GL: forever young hit by TORNADO in Everglades City

[FOREVERYOUNGBOAT at aol.com]

Well, it's been some sort of night!  We came in off of the Gulf early  this 
afternoon because of minor storms, and decided to come to EVERGLADES CITY,  
here in Florida, and stay at the venerable old ROD & GUN CLUB, which has a  
dockage here.  Thought it would be the safest and most prudent course of  action 
when faced with gnarly water on the Gulf.  That'll teach me to  think.
 
About 9:45 PM, while we were tied to the cement dock in front of the main  
building, ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE, without warning.  There was a thunderstorm  
going on, then all of a sudden, 
A TORNADO HIT US!
 
And NO I AM NOT JOKING!   A whole palm tree hit the boat in front  of us, 
crashing on the deck, and the couple was below sleeping but no one was  injured.  
 
ANOTHER PALM TREE AND THE TORNADO ITSELF HIT US, WHILE MARY WAS IN THE AFT  
STATEROOM, READING AND I WAS IN THE SALOON, DOING SOME CHART PLOTTING.  AND  
WHEN I SAY ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE FOR ABOUT 40 SECONDS I AM NOT KIDDING.
 
THE BOAT REACTED LIKE GOD HAD PICKED IT UP AND JUST SHOOK IT FOR ABOUT A  
HALF A MINUTE.  WE SLAMMED INTO THE CEMENT SEA WALL WE WERE TIED UP TO, AND  THEN 
AGAINST THE LINES HOLDING US IN PLACE.  THE FLOOR DECK HATCHES EVEN  POPPED 
UP IN THE SALOON, AS WE HAD THE WINDOWS CLOSED DUE TO THE DOWNPOUR, BUT  THE 
ENGINE ROOM WAS WELL VENTED, THUS CAUSING A DIFFERENTIAL IN AIR PRESSURE  WHEN 
THE FUNNEL HITS YA.
 
WE HAVE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.  THE ENTIRE FLY BRIDGE IS DAMAGED, THE  BIMINI AND 
THE ENTIRE FLYBRIDGE ENCLOSURE IS IN THE NEXT COUNTY, THE  RADAR MAY BE 
DAMAGED, THE SATELITTE TV ANTENNA IS DAMAGED, TEAK  RAILINGS ARE TOTALLY SMASHED, 
FIBERGLASS IS CRACKED IN MANY PLACES, WHERE  FITTINGS WERE PULLED OUT.  THE 
FORMED WINDSHIELD AROUND THE FLY BRIDGE IS  SMASHED IN SEVERAL PLACES, THE DINGHY 
DAVIT IS PULLED OUT FROM THE BACK DECK,  AND THE TEAK DECKING IS CRACKED IN 
THE STERN, THE AUTO HELM IS WATER/RAIN LOGGED  AND APPEARS TO NOT BE 
FUNCTIONING, CAP AND HAND RAILS ARE DEEPLY GOUGED, THE  DINGHY MOTOR IS HANGING BY ONE 
BOLT.  CUSHIONS HAVE DISAPPEARED.  WE  HAVE NO VHF RADIO, THE GPS IS GONE, AND I 
AM NOT SURE IF THE BOAT IS FULLY AND  SAFELY OPERABLE.  
 
I AM WORRIED BOUT THE HULL/DECK BONDING JOINT, AS WELL AS THE RUNNING GEAR  
AS I THINK WE WERE SMASHED AGAINST THE BOTTOM AS WELL.
 
This is all from just a short inspection, after the fact, in the dark...  
There is no lighting in the whole town, and the fire department just left.   We 
were tied to a wood pier and that was pulled from the cement dock.   THERE WERE 
NO INJURIES ANYWHERE, THAT WE KNOW OF, THANK GOD!
 
Our boat will need extensive and costly repairs, at a FULL SERVICE MARINA  
and it looks like it will be the Marco Island Marina..
 
THE LOOP TRIP IS OVER FOR THIS YEAR... THE BOAT WILL BE IN FOR REPAIRS FOR  
AT LEAST SEVERAL MONTHS and we were just 75 miles from crossing our wake in  
Marathon.  FRUSTRATION IN THE MAX !!!
 
We will have to get it to a full service marina....
 
BUT WE ARE ALIVE... PISSED BUT ALIVE  !
 
One last note, one of the life rings was found up on top of the mast.. just  
like a game of ring toss.
 
Jos. J. Manelis


Tel:  989-714-2553



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