Goodnight Irene, Goodnight

Here we go again.  I spent a month in St Pierre and Miquelon off the Southwest coast of Newfoundland last year waiting out four hurricanes.  Of course hurricanes never come to Newfoundland.  Only North Atlantic gales.  Except when Reboot is visiting.  Then you get both, back to back.  It was a long month and a departure into the highest winds and waves I have ever chosen to experience.  It was not much of a weather window but at least it did work out much better than my dockmates who chose a different route and lost their dinghy and almost their boat.

Since XO and I (and Reboot) are in New Bern, NC you might wonder why I am posting about Hurricane Irene at this point.  The sailor's creedo is "reef early, reef often."  With a number of my cruising friends not being around later in the week - including myself - it is time to get the boats ready for whatever happens.  In general this means removing anything that can catch wind - sails, dodger, etc. and storing them below.  Of course it rained last night so all of that stuff is sopping wet.  Hopefully it will dry out this morning and we will be able to get it all stowed.  We will also double up all the dock lines and make sure that the fenders are full of air.  Then we wait and see - on shore in the safety of the hotel if Irene decides to come through.

Fair winds and following seas.