Paul B
NJRC Member
Yesterday my wife and I took out three other people for dinner on our boat. I told them at least five times that there were dangerous storms and squalls in the area and it would be better if I just took them (by boat) to the restaurant right near my marina so if a storm started they could wait it out at the restaurant in the protected harbor.
But they wanted to go out and they would bring dinner on the boat.
I am a licensed Captain so I kept telling them what could happen as they were not boaters and would probably get scared if we hit a storm.
OK, we go out and it is nice and sunny. I took them to where they used to live near the Throggs Neck Bridge in Queens (New York) and all was well.
Then we came back into the harbor about a mile from my marina to anchor and eat.
Wine, good music and a nice sunny day.
Off in the distance, in the Bronx I see dark clouds. Then I see them getting closer but that is about 5 miles away so we have some time.
Normally I would have just let out more anchor line and ride out the storm but these people wanted to make sure I was a real Captain and had the safety equipment and all that so I knew they were real landlubbers.
I figured I would head back to the marina and we could continue the party there and if the storm hit, they could go in the restaurant. So I raise the anchor to head back.
By the time I got the anchor up we got hit with a squall. The food and wine was still on the table and most of it instantly blew into the ocean. Wine bottles, dishes, eggplant parmesan, pepperoni, Artichoke hearts, olives, Italian bread, peppers etc. In an instant all gone. The Ladies ran into the cabin and I turned the boat towards the marina. Lightning was hitting all around and the waves were starting to crash over the bow and this is not a canoe, this is a 30' boat. After about 100 yards I knew we were not going to make it because I had to sail through a forest of moored sailboats and many of them were completely sideways with some of them sinking. I couldn't see more than fifty feet with the rain, wind and waves so I had to anchor in a clear place where I would not crash into a moored boat. The ladies were screaming but their screams were muffled by the thunder and wind.
I hit the button to drop the anchor as I watched us quickly drift toward a large dock that juts out about 80 yards. As I waited for the anchor to grab we were getting too close to the dock and if we hit it, it would have wrecked my boat and we could have sunk.
Closer and closer until we were too close so I hit the gas to bring us away from the dock, but not to close to the sailboats that were in danger of sinking in front of us. I got a glimpse of the anchor and saw the problem.
After a particularly large wave hit us, the boat lifted up sharply jerking the anchor up over the bow rail. The chain was all tangled up on the front of the boat and I couldn't get the anchor down. I jumped on the front of the boat and the new hat that I just got that day flew off into the fray.
I kicked the anchor into the sea and fought with the chain to get it into the water while I held on to the rail so I didn't get blown off into the sea. I couldn't hardly open my eyes because of the torrential rain. The guy on the boat with me knows nothing about boats, anchors, storms or anything sea related so I couldn't tell him to steer away from the dock. After the anchor went down I jumped over the windshield because the hatch was open which has the steps on it so I couldn't get down the normal way.
I let out more anchor line and the anchor grabbed about 5' from the dock. The few workers on the dock that were trying to secure boats were screaming.
After 10 or 15 minutes the storm started to pass, the lightning and waves ebbed. We made it back to the dock but it was still raining. I put up this big beach umbrella, we too out the remaining food that was not destroyed. I got the hose and washed off all the food on the floor and we started the party over again after the women took a walk to shake off their queezy feeling as they were all kind of sea sick.
That turned out to be one of my most exciting boating days.
We will go back today to finish cleaning off the Brie cheese that is all over the place.
When we left the marina to drive home we had problems because many trees were down on the roads.
WE were here when the storm hit.
But they wanted to go out and they would bring dinner on the boat.
I am a licensed Captain so I kept telling them what could happen as they were not boaters and would probably get scared if we hit a storm.
OK, we go out and it is nice and sunny. I took them to where they used to live near the Throggs Neck Bridge in Queens (New York) and all was well.
Then we came back into the harbor about a mile from my marina to anchor and eat.
Wine, good music and a nice sunny day.
Off in the distance, in the Bronx I see dark clouds. Then I see them getting closer but that is about 5 miles away so we have some time.
Normally I would have just let out more anchor line and ride out the storm but these people wanted to make sure I was a real Captain and had the safety equipment and all that so I knew they were real landlubbers.
I figured I would head back to the marina and we could continue the party there and if the storm hit, they could go in the restaurant. So I raise the anchor to head back.
By the time I got the anchor up we got hit with a squall. The food and wine was still on the table and most of it instantly blew into the ocean. Wine bottles, dishes, eggplant parmesan, pepperoni, Artichoke hearts, olives, Italian bread, peppers etc. In an instant all gone. The Ladies ran into the cabin and I turned the boat towards the marina. Lightning was hitting all around and the waves were starting to crash over the bow and this is not a canoe, this is a 30' boat. After about 100 yards I knew we were not going to make it because I had to sail through a forest of moored sailboats and many of them were completely sideways with some of them sinking. I couldn't see more than fifty feet with the rain, wind and waves so I had to anchor in a clear place where I would not crash into a moored boat. The ladies were screaming but their screams were muffled by the thunder and wind.
I hit the button to drop the anchor as I watched us quickly drift toward a large dock that juts out about 80 yards. As I waited for the anchor to grab we were getting too close to the dock and if we hit it, it would have wrecked my boat and we could have sunk.
Closer and closer until we were too close so I hit the gas to bring us away from the dock, but not to close to the sailboats that were in danger of sinking in front of us. I got a glimpse of the anchor and saw the problem.
After a particularly large wave hit us, the boat lifted up sharply jerking the anchor up over the bow rail. The chain was all tangled up on the front of the boat and I couldn't get the anchor down. I jumped on the front of the boat and the new hat that I just got that day flew off into the fray.
I kicked the anchor into the sea and fought with the chain to get it into the water while I held on to the rail so I didn't get blown off into the sea. I couldn't hardly open my eyes because of the torrential rain. The guy on the boat with me knows nothing about boats, anchors, storms or anything sea related so I couldn't tell him to steer away from the dock. After the anchor went down I jumped over the windshield because the hatch was open which has the steps on it so I couldn't get down the normal way.
I let out more anchor line and the anchor grabbed about 5' from the dock. The few workers on the dock that were trying to secure boats were screaming.
After 10 or 15 minutes the storm started to pass, the lightning and waves ebbed. We made it back to the dock but it was still raining. I put up this big beach umbrella, we too out the remaining food that was not destroyed. I got the hose and washed off all the food on the floor and we started the party over again after the women took a walk to shake off their queezy feeling as they were all kind of sea sick.
That turned out to be one of my most exciting boating days.
We will go back today to finish cleaning off the Brie cheese that is all over the place.
When we left the marina to drive home we had problems because many trees were down on the roads.
WE were here when the storm hit.
