Wasch_24
2005 BoY
I just got an email from my uncle forwarded to me from my dad. He has a 65' yacht that he docks in an inlet on the north side of Lake Ponchatrain in Madisonville, LA and he rode out the storm. Below is his journal:
FIRST, I NEED TO TELL EVERYONE THAT I AM OK ------ SECOND, THE BOAT IS OK. MANY OF YOU CALLED WITH CONCERNS ABOUT MY SAFETY AND I WANT TO THANK YOU. THE PHONE SYSTEMS BECAME SO BUSY THAT IT WAS VERY HARD TO SEND/RECIEVE A CALL FROM THIS AREA ---- UNTIL THE STORM REALLY CRANKED UP ---- THEN THE PHONES AND THE E-MAIL ALL WENT DOWN. THIS LEFT ME WITHOUT A WAY TO CONTACT ANYONE. I AM SURROUNDED BY WATER FROM FLOODING AS FAR AS I CAN SEE. ALL POWER IN THE CITY HAS BEEN DOWN FOR MORE THAN 14 HOURS (it is 3pm monday here). I AM STILL GETTING WINDS OF 50 MPH AND IT SEEMS GENTLE. I HAVE MY TRUCK PLACED IN AN AREA THAT I THINK WILL BE SAFE FROM THE WATER AND WIND --- I CAN'T SEE IT FROM HERE, BUT I HOPE MY RIDE BACK TO MICHIGAN IS OK AND WAITING FOR ME. THE TREES HAVE ALL THE ROADS BLOCK SO FOR NOW THE VALUE OF THE TRUCK IS ZERO. I HAVE NOT SEEN A PERSON SINCE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. MANY HOUSES ARE DAMAGED IN THIS NICE LITTLE TOWN AND THE ONES ON THE GROUND HAVE WATER RUNNING THROUGH THEM. I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE BOAT EVEN WITH A DINGY BECAUSE POWER LINES ARE DOWN AND UNTIL I SEE OR HEAR FROM THE POLICE THAT THEY ARE TAKEN CARE OF ----- I'LL JUST STAY HERE. ANOTHER FEW HOURS AND I HOPE THE WINDS/RAIN WILL SLOW ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE POLICE TO APPEAR. THERE IS ABOUT SIX HOURS TIL DARK AND I AM SURE EVERYTHING WILL STOP UNTIL MORNING. MANY BOATS THAT I CAN SEE FROM HERE HAVE SUFFERED DAMAGE --- SOME PRETTY BAD. ENOUGH FOR NOW --- I NEED TO DO A WALK AROUND THE BOAT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS STILL OK. I'LL GET BACK LATER.
9PM MONDAY ---- A FRIEND CAME BY AROUND 5PM IN HIS DINGY TO CHECK AND SEE IF HE STILL HAD A HOUSE. HIS HOUSE IS CLOSE TO OUR BOAT AND HE WANTED TO SEE IF I WAS OK. WE TOOK HIS TENDER DOWN RIVER TO WHERE I PARKED THE TRUCK --- IT LOOKS OK FROM A DISTANCE. I WON'T GO INTO TOWN. I PARKED IT ON THE HIGHEST LAND THAT I COULD FIND. THE CITY IS CLOSED ---- I CAN SEE TRANSFORMERS AND LIGHT POLES LAYING IN THE STREETS FROM THE BOAT. WE STILL DO NOT HAVE POWER OR WATER. I'M HOPING TO GET WATER TOMORROW ---- I AM USING THE BOAT GEN FOR POWER. IT'S DARK AND THE ONLY LIGHTS ON ARE MINE. THERE IS KNOW ONE ELSE AROUND ---- THE HOUSES THAT ARE LEFT ARE EMPTY. THERE IS A HOUSE NOT FAR FROM ME AND THE ROOF CAME OFF AROUND 10AM TODAY. THE CONDO COMPLEX ACROSS THE RIVER HAS MUCH OF THE ROOF GONE AND ALL THE SHINGLES. SEVERAL BOATS ARE PILED UP AGAINST THE SHORELINE ON THE EAST BANK OF THE RIVER. ACROSS THE RIVER THERE WAS THE BEGINNING OF A LARGE HOME UNDER CONSTRUCTION ---- I BELIEVE IT IS FOR JOHN GOODMAN THE ACTOR ---- ANYWAY, IT'S GONE. THE WIND WAS BLOWING AT THE END OF THE STORM FROM THE WEST WHICH WILL TAKE THE RIVER WATER BACK DOWN TO NORMAL. I THEN CAN GET BACK TO MY DOCK AND GET THINGS BACK IN ORDER. I WOULD LIKE TO GO HOME SOON. RIGHT NOW I CAN'T USE THE STREETS DUE TO POWER LINES AND TREES.
