Big Wind, Big Trouble

     "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then."
                                                                  -Bob Seger




     Every winter those of us who live in regions that enjoy four seasons deal with the odd "snow day"-  a day when the weather is too inhospitable, or the snow just plain too deep, to go to work or school.  Inconvenient, but it can be kinda fun, with a fire in the fireplace and a hot buttered rum and a good book close to hand.

    Today was the first time I'd ever experienced a "wind day".
    It wasn't fun.

    At 0 Dark:30 this morning I woke to flapping windows and pitch darkness.  No power.
     "I'm pretty sure I paid the bill," methinks, so me looks out the window-  no streetlights.  Okay, it's NOT just us.

    Luckily, I have flashlights.
    Okay, no power, no problem.
    Until I stumble to the kitchen to start the coffeemaker.  The ELECTRIC coffeemaker.
    Problem.
    Note to self:  do NOT leave stove top coffee perk on boat at end of season anymore.
    Right then, tea it is.
   "The coffee dilemma and my apparent lack of preparedness has the bones for a good blog post," thinks I, as I sit down to my keyboard and...  right, no power.
    Crap.
    Remember Battery Day at stately Jones manor?  Guess who forgot that two of the radios in the house are DC powered.  Further guess who forgot to install new batteries in aforementioned radios.
     Guess who went for a drive just to listen to the car radio and find out the power outage details.

     It wasn't an easy drive.

     We have had almost a week of steady rain which has made our sandy soil very wet and very loose.  Add winds in excess of 50 knots, and...

Whoa!!!!

    There are hundreds of trees down thoughout the area, with remarkably little damage.  It seems that given a choice between landing on power lines or crashing through the roof of a house, the trees opt for death by electrocution.
 
    Since I'm out driving aimlessly anyway, I figure it might be a good idea to check on the boats and the marina.  There is no power in Port Dover.  The marina gate is electric.  Hence, I cannot get into the marina.  The view from the street, however, is gutwrenching:

Ouch.

     Back in March, I took these pictures for future use in a post about imaginative, inelegant, humourous, but effective fixes.  Check out the amount of lumber supporting the aft end:

    Today, it doesn't seem so humourous.

   The marina staff was already hard at work righting boats, or preventing them from getting any more unright.

        I drove the short distance to the Bridge Yachts yard, where Whiskeyjack  and Legacy spend the winter, wondering what I would find.  By and large all the boats in the yard came through unscathed.  Some flapping shrinkwrap here and there, and Legacy decided to cast off her winter tarps,

 
   but otherwise, nothing to report.  Ah, it was time for me to start varnishing her anyway.

     The wind has started to die down, and power is slowly being restored throughout the area.  I finally have working wi-fi and a cup of hot coffee in my hand, so the heart palpitations and shaky hands should start to ease.
    It's interesting that I am able to live quite comfortably and contentedly all season on a boat with no shorepower, but feel all sorts of cranky with no power on the dirt.  Or maybe "interesting" isn't the right word.

Pathetic? Yeah, that might be more accurate.


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