Bustle

For all the bustle of yesterday, today the marina is characterized by a lack of activity. I woke up to a lively motion. Overnight the wind had clocked around to twenty knots from the south and occasionally CR rumbles when the gusts work their way around the trees and down from the bluff that lies to the south.

The marina is protected from this wind but the weather radio is ominously predicting rain, thunderstorms, and 20 to 30 knot winds from the north late this evening. Just the direction that most threatens the marina. Threatens is too dramatic of a word, I hope at least. It can get mighty uncomfortable on good old CR when the swells are confused.

Every marina and harbor has different characteristic. Sometimes they relate to wind and waves in a peculiar fashion. Having experienced such peculiarities, I try to prepare in advance and so, one thing I do when first entering a harbor is to, as best I can, slow and survey the scene. It is not always possible. I do my best but then once docked I take a walk around and look how boats are tied up.

In some situations it makes me nervous enough to head back to the boat, listen to the weather with a pessimist ear and start to retie the lines in a fashion similar to the afore mentioned boats.

There is a reason sailors tend to be a superstitious lot. Before engines, radios, satellite weather forecast, Coast Guard, etc., etc. it was a tough watery world out there. It still is but pay attention and it is extremes that most likely pose a threat.

I observe any boat tied to a starboard dock at Ladd’s Landing has multiple fenders out. For the exposed boats on the end of the piers, there are mooring balls north of them they can use to keep themselves off the dock. I have nothing if not a multitude of large fenders. Four of which are now protecting CR’s starboard side.

Considering the weather forecast the question is, should I move a few more fenders over now or wait until the middle of the night in a thunderstorm to get out of a warm bunk, and stand on a shaky dock wrestling with large blue fenders in the wind and the rain.

I think I go do it right now…well maybe I’ll have lunch first.

P.S. It blew last night 30 to 40 knots from the north. I woke at 3AM due to Dan (the marina’s owner) moving CR back a foot so my anchor would not bang into the dock. My anchor is six feet up so it gives an idea of the waves coursing through the marina. I watched Dan, like a shepherd tending his flock, move from boat to boat checking the lines and fenders. The docks have a lively motion on a good day so last night they were approximating the Space Shuttle simulator. I stayed on board once CR was secure to a sleep with one ear open — just in case.