WELL, MANY OF YOU ARE PROBABLY ASKING IF I WOULD DO THIS AGAIN. THE ANSWER IS YES. THE BOAT HAS TO BE PREPARED FOR A STORM THIS SIZE. WHEN I LEAVE THE BOAT FOR THE SUMMER I HAVE THE BOAT TIED AND READY TO BE LEFT AT THE DOCK ---- FOR NORMAL CONDITIONS ---- 50 MPH OR LESS. WHEN THE WIND SPEED GETS INTO THREE DIGITS A LOT OF THINGS CHANGE PERTAINING TO THE BOAT AND I HAVE TO BE HERE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. THE LINES NEED TO BE ADJUSTED AND SET AT THE PROPER TENSION SO THEY TAKE EQUAL LOAD AS THE BOAT SURGES FROM THE WIND. THIS IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING BECAUSE A HURRICANE ROTATES AND THE WINDS ARE COMING FROM MANY DIRECTIONS. THIS IS OUR FOURTH HURRICANE THAT WE HAVE PREPPED THE BOAT FOR EACH TIME AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME OUT OF IT WITHOUT DAMAGE. THE SHORE LINE IS COVERED WITH BOATS THAT DID NOT RECEIVE THE PROPER ATTENTION AND OTHERS CAN BE FOUND BY THE BUBBLES COMING UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER.
I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT THIS BOAT IS TO MOVE IT SOMEPLACE UP NORTH ---- MAYBE THE VA. AREA. THEY STILL GET HURRICANES, BUT SELDOM.
THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE NOW IS I CAN'T NOTIFY DIANE THAT I AM OK ----- NO PHONES OF E MAIL. I KNOW SHE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM ME. WHEN I SEND THIS OUT TO ALL OF YOU I WILL BE ABLE TO REACH HER ALSO ---- UNTIL THEN, ANOTHER ADVENTURE AT SEA.
FIRST, I NEED TO TELL EVERYONE THAT I AM OK ------ SECOND, THE BOAT IS OK. MANY OF YOU CALLED WITH CONCERNS ABOUT MY SAFETY AND I WANT TO THANK YOU. THE PHONE SYSTEMS BECAME SO BUSY THAT IT WAS VERY HARD TO SEND/RECIEVE A CALL FROM THIS AREA ---- UNTIL THE STORM REALLY CRANKED UP ---- THEN THE PHONES AND THE E-MAIL ALL WENT DOWN. THIS LEFT ME WITHOUT A WAY TO CONTACT ANYONE. I AM SURROUNDED BY WATER FROM FLOODING AS FAR AS I CAN SEE. ALL POWER IN THE CITY HAS BEEN DOWN FOR MORE THAN 14 HOURS (it is 3pm monday here). I AM STILL GETTING WINDS OF 50 MPH AND IT SEEMS GENTLE. I HAVE MY TRUCK PLACED IN AN AREA THAT I THINK WILL BE SAFE FROM THE WATER AND WIND --- I CAN'T SEE IT FROM HERE, BUT I HOPE MY RIDE BACK TO MICHIGAN IS OK AND WAITING FOR ME. THE TREES HAVE ALL THE ROADS BLOCK SO FOR NOW THE VALUE OF THE TRUCK IS ZERO. I HAVE NOT SEEN A PERSON SINCE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. MANY HOUSES ARE DAMAGED IN THIS NICE LITTLE TOWN AND THE ONES ON THE GROUND HAVE WATER RUNNING THROUGH THEM. I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE BOAT EVEN WITH A DINGY BECAUSE POWER LINES ARE DOWN AND UNTIL I SEE OR HEAR FROM THE POLICE THAT THEY ARE TAKEN CARE OF ----- I'LL JUST STAY HERE. ANOTHER FEW HOURS AND I HOPE THE WINDS/RAIN WILL SLOW ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE POLICE TO APPEAR. THERE IS ABOUT SIX HOURS TIL DARK AND I AM SURE EVERYTHING WILL STOP UNTIL MORNING. MANY BOATS THAT I CAN SEE FROM HERE HAVE SUFFERED DAMAGE --- SOME PRETTY BAD. ENOUGH FOR NOW --- I NEED TO DO A WALK AROUND THE BOAT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS STILL OK. I'LL GET BACK LATER.
