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Health & Fitness

My Bout with Sandy A Captains Tale

The Tale of leaving my home at the Last minute by boat wit no motor

I live on the Barneget  Bay . This area is famous for its sailing and youth programs with many Yacht clubs that fulfill the gap of sailing instruction My house is directly facing North east built this way in hindsight in 1924 ,My house was first lifeguard station on the bay side of Long Beach Island it had many duties to maintaining the railroad Trestle to dismantling it And building the causeway to one of the first resort Areas on the North east .

Long Beach Island  First built for the wealthily Philadelphian  Tycoons of the era .

Ive seen some the worst the Atlantic and the Bay have to offer here. And ive ridden every one of them out .

But Sandy she was different when i saw the left hook she was going to do I knew I needed a plan , My first idea was to document the storms build up which i did day one here out reaching arms started to effect our tides ,The days before Sandy lead to boat storage a mad dash to get all the boats out the water all sizes shapes sail power etc. This would later prove to be one the biggest mistakes with a storm this size .



Nextt secure the home the chairs the grills the patio furniture something most hadn't gotten to yet . Third make sure if you had them pets plan Something I didnt have .

I wrangled every stray cat in my neighborhood with food with nets with sheer Pet whispering charm all the tricks . Put them all in my attic with twenty pounds of food and huge self water dispensers .Eight cats total three kittens and five adults . I have to stop feeding the neighborhood.

Any that siad and done we prepared two go pros on the dock of my house to capture the storm , And i charged my cameras up empty the card and was ready Had water food matches etc . Storm kit for the house and storm kit to get out the house .

Sandy began the day before full moon so the tides had already been high at my home
Wading threw water every high tide all week . Leading to the storm I had installed a new solid core door on my back porch and weather striped it properly. I did the same to my french 12 lite front door and back up door to my main house .

This would latter be a saving grace . Sunday Sandy started I turned the Go pros on and Waiting out in cheat high water cold also but not intolerable. Got them going and returned to my safe perch on my front porch . Taking Shots on incoming slack tide and
High documneting the water s rise . The wind really not a factor yet .

As i watched the Barrier islands in front my house connected to the great marsh cover with the rising Tides I wondered Maybe this is the one that will take the house .
Still snapping away I rode the Night out Of Sandy's first approaching Elements taking shots all night of the tides .



By Mondays sunrise The winds had picked up yet not hurricane winds I rode out HUGo In St thomas . But enough to generate a chop a white chop ,  Still no swell to speak of .
7:00am My project Mako 18 That been waiting for me to fix since we won the cup back was my escape route No motor but a safe foating platform, My 22 had been flipped in a nor easter last year  .

Any way she had started floating with tralior attched and five cinder blocks attacked to her. Floating past the window I thought of well sheel be in the front yard soon But then waking up that your way put better go grab her. I rushed for a line in My mud room nothing , ruched back deck nothing . Running back threw the house I spooted a electric cord And this why you always lasso  rap your cords not over the shoulder crap.

I undid the 1/8 inch line holding it and tired a bolin slip in a amzing noth speed test coiled three wraps and threw for the front cleat . I got it . Days and nights drinking Mount  gay at the Buccaneer in palm beach throwing  Lassos at the pilings had come back to pay off .

That done I pulled boat and trailor to the middle my house in front  retrieved a poly line out the boat because it floats And tied here off my front steps .Ok now for the trailor I cut the trailer  loose and she systematically like having a seeing eye dog retreated into the merky waters back to her original home on the side of my Captains Quarters .

Ok escape plan retrieved back to taking pictures its now 9;00 am . I checked some emails talked to family all screaming out that house . of course me the stubborn saying I will all knowing i wasn't planning on it .  I began to think i should save stuff high i started raising and putting things in the attic . with the cat recuse home, Papers important upstars, Banking records mortgage insurance papers in my Back pack , Laptops in attic except my new mac that was coming with me as well as my pell box ala cannon gear .

