It’s been windy here – last week and again this week – sustained winds at 30-35, with higher gusts . But not as windy as in the central Bahamas, which experienced a derecho. That’s an inline wind storm with winds higher than 57 mph; “inline” because it doesn’t skip around like a tornado. Here are two cruisers’ accounts: this horrifying one is from a boat anchored by Staniel Cay, in the mid-Exumas, in the central Bahamas – svneko.com, (if you’ve ever cruised the Exumas, you’ll recognize Thunderball Cave); and this one is from a boat at Royal Island, near Spanish Wells, just south of Abaco – sophiasailing.com.
This is what the last front looked like as it approached us here in Hopetown – when it was still calm.
And then there is Alex, the first hurricane since 1938 to form during the month of January. (Alice formed on Dec. 30, 1954.) Alex achieved hurricane status on January 10, causing damage in the Azores. But it started as an extra tropical storm near the Bahamas on January 7.
Presumably it was the extreme and prolonged rocking of the boat on our mooring due to these wind events that triggered my vertigo, migraine and dizziness; I’ve been incapacitated for a week. Hopefully I’ll be feeling better soon.
SAIL MOTU ITI 