First hurricane possible for the Caribbean

[zoidberg]

The quasi-retired journalist John Passmore has blogged ( OldManSailing ) of his doing 'offski' at the approach of this deepening disturbance - and heading south.
One hopes he gets far enough south, and in good time to sort out his 'spider web' of lines, anchors and mangroves before it becomes impossible.

"June - too soon. July - stand by...."

 

[Zing]

I just took a look. Cat 4 is nasty. It is particularly on-target for St Vincent and the Grenadines. Rather ominous. It was a Cat 3 that took out Grenada with Ivan. Cat 5+ that did-in the BVIs and St Martin with Irma.

I agree with the other posters. All boats in the area need to be gone immediately whilst the weather is benign. To the north gives lots of options. Or south to Trinidad or the ABCs should be OK unless there is a change of heading, but for it to move that far south would be extremely unlikely going off historical tracks.

 

[geem]

Good to see a lot of people seeing sense and getting south rapidly. All heading for Trinidad

 

[capnsensible]

96L may become tropical storm Chris.

 

[BobnLesley]

...many thinking they will be safe on the south coast of Grenada. ...cruisers there behave like lemmings and fill the anchorages. Even strong winds only needs a few boats to drag and the impact across those bays with tangled anchor chains, boats dragging through the mooring field, etc can cause plenty of damage. We simply would not be there but head south to Trini

Agreed, sharing one of those crowded Grenada anchorages is the very last place I'd want to be. Now just watch most of those who've been smart and headed for Trini undo all their good work by squeezing - like lemmings - into the bays in/around Chagaramas. Sailing south is always the safer option - late turning hurricanes divert north rather than south - so go to Trini by all means but stay the hell away from everybody else; there's 20 to 30 miles of shallow water once you're through the Dragon's Mouth, so find yourself a spot well away from everyone else.

 

[wonkywinch]

You Tubers "Fair Isle" going with the flow..

 

[wonkywinch]

And from an aviation point of view, clear track and windspeeds shown here - Hurricane Beryl - Map & Situation

 

[geem]

You Tubers "Fair Isle" going with the flow..

View attachment 179287

Our friends are on Aqua Panda in your photo

 

[noelex]

NOAA are continuing to increase the likely severity of this hurricane. In their latest update it is now forecast to produce 120 knots with gusts to 145 knots just before it hits the Windward islands.

The pressure is now 964 mb.

 

[noelex]

For those boats still in Grenada, note that in the latest Forecast Discussion, NOAA specifically mentions the area.


”Potentially catastrophic hurricane-force winds, a
life-threatening storm surge, and damaging waves are expected
when Beryl passes over portions of the Windward Islands with the
highest risk of the core in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada beginning early Monday morning. Hurricane Warnings are in effect for much of the Windward Islands.”

 

[davethedog]

We have friends there, some that are unable to move their boats due to serious issues and also some that have decided to stay there (I would have left yesterday at the latest!). Fingers crossed they are all ok!

 

[Zing]

You Tubers "Fair Isle" going with the flow..

View attachment 179287

It’s a ‘Space Invaders’ swarm attack.

 

[Boathook]

@Rum_Pirate has been quiet recently. Would he be affected so sorting, or is he on shore leave ?

 

[webcraft]

Our thoughts are with friends whose boat is on the hard in Grenada.

(They are back in Scotland, so personally safe, but their floating home and future dreams lie in the path of the dragon)

I gather the boatyards in Grenada are approved by insurance companies as safe places to leave boats in the hurricane season but jeez - a Cat4 this early in the season.

 

[zoidberg]

Beryl the Peril
FCST1200UTC1July

 

[geem]

[QUOTE="webcraft, post: 8456602, member:

I gather the boatyards in Grenada are approved by insurance companies as safe places to leave boats in the hurricane season but jeez - a Cat4 this early in the season.
[/QUOTE]
No they are not. Generally, you cannot get insurance for named storms. Pantaenius wil not insure us for named storms. This is why we don't leave our boat in the Windward and Leeward Islands for the summer. You are rolling the dice.

 

[jlavery]

Agreed, sharing one of those crowded Grenada anchorages is the very last place I'd want to be. Now just watch most of those who've been smart and headed for Trini undo all their good work by squeezing - like lemmings - into the bays in/around Chagaramas. Sailing south is always the safer option - late turning hurricanes divert north rather than south - so go to Trini by all means but stay the hell away from everybody else; there's 20 to 30 miles of shallow water once you're through the Dragon's Mouth, so find yourself a spot well away from everyone else.

I know nothing about the geography and hurricane strategy there. So are you saying that it's possible/recommended to find a bay shallow enough to anchor in, and hole up there? Set more than one anchor?

What aspect bay is best?

 

[davethedog]

[QUOTE="webcraft, post: 8456602, member:

I gather the boatyards in Grenada are approved by insurance companies as safe places to leave boats in the hurricane season but jeez - a Cat4 this early in the season.

No they are not. Generally, you cannot get insurance for named storms. Pantaenius wil not insure us for named storms. This is why we don't leave our boat in the Windward and Leeward Islands for the summer. You are rolling the dice.
[/QUOTE]

We are with Pantaenius and when we were there last season during hurricane period we would not be insured for a named tropical storm UNLESS we were below 10 degrees north. Therefore we spent the period in Prickly Bay (12 degrees north) with the plan to head 120Nm south if required so that if a tropical storm damaged our boat we would at least be insured. Fortunately we did not have to enact that plan last year.

 

[geem]

No they are not. Generally, you cannot get insurance for named storms. Pantaenius wil not insure us for named storms. This is why we don't leave our boat in the Windward and Leeward Islands for the summer. You are rolling the dice.

We are with Pantaenius and when we were there last season during hurricane period we would not be insured for a named tropical storm UNLESS we were below 10 degrees north. Therefore we spent the period in Prickly Bay (12 degrees north) with the plan to head 120Nm south if required so that if a tropical storm damaged our boat we would at least be insured. Fortunately we did not have to enact that plan last year.
[/QUOTE]
We spent last season cruising around the southern Caribbean with the same intent. We didn't base ourselves in one spot. We were in the Grenadines for much and wingfoiling at Union, PSV and Sandy Island. Stay with your boat so you can move if you have to.
If you are going home to the UK. Leave your boat somewhere safer or you are rolling the dice

 

[capnsensible]

Looks like the tropical storm off Mexico has developed first and is named Chris. The investigate areas in the Atlantic may have calmed a bit.

Hurricane & Tropical Cyclones | Weather Underground

i reckon if i had to leave a boat in the Windies over the summer, an early booking in one of the Chaguramas boatyards in Trinidad would be my first choice. We got friends who do this. I only cruised through in the winter, liked it but was wary of being in Port of Spain after dark.

There is at least one marina in Venezuela that advertises as a hurricane escape, Cumanogato. Safe from winds but much dodgier ashore now since we visited.

Ultimate escape is to nip across to Panama and lift out in Shelter Bay. Not sure about returning to the Windies afterwards though, it's uphill and gonna take some work.....and detouring..

Good luck to all who find themselves in the path of Beryl right now.