2011-11-16 Thunderstorms and Tornadoes

Never content with the simple life, are we? Oh no, we go for the good stuff – visitors, take note :)

After a good run we anchored in New River. Great location, completely isolated and all alone. Why were we all alone? Maybe everyone else knew something we didn’t at the time?

Weather forecast was for 15-20kn winds with gusts to 25. Slight chance of rain or thunderstorms. Quite benign, really.

The day was clear – not a cloud around. The anchor was set – properly as I usually do. No dragging for me!! Enjoying a quiet, late afternoon drink in a gorgeous sunset listening to some music radio station I had tuned to.

What was that? An interruption to the usual radio station! We pricked up our ears!!! A line of thunderstorms was heading from the west towards us. OK, we’ve done thunderstorms before! Lived with them in SA where we sometimes had hail bigger than golf balls. But wait…. Destructive winds gusting to 70mph. Mmm, this is different. But wait, there’s more…. A tornado watch has been activated!!

Well, what to do? It’s too late and dark to move another 20 miles to Savannah, so will just have to ride it out.

Mary starts preparing – gets the EPIRB (emergency position indicating radio beacon) sorted; life-jackets – check; flashlights – check; passports – check; phones charged – check; VHF charged – check…. And so on. Ready to “abandon ship.” Hey, the shoreline is only 50m away but the current is strong.

Keep generator going – turn on TV – tune to weather station. By all accounts there is going to be widespread destruction and mayhem!! Have a drink!! Coffee, that is :)

Occasionally look outside (Mary is on constant watch!) – long line of storm activity behind and to the west of us.

Have dinner – watch TV – listen to VHF for marine weather – still says “slight” chance of t/storms – TV shows radar picture which is depicted by a large band of red heading towards us.

OK, have a bright idea!! Turn on radar and monitor storm activity :) Not much else to do anyway.

Tornadoes? Mary is on tenterhooks!! Visions of houses being picked up and tossed around – who can forget the flying cow in the movie, Twister!!!

Radar shows storms to west of us and travelling north, whew!!!

Eventually, TV downgrades the warnings – area by area and our area is declared clear:) But it’s pretty dark all around us. The rain starts – causes the radar screen to become completely opaque except around the boat. Mmmm, why? Too close to register!

Rain stops, wind has been a non-event, and thankfully no tornadoes.

Finally, around 11.30 I am allowed to turn the genny off and we go to bed. Slept most peacefully. :-)  As I said, not ones for the quiet lives, are we?

 

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3 Responses to 2011-11-16 Thunderstorms and Tornadoes

  1. Charles Reece says:

    Glad you came through the storms w/o encountering any tornados. My wife and I love following your tracks and pictures and adventures! We are hoping to do a similar trip upon retiring in our 3870.