Ike Approaches

[Golden Handcuffs]

We have owned our 350 for just over a month now, and have enjoyed it immensly. Words can't express how easily the boat is to sail and handle...it's such a vastly different experience from our Catalina 250. Not that it was a bad boat in any sense, but the stability and momentum of the 350 is what sailing is supposed to be (at least for us).

Now, unfortunately, a terrible hurricane is heading straight for our vessel, which is moored in Seabrook, TX. We're a few hundred yards from Galveston bay, but reasonably well protected by an earthen wall (about 8' high), a highway bridge and some buildings. We visited the boat yesterday, to rig it down and secure it. Thanks a lot to Sam, the previous owner, for providing a detailed checklist of pre-hurricane preparations. We took off the canvas and the genoa, and added a bunch of lines. We're very well secured with mostly 5/8" lines, and a monster 1" spring line. However, that can only do so much. Our floating dock is very nice; it has a newish rubber rub-rail, and floats on steel pilings. The dock can float at least 15' above normal water levels, maybe a bit higher. However, at that height, the boat will essentially be in the open waters of Galveston bay, where the waves may shred the dock. I think we'll be able to weather a 6-10' storm surge quite well; if it's worse than that, I really can't say what will happen.

I'm not sure what my point is; I guess I'm just self-realizing the reality of our situation. Buying this boat was a major life event for my wife and I; to think that it could all disappear in the next 24-36 hours is fairly surreal. Perhaps my point is that if you're sitting at home on a saturday afternoon watching TV, and your boat is just waiting patiently at the dock, remember that fair winds and calm seas are a luxury we don't always have.

Luck to us all...

[R.B.]

Good luck to you and all that are in the path of Ike!

Stay safe.

[calgon]

We are in Pensacola, Fl. with Calgon in a canal behind our house. We currently have about 6 feet above normal tides. She weathered Hurricane Ivan in the same spot with 20 feet of extra water. Tie all the lines you can and pray. Good Luck.

[Hans Grasman]

Hope "Golden Handcuffs" made out well during Ike.
Can we all learn something from your experience ?
Please give us an update.
Thank you

[Golden Handcuffs]

Ike has come and gone. An experience I hope not to repeat any time soon. I will post pictures and thoughts in the storm prep forum.