Storm Barney

 

This is Joe fixing the temporary forehatch cover on Winter Solstice. The blue sky is deceptive - the wind was still howling. Ten minutes earlier the sky was black and a squall rocked the harbour. When we came to the boat yesterday we weren't the only ones there. Two or three boats had people in them, sitting it out in case of further damage. Winter Solstice was fine, but the cover we had over the forecabin to keep the rain out was hanging off, the boarding plank off the coach house roof was gone, along with the inflatable kayak (cheapo from Aldi), and - the only really regrettable loss - the forehatch cover had blown off.

Another boat owner had the story - things had been going on before we got there. The plank had been salvaged from the water and was lying on the harbour wall and the kayak was in the back of Sean Glennan's boat having been hooked from the water. But there was no sign of the forehatch cover. We made a temporary job of it in the dark and wind. Joe went down first thing this morning to take measurements (the joy of living so close to the boat) and made a temporary cover from plywood. We wrapped it in polythene and he screwed it in place. Taking no chances here.

Another benign looking photo of the harbour, but you can see the trees are bending. Nothing like yesterday. That was an extraordinary wind.

There's a boat leaning at an odd angle on the far jetty in this one, and windows were out on other vessels.

HOT OFF THE PRESS UPDATE!

Joe just had a phone call from Dick Cleary, the man who'd picked out the kayak yesterday. He spends a lot of his spare time when not painting and decorating down at the harbour on his boat. He has the forehatch cover and its cover. They were floating at the back of his boat. Wonder where they'd been all night and day. They were nowhere to be seen when we were looking.

Joe's gone off to retrieve them. Lucky day.