T&T: Ernesto report

[Randy Pickelmann]

Part of our rationalization for leaving Florida and heading north to the Bay
was getting out of the hurricane belt.  Apparently our insurance company
thought it was a good idea because they dropped our rate by over $1000 if we'd
be out of Florida by May 1.
Anyway, we left Annapolis a few days early so we could return to Solomon's for
the storm.  I have a plane to catch on Monday and couldn't take the chance
that the boat and the Admiral would be stranded.  We folded the bimini top and
zipped it in the boot, put out extra dock lines and fenders and made sure that
the batteries were fully charged.  By Friday afternoon it was blowing pretty
good.  We are berthed such that the boatshed provided a great lee so we had
very little wind and a front row seat to what was going on in the harbor.  As
long as the roof stayed stuck to the shed we were golden.  The tide rose and
covered the dock by 6 or 8 inches around dusk but not enough to require the
marina to turn the power off.  A 40-something Swan sailboat, which has been on
a mooring all summer, dragged her mooring through Zahniser's mooring field,
apparently without damaging any other boats, and grounded on a bar at the edge
of the harbor.  By Saturday AM the storm had passed and the wind started to
clock and lay down.  Tow BoatUS pulled the Swan off the bar on Saturday AM,
apparently no worse for wear.  We heard reports of lots of trees down.  8" of
rain was reported in Leonardtown, we had 6" in our dinghy.  The wind was
clocked about 70 at Patuxent according to our neighbor who has ties to the
NAS.  The news is reporting that six people died storm-related deaths in
Virginia.  I'm glad we got out of Florida!
Regards,
Randy Pickelmann
MORNING STAR
lying Solomon's, MD