[TO NARRATIVES AND PHOTOS LIST]
September 17, 1999
Here is "Silver Heels" hidden behind the Salem seawall in her hurricane hole. We do have company,
and there will probably be more boats that will come in today. Behind us us a 66 foot radical design
cruising sloop. What a contrast in designs, old and new. When the tide lifts, it may
go higher than usual because of the surge from the hurricane. In the past the water has gone over the piling tops at
high tide. There's a 35 foot cat boat on our port and a lobsterman on his side. I hope they don't push us against
the pilings at high water.
Looking out toward Salem Harbor with steady moderate rain. In the foreground are two lobster boats.
They are worried about their lobster traps that get blown about in the hurricane seas.
We've talked to them, and they say they'll try to go out as soon as conditions allow.
We'll wait until this hurricane passes and see what the next one, Gert, brings.
This place is jammed, and I think it'll be awhile before we get out under any circumstance.
I'm standing on the seawall looking SE past the 3 masted East Indiaman , a ship being built by the park department.
There's another seawall and then Salem Harbor. Past the hill line is Marblehead and the Atlantic
Ocean ... and hurricane Floyd. Marblehead is not a good "hurricane harbor." That is why
some lobstermen have moved from there for the shelter behind this seawall. This harbor is
not particularly good in a hurricane unless you're well sheltered behind a seawall.
A good hurricane hole has high land and/or tree protection on all sides. It's small so the winds don't have a long
"fetch" to build up large waves. It has good holding ground - hard mud or hard sand - for the anchors.
You may set three or four anchors. And, most importantly, there should be no other boats there. In a crowded
hurricane hole there's always less careful boat owners who anchor their boats poorly. Their boats chafe
through the lines and drift down on your boat creating chafe and parting of your lines ... and disaster.
Of course, a good hurricane hole attracts everyone else, and you really can't find one that's empty.
In Salem the National Park Service gave about five boats the opportunity to tie behind this
seawall for protection during oncoming hurricane Floyd. We all had to sign a "hold harmless"
agreement with the park department. "Silver Heels" was number four to apply, and I thought there'd be maybe room
for two more boats. Well, there were probably twenty-five or thirty boats behind
that seawall when Floyd passed over. Big boats, small boats, lobster boats became more frantic as the hurricane
approached , and the;y just arrived and rafted up to those boats that were there. Forget the Park Service's
permission. It was a harbor of refuge. I agreed and helped find a place for all those that I could.
One boat moored half way down the seawall effectively blocking access. He refused to move and thereby clossed
off space that could have sheltered another six or seven boats. He ignored me when I pointed this out and asked him to move.
This is the dinghy that I've tried to get to float high and dry all summer. It was doing pretty
well, but now with the onset of this hurricane, we've decided to sink it. Sitting high on the water
it is very light and has lots of windage. In heavy winds it is likely to blow away or into something.
So now we'll sink it until the winds subside.