I then while still having power Heard shelters where being opened the nearest to me Would be Southern Regional high scholl in Stafford township . 10:am
I hear a truck door I investigate its a News Van shooting in front my house up on high ground . I wave No reply . I take Pictures of no reply .Amazing , 12:00 noon Winds now picking you water rising wave action slamming into my back deck . House shaking Ok it a regular noreasther . I make two impornt to sand bags using kitten litter bags poking holes in this wokrs great by the way . Do the back porch do the frong the staep no covered still not to the deck . Back deck is acting like the bow of a container ship breaking the waves yet absorbing the damage my house would be taking the waves no funnel down the side my house . Mako sitting pretty . I look to the bridge where the road block of LBI Is its manned with cops and town staff . Ok I think where still holding it off .

2;30 pm Monday Answering a Email from Bruno Trouble i had sold a picture in San Franscisco To Louis Vuitton my big break . Funds had arrived from I thanked him . 3:00 loss power . Now im in the
flip a coin go or stay attitude . I pick the go when I see the deck is detaching from the house and I have two inches into the back deck sun room . Winds around 40 45 Gust 55 white capped bay now sheets of pure white out going past windows yea its time to go . Feeling like a Captain must abandoning  my ship my cottage a very hard thing to do . As well as the pets there was no way to get them out .

I called police department advised them my plan load the boat me cameras and backpack Cut the line and let the boat take me with the tide waves and wind . Float to the causeway and seek shelter at the
high school .

Not noticing they had moved the barricade to the bridge a quarter mie away I saw no recue cars on causeway now . I asked if i make it how do get to shelter She replied are you asking for a ride?

I hung up . I called the local Italian deli here Preziosos friends of mine and family Knowing there must be some emergency people around . There were . Your doing what Pete Jr asked Your in Your house You Meatball . Ok well what you doing I explained He said ok there be someone there in five minutes .

Its seemed a hour the longest five minutes  its raining like cut glass I have all my foul weather gear on A inflatable pfd my Cup Jacket Layers on boots  Back pack Pell box im ready . I just make out the waters cresting the front door now . Its at the second window . I check the cats there ll good . A last minute idea I put a bag of food in garbage bag and then insert the bag in a blow up Duck poll life ring I cant mack this shit up and set on my bedroom floor Bag and food in the middle of it . If we make it its just more food for the cats.

Ok Its Go Time . I SEE A BLUE FlASHER SOME 1200 FEET AWAY .Its put up shut up time
I have to go threw a window if i open the door ill let the water in . I do so I stut the window Pell box laptop in hand or back actually .

I try to pull the boat closer Thats not working the water winds howling now waves crashing all over  freight train noise is doing it thing . OK climb on the deck railing and jump . Pell box Back stuffed By the way the New Americas Cup Puma Back pack worked great Shameless plug but I now wish I bought The black water proof Oracle bag for sure The things that go threw your head .

I jump landing with pell box hugging and back back im in . I then take the knife i had placed at the bow cleat cut the line and away we went The boat did a natural short breach and righted it self foward were crusing with the waves and wind . I hit a small fence post bounce off and continue straight for the causeway . We look as thou were gona make it But get caught in a hedgerow of debris The waters over my head here if i get out the boat 200 yard short of higher ground I decide swim for it I get on on the bow and dive forward with my pell box as a floatation devise keeping my Mac out of water i land belly first and start kicking . I kick with a smal fury and even kinda surfed the wave action Body surfing ala pell boggie board . The box scrapes the road I get up im in ankle deep water . I look up there my rescue ride driver standing there wide eyes shaking his head . Holy shit are you Nuts he says .
Yes I cant ague with that I say Whats in the box he asks I say My Life lively hood hardrives and every Picture Ive ever taken of the Vuitton the America's Cup World series ever venue Etc.

He says i wish I had a camera to film that that was amazing I say yea all in a days Hurricane lolo.
And with that we leave my home my vessel  my pets and Head to The Shelter . One Note On returning the Day after I walked in five miles The lMako was found across the bay parked in front my friends house on the front side of the house like it just got delivered there . Amazing to say the least .

More on Day two shelters and getting back in to come .

Orginally posted on my America's Cup Blog 

http://acworldseries.blogspot.com/2012/11/hurricane-sandy-update-my-bout...

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