Storm Ready: Securing Our Sailboat Against Hurricane Helene | Ep 34

The experience of Hurricane Helene has left my wife resolute about avoiding such events in the future. Danielle and I mutually agree that our next move should be outside the Hurricane triangle. The storm’s impact was substantial, resulting in three sunken boats and seven beached vessels in our community.

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When Hurricane Helene was first forecasted, we began preparing our boat while tracking its trajectory. Before the storm made landfall, we took precautions to reinforce our Dodger, secure our sails, and generally fortify our vessel. As the storm approached, we deliberately positioned our sailboat on the leeward side of a bridge and released ample anchor chain.

In the hours preceding the storm, we observed increasing wind speeds and swelling waves on the windward side of the bridge. Fortunately, the storm’s trajectory shifted westward, mitigating the impact, although Hurricane Helene remained substantial. At certain points, wind gusts reached 60 knots, the boat’s bucked violently on the bridge’s windward side.

On the leeward side of the bridge, wave formation was hindered, but the wind exerted considerable stress on the sailboat’s dodger. Despite this, I retired early, much to my wife’s dismay, as she remained vigilant throughout the night. Fortunately, we weathered the night unscathed, but the morning revealed extensive damage.

Following a morning inspection of our sailboat, which revealed no damage, we observed that neighboring vessels on the opposite side of the bridge had sustained significant damage. Upon crossing over in our dinghy, I counted seven boats that had run aground on rocks along the bridge bank and four sunken vessels. I spoke with a woman whose boat was grounded, who acknowledged she had erred in staying on that side of the bridge. Shortly thereafter, a tow boat successfully rescued her vessel.

As we approach the year’s end, we’re praying for a calm and untroubled conclusion, paving the way for a serene and revitalizing getaway to the Caribbean in the year ahead.

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