Florida Boaters, How Well Do You Know Our Ocean?

To me the Atlantic Ocean is a living being. She can be calm and serene one moment, angry and dangerous the next.

Last week the National Weather Service scheduled a coastal flood watch to be issued for Sunday and Monday. WFTV Ch. 9 news told us of this on Thursday Sept. 27. This meant to me a lot of rain, but not a lot of rain was in the forcast, at that time. The meteorologist clarified this by saying we were to have high winds beginning Sunday morning. Now this made more sense to me. Unless you heard that though, you didn't know ahead of time about the winds.

We all know that Mother Nature doesn't watch the news, the winds began around 9:30 Saturday morning, by 11AM they were about 30-35 MPH along the coastline, bringing with them rain showers throughout Volusia County heavily pounding our beaches, eroding our coastline. 

Sunday morning the winds were still howling as I watched the early morning news. They showed our beaches getting washed away, but then they also showed a private boat had taken a pounding and had been blown on shore somewhere in north Flagler County. At some point on Sunday a high wind warning was finally posted.

That was the 4th boat to come up on shore in my area since I've been here.

I wondered had there been a high wind warning posted sooner along with the coastal flood watch, would the owner of that boat been out in the ocean? I then wondered if the owner knew about the website the National Weather Service has? This one here, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admistriation's National Weather Service.  

If you follow that link and scroll down to the middle of the page you will see current marine conditions and marine forecasts. A must for all that love to go boating!

Here are the first three boats that have been beached:

This is The Obsession

 

 

 

 

The owner had just bought her with his savings and was sailing her home. He hit rough seas, stayed awake for 2 days trying to keep her in the ocean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently he just couldn't stay awake any longer and this is where his new baby ended up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He had no insurance, I don't know how they finally got her off the beach.

 

 

 

 

This is the story of the Pac Man:

I actually watched the rescue involved with this Bertram and the Volusia Beach Patrol. Talk about impressive!

While 2 miles out to sea the Bertram lost both of her engines, just as a front like we had over the last weekend moved in.

The front pushed her closer and closer to the shoreline and they dropped anchor at the sandbar not too far off shore.

 

In this photo you can see the Beach Patrol (red dot) on a jet ski waiting for 1 of 2 men to jump off the boat to the jet ski.

 

 

I was using my Kodak Easy Share, I didn't have a good zoom lens then. This is the best I could do.

 

 

 

 

 

The grey nose you see of a boat in the upper left corner is that of a Coast Guard vessel standing by just in case.

 

 

The Beach Patrol successfully brought both men ashore. In this photo, one of the two men was very shaky and fell straight to his knees after getting off the jet ski. I can't imagine what was going through his head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the night the wind & rough seas continued to pound at the Pac Man and her anchor. The anchor chain finally gave in, and this is where I found the Pac Man the next morning. I felt so bad for the owner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A salvage company came in with a back hoe to take her off the beach. The owner had her insured.



It was so sad to see them smash her to pieces. This was someones pride and joy. Sure it was 10 yrs old, but up until the day before this they really enjoyed her.

 

 

 

This is the Two Pirates.

 

This is what happens when the anchor is not dropped correctly (to the bottom of the ocean) and the captain and crew all go to bed.

 

That was the story in the paper anyway.

 

A special salvage company had to come and take all the oil and gas off carefully then dumpsters had to be brought to the beach and they began carefully taking her apart piece by piece.

 

We weren't able to locate the boat that washed ashore over the weekend, Steve and I did go out in the wind on the bike, but after 30 minutes along the coastline in the wind we turned around and headed for the White Eagle. One can only handle winds buffeting you around like that for so long.

We are scheduled for another round of high winds this weekend (October 6th and 7th), instead of taking a chance on beaching your boat, visit one of the many Century 21 offices around Florida for our state wide Open House Extravaganza!

 
This post has been included in Florida Information Volusia County, FL Information
Post is included in group: All Things Florida
Post is included in group: No Writer's Block Allowed!
Post is included in group: Posts to Localism

17 Comments on Florida Boaters, How Well Do You Know Our Ocean?

Lysa,

Ive a;ways wanted a boat but not sure I want to endure all the maintenance and safety is a fact when you go out in those choppy waters so be careful:)

10/04/2007 01:10 PM by Neal Bloom-Realtor ® Assoc.-CRS-Weston FL (RE/MAX Premier Associates)


Lysa, Those are some terrific shots you got but I feel so badly for those people.  Insured or not I'm sure they loved their boats.  What a shame they didn't get earlier notification and get to shore safely, I'm glad no one was hurt.

10/04/2007 02:10 PM by Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island (Feng Shui Long Island)


As an ex-boater I do feel bad for these owners.  But the thing that was drilled into me back then was to exercise "overcaution".  These didn't...I got caught in a freak storm once out on the open water - will never forget that!

