If you look just below the eye of the storm and then a little to the left you will see a small green circle which marks the city of Whangarei where I have resided since 1974. I have lived through some big storms since the 1970's here in the north - but this one is the biggest yet. We haven't seen a revolving storm that is half the size of Australia - ever.
As I type this every rain drop from a torrential sky is bloated to swimming pool size and the howling wind is blowing dogs off chains. We have been enduring this for two days now.
Worst of all - tomorrows sailing at the Onerahi Yacht Club will no doubt be cancelled because of the storm force winds. (Speaking existentially, this is hard stuff to endure for a skipper with a new OK Dinghy who wears socks festooned with pictures of boats and who wants to strut his sailing stuff ).
The Australians have a whimsical song, the first line of which is: "Tie me kangaroo down sport, tie me kangaroo down ............."
In Northland we have a serious song, one that goes like this: Tie me F---ing house down Bro, tie me F---ing house down .............
Today the Met office forecast is that the worst is yet to come - a tsunami of water from the sky and 60 - 70 knot winds - yikes!!
9 comments:
Take care matey... :o(
Thanks Steve. Despite a couple of days and nights of biblical amounts of water (Think Noah) and screeching wind (Beaufort Force 8+) our house did not blow away and the land the house is on did not turn into a mud slide - But this is not the case with other people in Northland and the East Coast of New Zealand who are now homeless and whose land is covered in avalanches of mud and debris - and the death toll rises each day. It is going to take quite a lot for NZ to come back from all of this.
Been away south, racing Moths, but I hope you and yours made it through in good shape.
Thanks George - yes we made it through in good shape - just. About a stones throw from our house a section of road was blocked by a landslip which has compromised the house above the slip. It took about a week or more to clear the earth, trees and other debris and open the road again. We are certainly living in interesting times regarding the weather. BUT, life still holds good things - my new OK Dinghy sail arrived from North Sails today AND it's the OYC champs tomorrow! The new sail has its luff cut to the mast bend numbers of my new CTech carbon fibre mast, so I am expecting to smoke the opposition........ who would say "In your dreams old man" They might be correct, but dreams are free.
Great to hear you have been Moth sailing down south - in a crazy world, sailing is always a happy place to be.
Fair winds in the OYC champs, and may all your starts be on starboard at the favoured end of the line, and on the gun.. :o))
Thanks very much Steve. Yes, cracking the start is one of the key parts of winning races - I have sharpened my elbows and hungry start line stare. Forecast is for 10 knots plus - great!!
.......Post Scrip: There were 4 races of the proposed 6 races sailed for the OYC Champs. The wind was pretty fresh with some sustained squalls of 25 knots coming through all day with a few boats retiring. We were all relieved when the plug was pulled on the last two races. I scored a couple of firsts and a couple of minor placings in a mixed handicap fleet - we are awaiting the overall results.
Sailing in high winds doesn't get any easier as you get older and I was pretty much at my coping limit all day, but survived without any capsizes, always a bonus.
Coming home (fairly) dry always bonus... :o))
Yes, I didn't have the total immersion that comes with a capsize which was certainly a bonus - but still wet, but happy!
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