Rita No.7

11:59 CST, Galveston, Texas

Welcome, Michelle Malkin visitors!

Stripping the boat.

Working steadily since my 04:00 wake up, I've reduced the windage topsides to a bare minimum.  Gone are the sails, the flagstaff, and the many gasket-coiled lines which festooned the taffrail.  All safely stowed in various havens aboard ship.  The bulky sails, to find a shelter ashore with a trusted neighbor and businessman.

Such is the harshness of the extra salty Gulf of Mexico, that I had to employ the rigger's tool of last resort to free the galvanized wire which serves as the main'sl halyard.  Bolt & wire cutters are not a luxury on a sailboat, but a necessity.  When dismasted at sea, one's speed and deftness of blade with the jaws of those cutters can make the difference between life and a wet, miserable death.  Today's use was less urgent perhaps, but just as vital to the odds of the New Dawn having a chance against the storm.

Good news on the radio as I'm typing this....   an announcement that the projected landfall for Rita has been moved twenty-five miles south and west, further down the coast from the mouth of Galveston Bay.  Dear Lord, please...another twenty-five miles, and the New Dawn may well bear the winds and ride the surge; even if barely.......and for me, barely will be blessely, enough.

Go away, Rita!  I can fix a damaged boat.  I cannot raise her from the dead.

Keeping on a positive note, the shop completed repairs on my car a while ago, and I'm now autonomously mobile once more.  One less statistic for the whiners to blame on Bush.  The problem was a defective thermostat and a blown upper hose.  Fixed, but with the towing, a painful bite of $180 out of the dwindling kitty.

What's next is process management.  I have four good steaks on board to process, and I intend to manage so doing.  Everything in the fridge is a "use it or lose it" proposition.  Those steaks, once cooked, will go into the ice chest to accompany me on the road.  I don't think it'll be a wasted effort.

I'll put all the other foods that I can't use, out on the peninsula for the semi-friendly feral cats.  They're used to only recieving a meager ration in the morning, having to fend for themselves at dark.  That they do that well is evidenced by the complete lack of mice, rats or or other such vermin around the marina.  Damn shame they're not effective on the two legged species of rat, but that's a story for another day.  Sadly, these may be their last meals.  I hope to make it a thing of wonder for them.

After lunch, I'll be systematically loading the car to it's maximum capacity.  Papers, clothes, minimal survival cookware.  My laptop.  Guns and ammunition.  All of it.

And of course, my two liveaboard cats. 

Harley, on my lap at the helm.  Fall, 2001.

Ariel and Harley, sister and brother...littermates.  They turned ten years old, this spring.

I would cut off my arm before I abandoned those two.

The impact of Rita is overwhelming, even days before her arrival.  The island is a ghost-town, yet is the scene of frentic activity as the lategoers hastily board up, buy up, load up and go.  Much hustle, and I'm sure, some hustling, but I've not the time to race the rats around town.

I realized just how harsh this mistress of wind is, when at dawn I struck-down the ship's colors from the top halyard.  At that moment, I knew I might be quite literally, ending the journey that has been the New Dawn.

A twenty inch by thirty inch United States Flag lies folded in a small triangle, in the side-pocket of my shooter's range bag. 

It's folds are salted with the tears of the Captian of the Sloop New Dawn.

Comments

[Sam]

Stay safe...

[Randy]

Good luck and Godspeed

[geekWithA.45]

Aw, damnit Jim, I hadda hide tears too.

If you have time, remember to document her pre-storm condition with a digicam for the insurance company. That might prevent some headaches down the road.

Godspeed.

[Caimlas]

Fare thee well, Jim. May your rigging hold firm, and the tide stay low.

Here's to me coming down and visiting you on the New Dawn at some indefinate time in the future.

Godspeed.

[S. Clark]

Prayin' for ya!!

Good luck and Godspeed. Safe driving, and hope to hear from you soon

Stu Clark

[geekWithA.45]

Aw, damnit Jim, I hadda hide tears too.

If you have time, remember to document her pre-storm condition with a digicam for the insurance company. That might prevent some headaches down the road.

Godspeed.

[Moriarty]

Jim, I wouldn't know a halyard from a cleat, but from the high Sierra our thoughts and prayers ride with you, the fur people and your boat.

To better days.

[CitizenGrim]

Someday I hope to have a boat all my own.

In the meantime - you, sir, stay safe!
Thoughts and prayers for the safety of all Texans at the mercy of the tempest.

On the bright side, it could be worse.

You could be in disaster-alley: California.

[CitizenGrim]

One other question: is it possible to sail south down towards the Yucatan and dodging the storm altogether, or is that an even greater risk?

[MK]

Safe journey my friend. Give Harley and Ariel nose rubs from me and know you are all in our prayers that your flag will fly over the New Dawn again soon!

[Omnibus Driver]

Godspeed, Jim. I'll be praying for you and the Sloop New Dawn.

[foreign devil]

Harley is cool! We're watching with you here in Toronto. Stay safe and keep the kitties dry!

[PJ]

Have a safe journey - I hope it leads you all home again (home being the New Dawn, of course).

[MiddleAgedKen]

Good luck and Godspeed, Jim.

[Dave Smith]

Prayers and well wishes for you and your cats. Godspeed Jim, and Godspeed New Dawn.

[Tammy]

Jim , Be careful and be safe ...Thinking South here , will keep you in my prayers .

[georgia]

I've read the Rita post Looking forward to more Hope the drive north isn't to bad. I called A-man. I too hope that it visits someone else. Sorry about the Ford thing. Luv ya Ga and Rick

[LC Wil]

God be with ye, from a forever lurker.

My prayers go with you. Now, HAUL ASS! This is already the 5th nastiest hurricane on record. Move yer butt. Life is precious, and all else is small shit.

[Tully]

Good luck and God Bless.