[Rhodes22-list] Mothers Midwest Nature

[R22RumRunner at aol.com]

And that is why they are call the "Great Lakes".
 
Rummy
 
 
In a message dated 9/16/2012 12:01:18 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
jac2 at wavecable.com writes:

Ok, no  questions this time. Just a little sailing story....at the dock.
Anyone one  who has lived in the Midwest knows how bad thunderstorms can 
get.
Those who  have lived around Port Angeles all their lives are clueless. The
recent  "thunderstorm" we had here included intense thunder for nearly 36
hours  straight but, there was no wind, torrential rain, hail or swirling
cloud  formations. So, life long residents here still have no idea what a
real  thunderstorm is like. This little tale will make you see one reason  
why
Kathy and I are so happy to be here.

It is a late Saturday  afternoon. We are at a Port Superior, WI dock on Lake
Superior and  canceling our normal overnight stay at one of the Apostle
islands due to a  forecast of severe storms expected for the area. Severe
storms by the way,  are a nearly daily occurrence in the summer somewhere in
that area. You  never know when your number is up. Our 33 foot sail boat is
docked to  starboard. Next to us on our left docked portside is an 
unoccupied
30 foot  sail boat. Between us is only a large shared post for stern dock
lines. We  are at one of about 6 floating piers of up to 40 boats per pier.
Most are  medium to large sail boats. On the sail boat second to our left,
the  occupant was watching the weather on his lap top. We sat in our  
cockpit
enjoying the day and could see a large black cloud forming to the  
southwest.
We are beginning to lose our enthusiasm.

The person  watching the weather comes out with his laptop waving to anyone
who might  be around and warning us all that we are about to get our butts
kicked. He  shows us the weather screen he has displayed and runs back to 
his
boat. The  lucky ones that day were on the water and had time to prepare.
Just like  them, we had about 5 minutes to get ready, But, we were tied up
and there  was nothing to do but go below and wait it out.

We had seen the wall  cloud leading the storm before going below and now
could see nothing. When  the wind hit, the boat heeled with a great jerk
maybe 20 degrees or more to  our starboard and into the dock. We were 
knocked
from our seats. As the  boat began its rebound to port, there was another
much more violent jerk  back to starboard and a loud jarring bang on our 
port
side. We heard the  port lifelines snap and start banging in the wind as the
boat slammed back  to port and settled into a heel against the wind. We 
could
see nothing from  inside so I crawled up on deck to see what the had
happened.

The  stern dock line of boat next to us had been torn completely out of the
dock  still attached to the large cleat. The 2 x 8 board the cleat had  been
bolted to was ripped apart. Other boats had been torn loose completely  and
were floating all over the place banging into each other and the docks.  Two
piers tore loose from the shore line and were heading toward the  breakwater
wall. People in power boats, still tied up in slips on those  piers were
running their engines trying to keep the piers off of the wall.  Still more
people after securing their own boats, were jumping on loose  unoccupied
boats or chasing them down in dinghies to guide them to safe  stops. Our 
boat
now had a small hole in the port side hull and the life  lines were torn 
from
the stanchions. The heel of the boat next to us had  allowed its stanchions
to come under our life lines and lift our port side  as it righted its self
until our life lines broke. It was still banging  into our side.

I did my best horizontal walk to the next slip to try  and get our neighbors
stern line tied back up. I was able to get the stern  line tied to the cleat
on the opposite side of the slip about the time the  wind began to abate. We
had just experienced about 5 minutes of horizontal  torrential rain and hail
in 90 MPH plus winds. The chaos continued for  about another 15 minutes 
until
the loose boats and piers were secured and  everyone could start to asses 
the
damages. Just another little Midwest  thunderstorm that occurs a few times
every week in the summer somewhere in  the upper Midwest. It was just our
luck that day to be in its  path.

Port Superior, WI is a full service Marina. The crane and shop  were working
over time for the next several weeks repairing a host of boats  including
ours. Luckily, our boat damage was minor and easily repaired. We  covered 
the
damage with a little hull tape and continued to sail while we  waited our
turn for repair. Many others were not so lucky. Those out on the  water that
day, that saw this thing coming and prepared, escaped damage.  One or two
boats got swamped, but there were no injuries. This is why were  are here in
Port Angeles folks. Kathy and I both like a little more  predictability in
our lives. If that means six months of rain and 40 degree  weather with a 
few
November wind storms and little threat of a volcano or  earth quake, so be
it. I will take that any day over full summers of random  killer
thunderstorms with damaging hail, occasional tornados and weeks of  20 
degree
below zero highs in the winter. In the mid 90's there were nearly  two weeks
where the high was minus 35.

This winter when you are  lamenting the rain or when you are planning your
next sail remember this  little tale and be happy. No matter what your
complaint, it can always be  much worse. I am sure my little tale pales in
comparison to many of yours.  The purpose was just to relate my distain
for Midwest weather. The  predictability here is orders of
magnitude better than what you face in the  Midwest.

Take care. Stay safe.

I am new to the list. If the  length of my post or posts is out of line,
please  advise.

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