Tracking Dean - Our first hurricane experience

On Wednesday, August 15, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. we commenced tracking and recording the tropical revolving storm, "Dean". At that time Dean's classification was that of a tropical storm, moving in a W-NW direction at a speed of 19 knots. Maximum sustained wind speed was 55, gusting to 65 knots, with a barometric pressure reading of 994 millibars. Dean's position at that time was to our northeast - 13.1 degrees North, 47.9 degrees West.
We continued to monitor Dean as it tracked westward (280 degrees). Dean's continual westward track was a great concern to all in Trinidad. The worry being that it may take a dip southward which would put us in its path.
At 5 a.m. on Thursday, August 16th, 2007 with winds of 65 gusting to 80 knots Dean became a category 1 hurricane. Position 13.4 degrees North, 52.3 degrees West.
At 8 p.m. on the same day it reached category 2 status exhibiting 100 + mile per hour sustained winds - Position 14.0 degrees North, 57.8 degrees West.
We were thankful that our single side band radio allowed us access to this crucial weather information every 2 hours.
By 9 a.m. on Friday, August 17th, 2007 Dean passed west of our longtitude and crossed the south end of Martinique (240 nautical miles north of our position).
The National Hurricane Centre reported Dean had reached category 3 status by 2 p.m. on Friday - 32 foot seas were recorded as the pressure dropped to 961 millibars (28.38"). The maximum sustained wind speed was 110-115 knots. Dean's position at that time was 14.8 degrees North, 63.6 degrees West as it continued to strengthen on its westward trek at a speed of 19 knots.
By 5 a.m. on Saturday, August 18th, 2007 Dean was category 4. Its location was 15.1 degrees North, 67.3 degrees West, travelling westward (275 degrees) at 15 knots. The barometric pressure had dropped further to 930 millibars, maximum sustained wind speed 130 gusting to 160 knots. The eye was reported to be 15 nautical miles in diameter.
By Sunday night at 7 p.m., August 19th, Dean's eye passed 20 miles south of Jamaica at category 5 status. Winds of l72.6 miles per hour were recorded at the airport in Kingston, pressure 926 millibars, seas an astonishing 55 feet (ll second interval) and still it carried on westward to leave a path of destruction in the Yucatan Penninsula.
Our encounter with Dean amounted to laying battened down on anchor, with 20 other boats in Scotland Bay, awaiting feeder bands. Dean was drawing air to fuel itself and thereby causing strong winds up to 300 miles around it (well within our range). We thankfully just encountered winds that gusted up to 30 knots over a 12 hour period and witnessed a lightning show like none we had ever seen before.
The Chaguaramas area was in turmoil as the winds swung from the usual east direction to west, southwest, then south. The Chaguaramas marinas offer no protection from those directions and are completely open to the large fetch from the Gulf of Paria.
Our first hurricane experience, Dean, was the 9th largest hurricane in recorded history.

Riding the ITCZ - Tropical weather - it's a HOT topic!!

The ITCZ (Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone) is the boundary in the tropical Atlantic where the northeasterly trade winds of the North Atlantic meet or converge with the southeasterly trade winds of the South Atlantic.
It can be either a broad or narrow area of unstable weather often with moderate to strong convection activity. These unstable conditions are caused by the surface winds rising to the mid and upper atmospheric levels as they converge.
During the hurricane season, the ITCZ is usually located between 9 degrees North and 12 degrees North. During August and September the ITCZ often affects the Trinidad and Tobago area (10 degrees North).
As part of Eric's weather report each morning the position of the ITCZ is given as it requires careful monitoring, not only as to its proximity to tropical waves, but also for its location in relation to Trinidad because of the strong storm cells it often contains.
If a tropical wave with strong convection activity at both lower and mid level altitudes interacts with the ITCZ, the ITCZ, with northeast trade winds to the north and southeast trade winds to the south, tends to act as a catalyst and causes the wave to begin to spin and trigger the formation of a circulatory system. The process is aided by the anti-clockwise rotation force imparted by the "coriolis effect" in the Northern Hemisphere.

