Hurricane Gonzalo

Well we survived my first Hurricane. Tristan had been in Antigua when Hurricanes Jose and Lenny hit, so he was more clued up on what to expect. Everyone on the boatyard was chilled out and felt perhaps we were overdoing the preparation, it was predicted to be a tropical storm.We'd studied the cloud development and Saharan dust, for several days and read the contradictions on the many internet weather sites. However, what was forming seemed greater than what everyone was being told.

Tropical storm Gonzalo was heading for Antigua and was expected to move north towards St Martin but pass to the south and wasn't expected to become a full hurricane. But not all sites agreed on this and it was definitely downplayed by the authorities.

On Sunday, the  manager of Time Out Boatyard hauled his boat, which sent a message out to everyone, something is brewing or they have a big problem with the boat. 

Cranky the crane was lowered, people on moorings put out extra anchors and chain, with a little help from their friends.

We all tied down anything that was potentially loose, removed spray hoods and tied down the stainless frames.

 Water tanks were filled and we bought extra water and  fresh food.  We had plenty of tins left over from my excessive storage for the Atlantic crossing that never happened. I always worry about my chances of survival should Tristan ever run out of food!

On Sunday evening we were all ready to face whatever was going to happen. The atmosphere was fuelled by several Presidente beers, but drunk at a much slower pace than normal. I don't think anyone had a good nights sleep, not even Tropical Storm Gonzalo. 

Nothing significant happened overnight just moderate winds.

We woke up on Monday, it seemed OK, it was raining and the wind was beginning to pick up. The supermarket over the road was still open so Tristan strolled over to Simply to get another 
pack of water.

During Monday morning, occasional strong gusts, heavy rain and black skies. The storm was a direct hit on Antigua, but we were still being told it was a tropical storm. Fuelled by the evaporation of warm tropical seawater, the tropical storm was hurricane force before it left Antigua.

Time Out was all tied down, the opposite boat yard, just lowered the crane and was still belting in strops. Nothing like leaving things to the last minute!

I spent time reading,Tristan was playing a computer game when we had electricity and annoyingly interrupting me when we didn't. The sofa had been rebuilt so there was a good space to lounge.  The spray hood was removed and stowed for insurance purposes, but it wouldn't have survived with hindsight. The companion way hatch which was normally sheltered was leaking but it needed to be varnished. That was on the 'to do ' list. Only one leak in the cabin top requiring a bowl. That was a good sign. 

The wind was howling with strong gusts but the boat felt stable and we both felt safe inside.

We cooked the  sausages while we had electricity, so we had sausage sandwiches for whenever. 

We stood in the companion way with the hatch doors open watching . The wind was hitting the boat on the port side, east, veering towards the bow, northerly. By midday it was heavy consistent rain and whiteout conditions over  Simpson Bay lagoon. 

The lagoon looked like a cauldron. You could see  a boat trying to get it's anchor down or stop it dragging, then it was gone in the heavily laden mist.

A few small fishing boats were passing into the lagoon, presumably to ditch in the mangroves.

The boat was rattling with the shifting winds. The bilge alarm kept going off. Really worrying when you are eight foot in the air on telegraph poles.

The weather continued to build with very strong gusts  and heavy rain which was relentless and torrential. Palm trees were bending , coconuts dropping and small debris flying. The channel was brown and swirling. Around 1700 the  wind eased then moved around to the port side, north west, gradually as the hurricane moved from St Barts  toward Anguilla just off Marigot Bay, St Martin. 

The worse part of the hurricane was between 1700 and 2100  hours. We were both alert and wired on adrenaline.

At this point the boat boomed, the wind reverberated through the hull. The spinnaker poles were tied down an under the granny bars but were lifting a foot in the air, crashing down onto the deck. Tristan went out on all fours and lashed them down being pelted by hot stinging rain.  

The rain was horizontal accompanied by thunder, lightning and roaring winds. 

The power went off several times but in between we were able to heat up a few tins.  Uninspiring ravioli, but it was fuel and we were running on adrenaline. 

Around 2100 the winds subsided and it was still raining heavily.....a full storm but this sounded calm compared to what we had experienced previously. Out came the pastis, I  always had a bottle of brandy in reserve.  We eventually went to bed and slept.

We were the lucky ones. We had no idea of the carnage over St Martin and how people had been fighting for their lives.

We were up very early, apprehensive about what we would find, but we were very lucky. No damage. TIme out boat yard was the only yard with no damage to the boats, a testament to the hard work and forethought of the manager and yard hands. For this we are extremely grateful. 

From my on board weather reporter of the hurricane's passage,  we must have caught the edge of the wall of the hurricane, the eye being just off the other side of the island. As the hurricane was passing over St Martin and between St Martin and Anguilla, any boats in Marigot bay didn't really stand a chance.

Even though the  bridge had opened several extra times during the previous day to allow boats into the lagoon when a tropical storm was forecast and there were many catamarans and boats shallow enough to get in, but they chose to remain at anchor. 

This goes back to the main problem that what was felt on the ground was not what was predicted and the severity of the storm, which hit St Martin as a hurricane was unreal. On the flip side people have to take responsibility for their own lives and precaution is better than ' Don't worry!'.

Boats at anchor in the lagoon struggled during the fierce blows and several had to reset their anchors several times. I felt really sorry for them, out on the fore deck in pelting rain. Many people lost their boats and it was not always their fault.