10/04/2007 02:24 PM by Jeff Geoghan MBA, - Lancaster PA Real Estate Expert (Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc.)


Lysa, Great post. As you know in Florida anyone can go buy a boat as long as they have the $$. I have been on the water to many times with close calls because people are either drunk or just don't know how to handle their boat

10/04/2007 02:34 PM by My Favorite Mortgage.net - Matthew J Blum


Lysa: I have a thing for both sail boats and trawlers--I have a tear in m'eye thinking that one each of those fine vessels may have perished unnecessarily.

Jay 

10/04/2007 04:13 PM by Boomer Jack's Conversations & Cheesy Stories (Saturn of Saint Paul)


Lysa, you get the best pictures!! 

I would prefer to have a FRIEND with a boat.  :o) 

10/04/2007 04:16 PM by Sarah Cooper, Realtor, Hurricane, WV (Real Estate Shows)


Neal, I used to go sailing in Hawaii every weekend. You're right there is so much resposibility that goes along with being a boat owner.

Carol, I do feel bad for the first two boat owners. I can't go further into the Two Pirates story, he was insured tho.

 

10/04/2007 04:50 PM by Lysa Napolitano, Call Coordinator ~ Century 21 Sundance (Century 21 Sundance)


Jeff, The owner of the Pac Man, I don't know that he didn't do everything in his power to get that boat safely somewhere. Imagine having both your engines quit when bad weather comes up.

Matt, I saw a horrible water ski accident on a lake in AZ once due to drinking, that will stay with me forever. I'm not one for lake boating since.

10/04/2007 04:53 PM by Lysa Napolitano, Call Coordinator ~ Century 21 Sundance (Century 21 Sundance)


Jay, The Two Pirates was a shrimp boat, I remember I had just come down from NY and it was cold on the beach that day to where I had to put on gloves. That boat should have never hit the beach.

Sarah, The last photo is one of my favorites, and the first one I ever framed. That Kodak camera took great shots, just didn't have a great zoom. I miss it! As far as friends with boats? I don't know of any off hand, you'll have to stick to friends with Bikes :)

10/04/2007 04:56 PM by Lysa Napolitano, Call Coordinator ~ Century 21 Sundance (Century 21 Sundance)


Great photos Lysa...my heart broke for the boat owners. We're boaters...albeit in little kayaks...the mighty ocean is always in control...Jay's dad beached a boat like that once...not pretty.

10/04/2007 05:18 PM by Monika McGillicuddy~ N.H. Real Estate Broker & Trainer (Prudential Verani Realty/Hampstead)


Now that's what I call a creative advertising push! hummm instead of boating in the wind...go to an open house! Love it Lysa!!

10/04/2007 10:03 PM by Joan Mirantz- Concord New Hampshire Realtor (Keeler Family Realtors)


Hi Monika, Thanks! I love kyaks, folks here get to interact with the dolphins while in them, the dolphins will surround the kyaks in the ocean on calm days. Hope Jay's dad was ok. :(

Joan, LOL! Every little bit helps!

10/05/2007 10:34 AM by Lysa Napolitano, Call Coordinator ~ Century 21 Sundance (Century 21 Sundance)


Jay's dad got over the embarrassment and continued to sail.

I love kayaking...all I need is 6 inches of water under me...I go where many people never do and see nature up close in my yak.

10/06/2007 07:39 AM by Monika McGillicuddy~ N.H. Real Estate Broker & Trainer (Prudential Verani Realty/Hampstead)


Lysa-Wow, its so cool that so many things I not only get to read about I get to see your face light up when you talk about this stuff.  We missed you today!

10/06/2007 06:33 PM by Midori Miller-Daytona Beach Florida Real Estate Training (CENTURY 21 Sundance Realty)


Monika, one day I would love to do that. We have the Halifax river here, and dolphins do come play in it, along with Manatee, imagine being that close them? I'm glad Jay's dad continued to sail :)

Midori, Awe, you make me blush! I hope you had someone come in! Nancy-Ellen thinks today will be a good day. I talked to her yesterday afternoon :)

10/07/2007 07:06 AM by Lysa Napolitano, Call Coordinator ~ Century 21 Sundance (Century 21 Sundance)


Lysa, those are terrific boat and beach pictures.  The sea has a way of educating those who don't respect it, something like a motorcycle.  Loved your post.

10/07/2007 02:07 PM by Robert Monk Florida Real Estate (100% Realty, Inc.)


Robert, Thank you so much! You are so right, if you don't respect her .... she could spit you back to the beach or ...  

10/07/2007 02:46 PM by Lysa Napolitano, Call Coordinator ~ Century 21 Sundance (Century 21 Sundance)


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Real Estate - Other: Lysa Napolitano,  Call Coordinator ~ Century 21 Sundance (Century 21 Sundance)
Lysa Napolitano, Call Coordinator ~ Century 21 Sundance
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