Memorial Day Weekend Storm


Remedy had a late start leaving for the Memorial day cruise. Doctails were supposed to be at 6 and dinner at 7.
We arrived at 5:30 and went about setting anchor and preparing the dinghy for a quick trip to the party.

As I was lowering the engine onto our dinghy, the captain of a nearby boat came on his dinghy to complain
about where we were anchored. "You are too close to my boat, a storm is expected tonight, and I don't want to be hit by your boat should your anchor drag.."

"I was not planning to have my anchor drag, and you are well beyond the scope of my rode." I replied.

"I have heavy chain and a stout anchor," he claimed as he was obviously looking at my nylon rode, "How much chain do you have out?"

"I carry a Fortress 50 with 18 feet of chain and 250 feet of 3/4 inch Nylon," I answered., " I'm well set here and have 125 feet of rode played out." 

"Look, I was here first and I feel you should move." he demanded.

"I'm busy right now... I will take you request under advisement,"  I replied as he left.

Marion had been witness to this conversation and said after he left, "I want us to move, you may be right, but I don't want to be any where near him."

So we moved a few hundred yards closer to Moody docks.... The anchor did not take... Then we moved over by the Fountain.... Again the anchor did not find a good hold. The third time we found a nice big space about 1/4 mile from our first anchorage beyond the channel that goes in to the Landings.  It was well past Docktails and we were both over heated and needed to shower before dinner. We did not arrive for dinner until 7:30 but had a delightful meal with George Danner and his two kids, Sage and Grayson.

That evening we returned to Remedy and, as a precaution, I removed the engine from the dinghy. We then settled in for a peaceful nights rest. Around 3:30 I woke to the sounds of a rising wind and the distant flash of lightning. Going topside I busily  stowed anything loose in the cockpit, rolled down the dodger to provide protection, and then called below," Marion, there is a storm coming, you need to come see this."

Within seconds she was topside and we watched together as the squall line approached from the West. At this point the winds were around 12 kts and the boat swung easily around from facing South East to facing West. It was another five minutes before the winds really piped up. We turned on the engine just in case but had no plans to use it. The rain began and the wind rose to 30 kts. As long as we were pointed into the wind I stayed pretty dry. At this point Marion decided to make a pot of coffee... It's a tradition she has for storms.

Over the next 30 minutes the winds rose to 48 kts, and the rain was easily 4 inch per hour. Our boat sailed wildly left and right at anchor. We could not see anything forward through the dodger screen, but we did get glimpses of the boats around us as they flew by dragging anchor. I had not secured my Big White Ball fender and a gust of wind swept it along the starboard deck .  "Oh S%#*@ ", I exclaimed as it went by me along the rail. It then found its way to the lifeline opening for the swim platform and it took off for 61st Street. "Oh well you can't have a real storm without loosing something" I told myself.

At one point a small power cruiser, which had lost it's anchor, came powering across our bow and snagged on our anchor rode. He drove us off to the right until we were about to hit the sailing vessel "Soon Come" who was anchored nearby. I blasted my air horn at the power boat and "Soon Come " hit him with a Q Beam (powerful light). Miraculously he drove over my anchor line and his prop did not cut it. He also missed "Soon Come" and then disappeared into the dark.

As the storm raged I could see the anchor lights of three boats in a cluster to the left and forward of our position. Fortunately they were not moving toward us .and our anchor was holding well. It was clear that the anchor lines of these three boats were holding them together. The crews were all topside in the storm; trying as best they could to position fenders to minimize damage. At some time during this melee the large Sailboat which had earlier hit the TMCA fleet at Moody went by.   It had drug anchor and it's dinghy had flipped with the engine attached.

The storm had only lasted about 30 minutes but the winds and rains continued for another hour or so. With the morning light I bailed out my dinghy and put the motor back on. I went searching for my Big White Ball Fender and found it along the south shore  in a small cove  by a boat shed. There were several sail boats aground against the shore in that area just before you get to 61st Street and turn to Boudreaux's.

Tow Boats US came down from Clear Lake to help with the recovery. Our friend Waldo came and freed the tangled anchor rodes of the nearby cluster of three. And whose boat had caused this mess?  None other than the captain who had asked me to move! He did come by and acknowledged the irony of being the one who drug anchor and caused the damage to two other boats. "You are probably happy that you moved to a safe location." he offered as he motored by, headed for home.

"Sorry for your bad luck, we were fortunate to have held well." was the best I could come up with.