I am currently reading two excellent books, alternating chapters.
One is A FURIOUS SKY brought to my attention by Steve Earley for which I thank him. Steve saw a review in the NY TIMES.
I read the review and having a personal interest in hurricanes immediately bought the Kindle edition of the book, although I know the sky cannot be furious. I suppose the title will sell copies to those who do not understand the pathetic fallacy.
So far I have learned that South Carolina is the fifth most hurricane hit state, after Florida, a clear number one with landfall made there by 40% of all hurricanes that strike the US, Texas, North Carolina, and Louisiana.
I have also learned that a very rare hurricane hit San Diego back in 1858. California is protected by prevailing northwest winds and cool ocean temperatures.
From the book the above image shows the tracks of all Atlantic hurricanes from 1851 to 2012. Our condo is under there somewhere. Maybe we should have bought in Portugal.
The other is a novel, GRENDEL, by John Gardner, a variation on the Beowulf epic. The writing and imagination are extraordinary.
The wood prototype Moore 24 is named Grendel. An interesting choice and a beautifully restored boat.
I considered yesterday deflating the Avon and restowing it on the starboard berth, but I didn’t and had a lovely row around the bait barge this morning. Sleeping sea lions, pelicans, cormorants and sea gull. No egrets. I do enjoy rowing. I may go again later this afternoon.
Also yesterday on my way up to shower I passed Javier, a diver just coming from the water after cleaning a boat bottom. He is coming on Saturday to clean that of GANNET’s bottom I could not reach.
Kasey, the rigger, said that the new furling gear would take five days to arrive. Five working days have passed. I hope to hear from him soon. With a clean bottom and new rigging and wind instrument, I might even take GANNET sailing.
Roger, who lives in Bluffton, not far from Hilton Head is one of several of you who have great building skills. He built his 40’ catamaran, TRAVELER, including the carbon fiber mast. He and his wife, Laurie, were cruising in the Bahamas when the pandemic began. They have since sailed home, where TRAVELER is kept on a private dock.
A few days ago Roger wrote me:
A big violent lightning strike hit us at our dock on the May River a few weeks ago. It hit the mast and blew wounds in the head and the foot. Fried our electronics, pumps, lights and both engines. It blew a hole the size of a tennis ball, one in each hull, just above the waterline. I patched them with plywood screws and silicone so we could be towed to Savannah and hauled out at Thunderbolt Marine.
Here are some photos.
Roger and Laurie were in their home ashore at the time. I have known of other boats to be hit by lightning, but none that sustained so much damage.
Lightning at sea frightens me because I know there is nothing I can do about it and that my mast, even one as short as GANNET’s, is the highest thing for miles.
When I bought the Ericson 37, EGREGIOUS, one of the options was for lightning protection. It cost only $100 so I ordered it. I drove up to the Ericson plant in Orange Country to see the boat under construction and asked about the lightning protection. A thick copper wire connected at one end to the port upper shroud chain plate and at the other to a 1” diameter copper bolt through the hull was pointed out to me. I asked, “Will that work?” “We won’t know until a boat is hit by lightning.” Fortunately EGREGIOUS wasn’t.
I wish Roger and Laurie a swift and complete repair of TRAVELER and thank them for permission to share the photos.
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