9PM MONDAY ---- A FRIEND CAME BY AROUND 5PM IN HIS DINGY TO CHECK AND SEE IF HE STILL HAD A HOUSE. HIS HOUSE IS CLOSE TO OUR BOAT AND HE WANTED TO SEE IF I WAS OK. WE TOOK HIS TENDER DOWN RIVER TO WHERE I PARKED THE TRUCK --- IT LOOKS OK FROM A DISTANCE. I WON'T GO INTO TOWN. I PARKED IT ON THE HIGHEST LAND THAT I COULD FIND. THE CITY IS CLOSED ---- I CAN SEE TRANSFORMERS AND LIGHT POLES LAYING IN THE STREETS FROM THE BOAT. WE STILL DO NOT HAVE POWER OR WATER. I'M HOPING TO GET WATER TOMORROW ---- I AM USING THE BOAT GEN FOR POWER. IT'S DARK AND THE ONLY LIGHTS ON ARE MINE. THERE IS KNOW ONE ELSE AROUND ---- THE HOUSES THAT ARE LEFT ARE EMPTY. THERE IS A HOUSE NOT FAR FROM ME AND THE ROOF CAME OFF AROUND 10AM TODAY. THE CONDO COMPLEX ACROSS THE RIVER HAS MUCH OF THE ROOF GONE AND ALL THE SHINGLES. SEVERAL BOATS ARE PILED UP AGAINST THE SHORELINE ON THE EAST BANK OF THE RIVER. ACROSS THE RIVER THERE WAS THE BEGINNING OF A LARGE HOME UNDER CONSTRUCTION ---- I BELIEVE IT IS FOR JOHN GOODMAN THE ACTOR ---- ANYWAY, IT'S GONE. THE WIND WAS BLOWING AT THE END OF THE STORM FROM THE WEST WHICH WILL TAKE THE RIVER WATER BACK DOWN TO NORMAL. I THEN CAN GET BACK TO MY DOCK AND GET THINGS BACK IN ORDER. I WOULD LIKE TO GO HOME SOON. RIGHT NOW I CAN'T USE THE STREETS DUE TO POWER LINES AND TREES.
WELL, MANY OF YOU ARE PROBABLY ASKING IF I WOULD DO THIS AGAIN. THE ANSWER IS YES. THE BOAT HAS TO BE PREPARED FOR A STORM THIS SIZE. WHEN I LEAVE THE BOAT FOR THE SUMMER I HAVE THE BOAT TIED AND READY TO BE LEFT AT THE DOCK ---- FOR NORMAL CONDITIONS ---- 50 MPH OR LESS. WHEN THE WIND SPEED GETS INTO THREE DIGITS A LOT OF THINGS CHANGE PERTAINING TO THE BOAT AND I HAVE TO BE HERE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. THE LINES NEED TO BE ADJUSTED AND SET AT THE PROPER TENSION SO THEY TAKE EQUAL LOAD AS THE BOAT SURGES FROM THE WIND. THIS IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING BECAUSE A HURRICANE ROTATES AND THE WINDS ARE COMING FROM MANY DIRECTIONS. THIS IS OUR FOURTH HURRICANE THAT WE HAVE PREPPED THE BOAT FOR EACH TIME AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME OUT OF IT WITHOUT DAMAGE. THE SHORE LINE IS COVERED WITH BOATS THAT DID NOT RECEIVE THE PROPER ATTENTION AND OTHERS CAN BE FOUND BY THE BUBBLES COMING UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER.
I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT THIS BOAT IS TO MOVE IT SOMEPLACE UP NORTH ---- MAYBE THE VA. AREA. THEY STILL GET HURRICANES, BUT SELDOM.
THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE NOW IS I CAN'T NOTIFY DIANE THAT I AM OK ----- NO PHONES OF E MAIL. I KNOW SHE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM ME. WHEN I SEND THIS OUT TO ALL OF YOU I WILL BE ABLE TO REACH HER ALSO ---- UNTIL THEN, ANOTHER ADVENTURE AT SEA.
