Skipper's Log >>> Friday 05-Sep'18

Skipper's Log  >>> Friday 05-Sep'18

 

Google image of moorings Kralendijk, Bonaire

 We went for a supervised shore dive with Pamela, an Instructor from Dive Buddy Resort. While underwater, the skies unexpectedly darken, and the seas get lit up like giant flash-bulbs - lightning somewhere nearby, which was not in the forecast. Sensing more than hearing deep rumbles all around, we could then see rain pelting the surface above, wind rippling across in waves. My only thought was "I hope Perigee is OK by herself".

 

We got back to PERIGEE as soon as possible afterwards, and the wind has swung SouthWest, which was pushing PERIGEE towards shore. Any further westerly swing, and we would be touching bottom in the shallow mooring field.

There was no choice to be made - we must go!!!

 

As Dave was holding Perigee's stern off with the dinghy revving full out in the growing winds, Leanne made Perigee ready for sea. (We keep her all ready to go, for 'just in case' instances like this - so it is a case of taking the covers off the helm and instruments, switching on the nav station & radios, and doing a quick check for security below, including un-pinning the bowthruster so it also ready to be deployed.)

Meanwhile, Dave sets a ball fender on the mooring buoy (to denote 'it's taken') and returns to the stern. Then, with Leanne's thumbs up, Dave leaps aboard and secures the dinghy, straight to the helm to start the engine and, while that is warming up, does a quick deck-walk and double-check below. Leanne meanwhile is making ready the foredeck. Dave now back at the helm, he gives a nod and she takes-in the mooring lines. Within 3 minutes of giving the call, we manoeuvre through the other boats to safe (deep) water.

We are glad we did, as the wind veers further west and strengthens even more, making for short steep seas pushing through the mooring field. We stand off for over two hours while the double line of thunderstorms - north and south of us - pass though. Lightning makes many ground-strikes within 2 miles, and PERIGEE resonates to the deep rumbling thunder all around.

The temperature drops with the microbursts and associated gust fronts. As the rain reduces visibility to a few boat lengths, Leanne goes below and brews up some soup - yum-yum.

We are joined by about 8 other boats who also leave their moorings or tie-ups, as the onshore gusts and waves make for a rough ride and hazardous conditions inshore. All these boats going hither and yon, in heavy rain and reduced visibility, makes it like dodgem cars out there.

Then, as quickly as the storms arrived, they abate, and we return to pick up our mooring on the shelf. Glad that we have such a sea-worthy boat, we are warm and dry, and the decks have all gotten a great rinse-off. The rivulets from the drains show dark stains from the sanding dust left when preparing the bottom for new anti-fouling paint. We thought we'd done a good job cleaning that off in Curacao before we left, but obviously not.