Hurricane

Let me start by saying "GET THE HELL OFF THE BOAT " You can watch the 30 minute documentary on the TV. You will see it on the news . People will even tell you of their experiences but if you find your self in a HURRICANE get off the boat and go to high ground.
This is my account of my stupidly and lucky for me I was not injured. My boat was safe because of planing.

Many northern boaters take to the southern route in an effort to escape the cold and find adventure. I was no different. With only lake sailing experience to my credit I left Toronto to sail among the warmer islands. To get there I had to travel during the latter portion of the hurricane season. I only gave this a passing thought after all I had managed to survive some intense storms on the lake ( My arrogance now scares me). Ill not account the trip down to Annapolis enough to say I enjoyed it as many have and will continue too. There just before the boat show the Miami weather office was tracking a Hurricane that was heading along the coast and expecting to go inland some were near the Chesapeake Bay. There was about 5 days of warning that something was comings and as the days past, the target was drawn smaller. Each time I looked at the map I was still near ground zero. With help from local boaters I made my way up a creek .Set three anchors lots of chain, striped the sails off, and cleared the deck of everything that wasn't bolted down and made lunch. I was invited ashore to a local pub where other boaters and locals were planning to weather the blow .I should have gone. A fellow boater and I made plans to keep watch in shifts. From each other boat we could see the creek and the boats around us. We would talk by radio and keep each other informed of the storms progress and its impact in the creek. The hurricane moved closer. The wind and rain increased across the deck to such a speed that I became concerned. When night came it was impossible to sleep, the noise was like bedding down beside a fast freight train. Objects from shore and off other boats pelted my boat and kept me from relaxing for even a moment. The noise was so loud that VHF communications had to be kept to simple short sentences. Late into the night I decided to go on deck to check lines and hopefully console myself. Was everything was all right? As soon as I was in the cockpit I was soaked through my foul weather gear to my socks. I could not stand so I crawled on all fours to the bow it was like being on the roof of a car going down a super highway in the rain. At the bow I reached out to my anchor line to reassure my self that it was holding. It was but I was shocked to find a line half the size of what I had put out and so tightly stretched that you could play it like a guitar. Crawling back was a nightmare the wind kept trying to blow me sideways and off the boat. When I finally got back into the relative safety of the cabin my pounding heart slowed to a panic. I discovered my foul weather gear had been torn to rags and I had more questions about my safety. If I had been blown off the boat how would I get back aboard? If the anchor line broke what could I do? If I was hit by flying debris who would know? Could anyone get to me to help? None of these questions had satisfactory answers. I sat out the night waiting, hoping, praying, for the winds to abate. I fell into a restless sleep. In the morning I climbed on deck to clear tree branches and other flotsam off the boat. The anchorage than been rearranged some boats were ashore others anchors tangled together and in groups partially beached. Their owners arriving to asses the damage and see what can be done. My boat and I came through with little damage .The dingy sank probably the only reason it was still with me. I had a scrape on the port side I couldn't identify, something went bump in the night. . At the end of it all I asked myself why I had stayed on board? I have no good answer except to say I was ignorant of the power of even a brush with a hurricane. If I could have left that night I would of. I was trapped and in a dangerous situation. At sea you have no choice but in harbor you are best to set the hook make everything safe and sound get off the boat and go to high ground. Your property can be repaired but your life and limb may suffer a non-repairable fate.