12 DECEMBER - POST # 32 - EASTERLY WINDS !!!
29 NOVEMBER Big Port of Siuslaw "Open to the public meeting"... wherein the Port district is seeking to find purpose, direction, and a better reputation by inviting the general public in to solve problems, give input, and guidance . . . really ?
We went, (prepared to discuss the issues affecting us here in the Boat Harbor), but the meeting was laid out as a regular board-centric ego meeting, (not even as a Town Hall Meeting, with a 5 minute limit and a sign-in to speak, speakers faced the board (not the crowd), a board-run gestapo hearing, and overwhelmed with city dwellers with homes, lawns, with their "I stop by the boardwalk once or twice a year" experiences and insights, so, we shut up, and listened (and managed to stay awake), and be polite enough to stay 'till the end, I passed when our name came up to speak, my subjects were way too intense for "this" crowd.
Sadly, this POS bunch could be on a sinking ship at sea taking on water, and would rather assemble all hands in the galley for a Chaplains sermon on "Oh woe is us, God help us prayer" than to assemble everyone into a bucket brigade and concentrate on the source of the problem . . . for a fix.
5 DECEMBER, 31/33 degree nights , frozen dock surface, and frost on the decks ! clear, very sunny days at 55, Easterlies blowing, with ten days in a row predicted.
12 DECEMBER, 7 days into a 12 day clear East wind weather pattern and Learning about the Florence winter, which is far different than the Winchester Bay winter and perplexing, here, the winds have been Easterly to East/South East just like 10 degrees off due East (so far) at a "constant" 6-10 MPH loading, and gusts to 12-16.
We are knowingly, and by intention, tied in the most animated dock space in this harbor . . . we face our bow due East, so, the wind hits our Starboard bow on a sharp angle that kicks us away from the dock, these gusts push us to-fro, plus, being on the open end of the pier, the river flow splits on the dock-end and angle-cuts across our bow as well. End result is a constant rolling churn, mild, but it is there 24 hours a day, during the pre-dawn winds 'with" the tidal flow, that becomes an extreme churn with a hard sideways lurch.
At Winchester Bay the winds were always from the North or Northwest, we faced West and were always pushed sideways into the dock... very stable and reliable. We expected those North winds to be here at Florence, pushing us up against the dock . . . not so, here in winter.
This night-time circular yaw and dipping yaw action is noisy on the cleats, and so extreme that the cats can get sea sick and vomit, no sleeping (deep) through that 0200-0555 time frame, and it all is potentially rough on the boat and dock fittings as well. Looking at the annual weather charts these Easterlies are not normal... so, we wait for the normal Northern Winter winds to arrive.
All spring/summer/fall here in port there is always a constant 5 mph to 10 mph wind 24/7, yet, up on shore in town, there is no wind. Rarely did Winchester Bay exhibit a "current", here we live in a constant active and fast flow-by, so, you really cannot compare these two harbors, they are VERY different.
Upcoming on the 20th is the second "light-up" for the 22 December Port of Siuslaw boat light contest and judging here in the Port, we tore down the last display and are redoing the next show with a lot of different stuff, but, being out working on deck in this chilling wind is brutal, there is a 3 hour work envelope of tolerance daily, so, things move very slow.
Be sure to stop back on the 23rd for an update and pix.
We went, (prepared to discuss the issues affecting us here in the Boat Harbor), but the meeting was laid out as a regular board-centric ego meeting, (not even as a Town Hall Meeting, with a 5 minute limit and a sign-in to speak, speakers faced the board (not the crowd), a board-run gestapo hearing, and overwhelmed with city dwellers with homes, lawns, with their "I stop by the boardwalk once or twice a year" experiences and insights, so, we shut up, and listened (and managed to stay awake), and be polite enough to stay 'till the end, I passed when our name came up to speak, my subjects were way too intense for "this" crowd.
Sadly, this POS bunch could be on a sinking ship at sea taking on water, and would rather assemble all hands in the galley for a Chaplains sermon on "Oh woe is us, God help us prayer" than to assemble everyone into a bucket brigade and concentrate on the source of the problem . . . for a fix.
5 DECEMBER, 31/33 degree nights , frozen dock surface, and frost on the decks ! clear, very sunny days at 55, Easterlies blowing, with ten days in a row predicted.
12 DECEMBER, 7 days into a 12 day clear East wind weather pattern and Learning about the Florence winter, which is far different than the Winchester Bay winter and perplexing, here, the winds have been Easterly to East/South East just like 10 degrees off due East (so far) at a "constant" 6-10 MPH loading, and gusts to 12-16.
We are knowingly, and by intention, tied in the most animated dock space in this harbor . . . we face our bow due East, so, the wind hits our Starboard bow on a sharp angle that kicks us away from the dock, these gusts push us to-fro, plus, being on the open end of the pier, the river flow splits on the dock-end and angle-cuts across our bow as well. End result is a constant rolling churn, mild, but it is there 24 hours a day, during the pre-dawn winds 'with" the tidal flow, that becomes an extreme churn with a hard sideways lurch.
At Winchester Bay the winds were always from the North or Northwest, we faced West and were always pushed sideways into the dock... very stable and reliable. We expected those North winds to be here at Florence, pushing us up against the dock . . . not so, here in winter.
This night-time circular yaw and dipping yaw action is noisy on the cleats, and so extreme that the cats can get sea sick and vomit, no sleeping (deep) through that 0200-0555 time frame, and it all is potentially rough on the boat and dock fittings as well. Looking at the annual weather charts these Easterlies are not normal... so, we wait for the normal Northern Winter winds to arrive.
All spring/summer/fall here in port there is always a constant 5 mph to 10 mph wind 24/7, yet, up on shore in town, there is no wind. Rarely did Winchester Bay exhibit a "current", here we live in a constant active and fast flow-by, so, you really cannot compare these two harbors, they are VERY different.
Upcoming on the 20th is the second "light-up" for the 22 December Port of Siuslaw boat light contest and judging here in the Port, we tore down the last display and are redoing the next show with a lot of different stuff, but, being out working on deck in this chilling wind is brutal, there is a 3 hour work envelope of tolerance daily, so, things move very slow.
Be sure to stop back on the 23rd for an update and pix.