What a day and night! We woke on Saturday morning to strengthening winds. Svein quickly went off to the baker for bread and then parked the car on the far side of the harbour (away from the spray). Mike (Eagle’s Nest) rang us from Athens and said that he would arrange for the car to be washed as the sea recks havoc with the paintwork. We then sat and waited. Sure enough the wind levels rose and by midday we were in a constant waterfall. The water was pouring over the breakwater and into the harbour.It was impossible to stand on the quay. Svein managed to move the bicycles (that we had left on the quay) to a safer spot but not without great difficulty. We bunkered down in the boat and watched everything from the doghouse and tried to record events through the windows. The catamaran that had arrived Friday evening moved over to the south side alongside. Mid afternoon the gullet still moored on the south side dragged its 3 anchors and moved over to raft to the ferry. Shortly after its arrival the aft moorings on the ferry broke and she swung out into the harbour held only by her front mooring lines. By this time the wind was somewhere round 11 Beaufort (we could not check as it was impossible to get into the cockpit) and against all odds the ferry started its engines and came alongside the quay again. Stronger ropes were put out but on waking up this morning we saw that they had again changed the ropes during the night for even stronger ones. The wind continued at this strength all night and at the moment is still blowing strongly although there is less spray coming over the wall at the moment.
Lamp posts have lost their lights, electricity posts have been ripped out, stones and rocks have come over the wall and the two barges moored at the entrance to the harbour have broken their moorings and gone aground on the beach. As we write they are firing lines from the shore onto the barges to try and free them.
Unfortunately we have also faired badly. We have lost the wind generator, the radar has been severely damaged and the targa system holding the solar panels and dinghy has been badly twisted. Physically we are fine if a little cold as the electricity went off and we woke up this morning to 6 degrees in the boat. We hope the pictures will give you all some idea of what we experienced and must admit hope never to have to go through it again.
Men kära söta vilket oväder ni varit med om! Låter fruktansvärt….och ser verkligen hemskt ut på bilderna!
Tråkigt att utrustning på båten blivit förstört men mycket glad att ni båda är oskadda. Hoppas ni får lite lugn och ro nu! Tänker på er.
Kram från Lisa
Det var litt av en historie. Håper været har lagt seg og at det går greit å utbedre alle skadene. Good luck, vi tenker på dere her oppe i nord ;))
Hilsen Reidunn og Arne
Hei igjen.
Hvordan går det med dere?? Vi var i Tønsberg i helgen og der traff vi Frode og Tulla, husker dere de?? Han var kaptein på den norske båten Stavros. De har det bare bra og nå skulle de inn og lese her de også. Jeg lurer på om dere ser disse meldingene, kan dere bare gi meg en liten tilbakemelding hadde det vært fint.
Mange hilsener fra Reidunn