Market Day - Port of Spain

One of the weekly tour outings offered by "Members only maxi-taxi tours" in Chaguaramas is to the market in Port of Spain.
Encompassed in the one market area we found the meat market, the fish market and the fruit and vegetable market, along with spices and flowers.
We picked up fresh local produce (bananas, pineapple, cauliflower, corn) along with a pound of 5" fresh shrimp ($4.00 Cdn per lb)and a bouquet of antheriums.
We enjoyed this very informative and interesting outing.
Pictured here, for sale in the market, are live blue crabs, fresh local spices and seasoning peppers.

Scotland Bay - It's a jungle out there !!

Each day on anchor in Scotland Bay's fiord like jungle setting we feel as if we are in the middle of the sound stage for the Jurassic Park movie. Our guide book tells us we will awaken to the sound of monkeys and parrots. It says nothing about the roar being so loud we will feel for certain there are dinosaurs in the surrounding jungle.
The condition of the water in Scotland Bay allows us an occasional dip which is not possible in Chaguaramas Bay due to the "oil slicked" surface there.
Scotland Bay offers us an escape from the heat and commotion of Chaguaramas. Though we enjoy the use of the services Chaguaramas offers we are grateful to spend quiet time in search of sea turtles, birds and monkeys, as we view the ever shifting mist on the lush green jungle hills that surround Scotland Bay.

Located in the midst of Chaguaramas National Park is Chaguaramas Bay, home to numerous marinas, boat yards, a large, busy fishing fleet and huge commercial operations (freighters, oil rigs etc).
Our investigation of 8 of the marinas showed the vast array of services available:
Travel lifts for haul-out can handle from 15 - 200 tons. The marinas are equipped for super yachts, mono and multi-hulls. They offer safe, secure storage (storage space is available for 1,000 boats on the hard). There is easy access to marine parts, skilled labour and services as well as all forms of communication and provisioning.
Most yachts use Chaguaramas as their base for yacht services. The area offers many chandleries, sail makers, rigging and technical yacht services (everything from carpentry to refrigeration). Every service imaginable is available, even a tour operator. Since cruisers, who are transient by nature, find themselves positioned in Trinidad for a few months time waiting out the hurricane season, the opportunity is over-whelming to undertake some of these every present projects. If all goes well we hope to leave Trinidad with some new canvas work, sail repairs, a new VHF radio and an item or two from our wish list.
We are dividing our time, during this rainy season in Trinidad, between the mooring field in the busy, working harbour in Chaguaramas Bay and the quiet tranquility of the anchorage in Scotland Bay.

International Yachting Community

As the yachting community amass in Grenada and Trinidad to wait out the hurricane season we are offered an interesting over-view of the group as a whole.
Several features have become obvious:
1) We've shrunk! Our 35 foot sloop that seemed adequate when we left the Great Lakes has now become one of (if not) the smallest boats in the bay. Most yachts we encounter are on average 45-50 feet; mega-yachts are in abundance, many 65 plus feet. Approximately a third of the yachts are catamarans.
2) The Americans are not here or are at least keeping a very low profile. We note a disproportionate number of foreign flagged vessels in relationship to Americans, in fact it is a rarity to see the stars and stripes flying.
3) South African vessels abound. We have witnessed and been informed that one of the only methods possible to get funds out of South Africa or Zimbabwe is to put one's money in to the construction of a yacht and sail it away.
4) The European community and Britain is very well represented. Some of the flags we've seen so far are from - France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, the European community flag, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, Australia, Bimini (the Marshall Islands), Bikini (the Marshall Islands), Hawaii and the United States, Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Newfoundland and Canada, the Fleur de lei, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom.
We are truly in an international community!

Trinidad

July 30th, 2007 was a great day for us.
We succeeded in tracking down the very special package that our daughter Susan mailed to us in Grenada before we set sail in perfect conditions at 1400 hours for Trinidad. With the full moon guiding us over-head we travelled in the company of our "Brit" friend Neal on Dream Chaser. The sun rise greeted us as we made landfall.
On route we passed the very well illuminated "Hibiscus" gas rig and on our approach to Trinidad we could not mistake the smell of oil.
Our decision to travel south of Grenada was solely grounded in the fact that Trinidad lay out of the Atlantic hurricane belt. We gave great consideration to this decision and undertook the implementation of additional safety and security measures, as was advised by fellow cruisers.

