nichupté lagoon on the other side. The boat appeared next morning buried in the beach sand, up to the deck level. A most curious image. I'll search my old paper photos, scan that one and post it here.

Many memories from that experience come to my mind now.

Take care, Chuck.

 

It should interesting going into Fourchon - it got hit pretty hard by hurricane Gustav last week. They just opened the port for unescorted transits. I'm going to wait until daylight and make my way up there. It should be interesting to see what has been disturbed by the last hurricane.
I'm liking the predicted tracks a lot better - Fourchon is almost out of all of the predicted error circles. I think I'll be able to hide out quite nicely there if they don't make me leave.