Bertram33 User Forum

Looks like we may dodge the bullet. I started getting ready yesterday and woke up this morning to the news that maybe things weren't going to be as bad. Put the rest of the preparations on hold. I hate it for the guys south of here.

The latest models seem to show Matthew heading east between Charleston and here.. but I am sure we will get a lot of rain and wind.. there is another smaller tropical depression to Matthew's southeast and some pundits seem to think the two might hook up.. I don't know enough about weather to understand how this can happen, but anything that takes things out to the east is fine with me. It looks like you are going to avoid the worst of things Buzz.

We live in East Orlando. Our boat is in Port Canaveral. Actually, we are on the barge canal that runs off Merrit Island, which is just across the Banana River from the Port. We are about 3 miles West of Port Canaveral, due East. I spent most of Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning taking the canass off Jesse James (33SF) and doubling her lines. Everthing was tied down, taped down or screwed down. I left her on Wed at 1:00, came back to Orlando, and spent yesterday and today securing the house and office building. The SHTF here in a couple of hours, with the worst from 4:00 am through 1pm tomorrow. We have a curfew in effect for Orange County from midnight tonight to Saturday morning. Have no idea what I will find when I get back to the boat, hopefully on Saturday. A friend of mine has a 42 footer. He is in the port and.could not get a haul out yesterday. So he tied her up and left. They have floating docs that will rise up to 15 feet. The storm surge is predicted to hit 10+ feet (keeps going up). Seas forecast to be 40 feet. There is a webcam for Port canavera. Google "Port canaveral cam". Will let you know how it works out. Chip Orlando, Florida "Jesse James"

Chip, I hope you're OK. It looks like it's going to be bad at the Cape. I'm not familiar with the barge canal but I've left my boat in the water for a cat 3 behind my house and it was fine.

quote:Originally posted by buzzk Chip, I hope you're OK. It looks like it's going to be bad at the Cape. I'm not familiar with the barge canal but I've left my boat in the water for a cat 3 behind my house and it was fine. buzzk 1988 Bertram 33 FBC Cummins 6BTA's Buzz Off Morehead City, NC

Thanks Buzzk. They have all of the bridges closed to Brevard County (Brevard runs from just south of Daytona Beach to south of Melbourne). When you look at the map of Florida and see that little piece of land jutt off to the east you are looking at Cape Canaveral. The Port of Canaveral is in the southern half of that point. There are two large bridges that lead out to Cocoa Beach; one crosses the Indian River and the seconed crosses the Banana River. Both are designed for clearance of 60+feet for sailboats. DOT is surveying them now for damage, after which Law Enforcement will assess damage and rescue before they allow others in. I noted that two barges broke loose in the Port and crashed into the docks of a restaurant on the south side of the port. Not much other news from there yet. Thanks for the experience on your boat. I doubled tied my lines and hope she does what she was made to do. Will let you know.

Chip, glad you're OK. Hope the boat made it unscathed. Probably going to be interesting here tonight. Will report in the next day or 2. Scott 1981 46B Dealer's Choice Edisto Beach, SC

Chip, We're keeping our fingers crossed you find all in order. Thanks Capn' T 33'Bert SF 3116 Cats Hyannis MA.

Scott and anyone else affected by Mathew hope all goes well and best of luck.Scott if it wasn't for hurricane Sandy I never would have been able to buy your boat so some good comes out of some storms. The boat has been good to me and I have been good to the boat. I had the bottom soda blasted,barrier coated,engines aligned,all coolers cleaned and painted, valves adjusted and all thru hulls replaced with backing plates. I think that's it for this past year. Again hope all is good in the Southeast. John J

Matthew paid us a visit but by the time it got this far north it had moderated to a Cat 1, and a few hours later the eyewall began to deteriorate and the winds moderated. The tidal surge was about 4 feet, and it came at the time of high tide (about 3:00 PM). The Cape Fear River which flows through downtown Wilmington over ran it's banks and flooded the street and some buildings.All is well with the boat and other than some tree limbs down all seems to be OK here. There is heavy flooding inland since the bulk of the rain happened there. Buzz.. it lo0ks from the charts online that you might have had more rain than we did. How are things in Morehead City?

We didn't get it bad at my house, we lost power at 11:30 PM and it came back on at5:30 AM. There was more rain inland than here. My rain gauge only showed 1 3/4" and the highest wind gust I recorded was 50 MPH. Thankfully we had no damage to my house or boats. At least it's a cool day for putting everything back out.

We made it through Matthew OK at the port. No damage to Jesse James. Thanks for your thoughts. Hope you all up the coast came out OK as well. Best Regards, Chip

good to hear you guys made out alright .

"Why Knot?" had no problems in Little River, SC but we lost power at home 108 miles to the west about 10AM Saturday and it didn't come back on until 11:15 pm Sunday. We were told it might be Wednesday or Thursday before we would get power back. We lucked out.

Glad to hear that people made out OK.