A Lesson in Tropical Weather

A Tropical Wave is a shallow tropical low-pressure system (trough) that normally moves east to west (imbedded in the trade wind flow). Ahead of the wave, the wind is generally northeast and behind the wave it becomes southeast. On average, the waves occur every 3 to 5 days during the tropical hurricane season (June to November). Rain squalls and gusty winds to 45 knots occur as the wave passes.

A Tropical Disturbance has a slight rotary circulation with no closed isobars. There are no strong winds associated with a tropical disturbance.

A Tropical Depression has rotary circulation at the surface with several closed isobars. Winds range up to 34 knots (39 mph).

A Tropical Storm has distinct circulation with many closed isobars. Constant winds range from 34 to 63 knots (39-73 mph).

A Hurricane (Tropical Revolving Storm) has a pronounced rotary circulation with sustained winds exceeding 64 knots (74 mph). A "typical" hurricane starts in the doldrums around 10 degrees north and 30 degrees north to 50 degrees west. It moves in a west-north-west direction, and then veers more northwest gradually curving to north and northeast as it reaches 30 degrees north. Spawning areas for hurricanes include the western Caribbean especially for early (June) and late (October and November) season hurricanes. Midseason hurricanes usually begin in the southern North Atlantic, west of the Cape Verde Islands.
Hurricanes are rated into five categories based upon the strength of the sustained winds as described below:
Hurricane Category 1 Wind Speed in MPH 74-95 Storm Surge 4-5 feet
Hurricane Category 2 Wind Speed in MPH 96-ll0 Storm Surge 6-8 feet
Hurricane Category 3 Wind Speed in MPH 110-130 Storm Surge 9-12 feet
Hurricane Category 4 Wind Speed in MPH 130-155 Storm Surge 13-l8 feet
Hurricane Category 5 Wind Speed in MPH l55 plus Storm Surge 18 plus feet

Tropical Waves

The first time we heard mention of a tropical wave was while listening to Chris Parker's weather forecast on May 24th, 2007 as we lay on anchor off the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Thomas.
Unfortunately, we have now become accustomed to monitoring the progress of the numerous waves that constantly "pop-up" off Africa's coast.
Our weather resources, on the single side band radio, continue to be Chris Parker and N.O.A.A. (National Oceanagraphic & Aeronautical Administration). As well, each morning, we also listen to Eric, who is based here in Trinidad. We collect weather information from the cruiser's net on our VHF radio (Trinidad & Grenada) and follow on-line (when possible) Dr. Jeff Masters Wunderblog on the Weather Underground web-site (www.weatherunderground.com).
During our 6 weeks in Grenada the increased frequency and severity of the waves, as well as Eric's warning each morning that we were over-due for severe weather, had us reconsider our decision to spend the hurricane season there. The message was loud and clear at the hurricane preparedness seminar we attended. The option of "leaving and avoiding" was unquestionably the best choice.
On July 30th we made our way to Trinidad which lies primarily outside the Atlantic hurricane belt.

Grenada - Southcoast anchorages

We spent 6 weeks enjoying the safe, comfortable and convenient anchorages on Grenada's south coast. The majority of our time we were in Prickly Bay where we enjoyed swimming off the beach that fronted the beautiful Calabash hotel, as well as "sun-downers" at their beach bar.
A nightly "happy hour" offered at the Prickly Bay tiki-bar made it an excellent place for locals and cruisers of all ages to gather for dinner or drinks. As an added treat, on Friday nights, a band entertained for the evening. We continue to enjoy the company of many new friends we met there.
The southcoast area offered the convenience of many nearby chandleries, marinas, haul-out and repair facilities, as well as access to very inexpensive and amazingly excellent bus service to the markets (fish, meat, fruit/vegetables, spice), malls, grocery stores and the rest of the island.
We enjoyed the ease of availability to Grenada's wealth of resources, the cruiser's net that operates daily and the locals welcoming friendliness.
Grenada's commitment to the tourist industry is evident by the surge in commercial growth the island is experiencing.