 Other boats  blasted into them, taking boats  with the wind. Pairs of boats were de-masted  on the bridge separating St Martin from Sint Maarten. Boats were washed into the mangroves or up onto the sandy ground surrounding the lagoon. Stories from the other marinas were not so good.

 Boats smashed against concrete pontoons, boats lying on top of other boats and cleats were pulled out of the pontoons. Interestingly, cleats on the boats fared better than those on the pontoon which will be one for the insurance companies!

Mooring lines broke and some  people had not doubled up or set additional anchors, mainly because the storm was down played. 

The debate on the severity of the hurricane goes on...it was a category 1 but could have been a category 2 depending on the sustained wind speeds recorded. Again the reasoning for the lack of agreement appears to be due to the insurance wording, French Authorities and  subsequent claims, but who knows, street talk.

As to the wildlife, there are reports dead iguanas, but there was a small green iguana up a fallen coconut tree. 

 The birds population seem fine. Plenty of bananaquits and grackles around, but there may be one less if I get hold of the bird that deposited all over my wet varnish!

The lagoon is strewn with debris and it is murky from a huge sediment loading. Mostly coconuts, branches, bits of wood and of course plastic. Considering the number of boats that were destroyed, I would have expected more debris. The tide must have surged below the boat at some point during the hurricane as there is a distinct tide line of debris. 

We haven't been out and around St Martin  as we don't have transport and we needed to do essential jobs on Meriva. 

St Martin/ Sint Maarten are French and Dutch respectively. The services are excellent, supermarkets of European standard so I suspect they have an advantage over many of the Caribbean Islands.  We had electricity most of the time and water. The supermarket was open the next day with fresh French baguettes. The Authorites are on the ball with testing water quality, and there is a Public Health advisory against swimming in the sea all around St Martin. When you consider the volume of rainfall and the severity of the hurricane, this is a good thing. 

Looting is a major issue for the boats that have gone aground. Arrests have been made on the Dutch side but it appears to be less enforced on the French side.  It's sad that people who have lost their homes, taken the bare essentials and their passports, leaving the boat to stay alive, then have to face people stealing whats left of their belongings. 

Plenty of people have visited the boatyard who have lost their boats and are lucky to be alive. It's a sobering event that puts life into perspective. You can manage without stuff. Friends are important and the support of communities. People pull together in a crisis and focus on what is important. That's the good side of human nature.

Tristan on the dolly and Sue on spanners.

Its hard to believe that I have been back over six weeks. We haven't stopped working nor visited the beaches since the first day I arrived back.  The lagoon is not very inviting for a swim as there is a sewage works not far and it's full of algal mat, not to mention what gets discharged into it.

The varnish was shot so I have scraped and sanded and it's just beginning to look acceptable again. The cover boards and cabin top are done, just the rest to go....then it's time to start again and apply more coats. At least you can get Epiphanes here, and I've now discovered Epiphanes easy flow as an additive as in this heat the varnish is more like treacle.

It's been interesting applying varnish in 37degrees and  high humidity. Some days you just can't do it and if you manage to get a coat of varnish on it works better to leave it an extra day to go off. At least I can build up the layers during the hurricane season , which is quiet.

Tristan has had the hardest job building the mast step and additional floors to replace the bronze floors, makes my tasks seem like a leisurely afternoons entertainment.

It took me back to the days in the yard at Mylor. We had to rivet the frames where the old strap floors were. Tristan played all day holding the Dolly, cursing my attempts to peen the washer onto the  bronze rivet. Unrepeatable thoughts passed through my mind with each swing of the hammer.....enough said. 

We finally attached everything together in stages. 

 Day one was the four floors  with the assistance of Bonzo Dog Doodah Band  accompanied by Sue on size 13  spanners, until I was shouted at, I then used wooden dowel!

Day two was the mast step to the Pogues which was definitely less relaxing. I had to keep quiet as Tristan and  Shane McGowan were cursing enough between them.

It's time now to gradually rebuild the interior and sometime in the not to distant future  we will have somewhere to sit. 

A lick of danbolin and varnish and we suddenly begin to look normal again.

We hope to go back on the water as soon as the hurricane season is over, it will be much cooler and not so many mossies.

The wildlife on St. Martin is spartan compared to many of the Caribbean Islands we have visited as the island is well developed and there is a lot of traffic everywhere. The verges were full of wild flowers but they disappeared when the grass was cut short to reduce mossies. That was deifinitely a difficult call for me, but being mossie bait, I settled for enjoying the flowers while I could. 

The boatyard has a resident population of Green iguanas which casually walk past our work space, but actually live in the grounds of the sewage works near the lifting bridge to the lagoon.

The green iguanas were introduced to the island during 1995 when they were flown into St. Martin in crates for either food or the pet trade. These were never picked up and an airport worker opened the crates. There is a brilliant book on the wildlife of these islands by Mark Yokoyama. 

The boat yard  provides a refuge for many species of birds. Bananaquit, Carib  grackles and herons are common. The grackles sit on the stainless in the morning and provide a wake up call. 

With high humidity and temperatures, the sound of birds and tree frogs, in the distance the Sunday morning singing  from the chapel, reggae music blasting out of  open windows, the scuttle of lizards, there is no mistaking summer in the tropics.  Topped off with balmy evenings at the picnic tables drinking Presedente beer and Pastis.

When we left the UK I said to Tristan we wouldn't need wiring for fans....how wrong was I? Sleeping is only possible with fans blowing all night and we have a fan on constantly during the day. There would be no way we could work in the saloon without it.