Jan/2011
I waited until now to relate this story, partly because I felt it was so very unique
that I might be subjected to ridicule from some readers.
It was 2004, and I was returning south from a sailing trip on my Mac 26X boat
from Ft Lauderdale to Jacksonville
and partway down the St Johns river. Originally, the plan was to continue north along
the ICW to New York, where I was born and raised, mostly to visit my sister.
On the way south, I encountered 4 separate hurricanes, the last being Jean.
I was anchored in a mangrove swamp, using three anchors. They held, and we survived
Jasmine, my dawg....was terrified...windy days still make her feel very uneasy.
One has to have experienced things like this to understand and appreciate a disaster such
as this. You feel VERY alone....The shoreline is radically changed....communications are
cut off...WE sat at anchor three days, with a VERY strong current flowing by.
My 250lb dinghy, a 13ft Boston Whaler had overturned in the night...
...a gust of wind I estimated at over 160mph flipped it over and I lost a lot of gear...
I tried to right it in the morning, but the double hulls had been pierced by flying/floating debris,
anf I finally had to cut it loose/abandon it for fear it might damage the sailboat.
After 3 days, the Coast Guard found me...hard to see behind the island in the ICW...IDed me
asked if I needed medical attention...they came from Ft Pierce/low on fuel...when I said no...they
sped off at full speed south....
Next day, I got the motor running/hauled up the anchors myself, and headed south too.
EVERYWHERE was disaster ...houses flooded onshore/sunken boats...especially at Vero...
I pressed on to Ft Pierce, and the anchorage there...
The BIG marina there was TOTALLY gone...boats/docks ALL washed in a BIG pile on the beach.
Only one large piece of floating dock was near where I anchored, held in place by pipes and
broken/twisted off rebar stuck in the sandy bottom...it swung around with the tide.
I spent the nite sponging some water out of one fuel tank...AND watching the dock, in case it came closer...
Next morning, an outboard powered skiff came out of the small .river inlet that had a boat club of about
30 boats...they all looked damaged....the waves must have gone over the beach barrier.
Two men were in the skiff...pulled up to the dock...one jumped onto it/inspecting damage....
As they went by, I waved to them, and asked them if there was anywhere I could buy gsa ashore.
...I had been listening for days to the one operating radio station...ONLY announcing where supplies
like food/water/ice/gas and shelter could be found...mostly from the National Guard....
They saw my jerry cans...told me to jump in with them........WOW!
I put Jasmine below on her bunk...locked the hatch...AND JUMPED!!!!
The WHOLE place was damaged....we went to the parking lot....One went into the clubhouse and phoned
someone...the other pointed to a Lincoln Towncar...said they would rather not dirty it up with gas cans
...understandable...beggars cant be choosers, I was once told.....
In a few minutes, a young girl drove in with a beat-up Chevy pickup...they threw the cans in, told me to get in
and we were off up the driveway....
...past the guardgate, ant west past a Citgo gas station to a large Publix market.....They parked, telling me
to take my time....
It was dark inside...NO power...I found what I could that didn't need refrigeration, paid for it and left..
Sure enough, the guys were there...loaded my stuff...and we stopped at the gas station...I filled my cans...
This side of the street had power....
I offered to gas up the pickup...they said naaah...I went in to pay...computers were down...BUT they had
SubSandwiches!!!! ......I ordered a big bagful....gave the guys three...1 for the girl too...
We went back to the boat...they helped offload it all...I thanked them profusely...offered some bux
They still said naaah....and were off back to the club.....
JASMINE AND I ATE REAL GOOD!!!!!!!
We stayed there one more night....then headed south.....
We had a eather uneventful trip back yo Ft Lauderdale and the Hollywood Marina, considering the destruction
we saw as we travelled. Jasmine had learned to 'do it' in the cockpit/I washed 'it' overboard with praises of 'good girl'.
A few days later, I had a visit from Carlos, my former neighbor. ...He heard I was back...He had a long-term job offer
from a construction company rebuilding the Condos on the beach in Fort Pierce.
An apartment was included, but his van head died...He asked for a ride for him and his tools and stuff.
I said 'sure', although I was having bad dreams from our experience...especially when the wind blew off the ocean
at night...Even now years later, Jasmine shakes when she hears it....NOT good....
We threw his stuff in the back of my van...Carlos filled the tank/bought lunch at Mickey D's...and headed north on I-95
OK until we passwd WPB, and the trees disappeared...laying on the ground...damage to buildings more as we drove.
We got off at the Ft Pierce exit....and 'red gloves' ...everywhere, the guard controlled traffic....still little power...
We crossed US1, and saw the road to the beach blocked by Hummers and guys with M-16s.
The driveway to the guy's club that had helped me was on the right just before the blockade,
and I drove down to the guardgate...no one in the shack...parked in the lot...went inside...guard was there
I told him my story....he nodded and took me over to a bulletin board on the wall.
THERE WAS A FADED LOCAL NEWSPAPER ARTICLE dated several years ago, with pictures of the two guys
...and the girl, too....
telling how the 3 were killed on I-95 in a wrong-way collision by a big-rig truck back then...... TWO YEARS AGO!!!!!
It showed the mangled wreckage of their Lincoln Towncar...the same one I saw in the lot a few weeks ago!!!!
The guard saw my white face...offered a stiff drink...I said 'no thanks, I just needed some fresh air...
WE went outside...AND THERE WAS THE BLUE PICKUP parked...the guard said it belonged to the club....
I looked to the right in the lot where several boats ...hauled out to avoid the storm that sank some
but had been blown off their blocking...toppling each other like a house of cards....and there in the lot, overgrown
with weeds, sitting on a couple of sawhorses...bottom planks rotted out...WAS THE SKIFF I HAD RIDDEN IN
a few weeks back!!!!!!
I was too shaken up to drive, so Carlos took us the rest of the way...showed our ID ....
Guard looked in and Jasmine growled/bared teeth...Oked QUICK.....
I said goodbye to Carlos...never saw him again...died of lung cancer a few months later...
The trip back was filled with thoughts of what happened....
WHO WERE THOSE GUYS?????
Did God send Angels to help me just when we needed it the most????
He sent two to help Lot...and others....
...You be the judge...
Genesis 19:1
..two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city.
When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground...
Heb 13:2
Forget not to shew love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
