Boats in Bermuda//Fabian

[magnusmurphy]

Does anybody have any info on how boats in Bermuda fared?

I have good friends who embarked on a sailing life in June. They left the East Coast and was going to wait out the hurricane season in Bermuda - something that turned out to be a disastrous choice.

Last I heard from them they anchored the boat with two anchors and tied to some mooring in the main harbor and found shelter on land. I''ve not heard anything since from them.

I''d appreciate any info anybody may have regarding how boats fared. I assume my friends were unharmed but I''m concerned regarding the boat (their home!)... In our newspaper today there was a photo of a moored yacht with a huge breaking wave just off its stern. Not good..

M Murphy

[magnusmurphy]

Im replying to my own message; but anyway I''m happy to report that my friends as well as their boat are fine.

Apparently the only damage is chafe from the spinnaker pole against the mast, and the steering wheel came completely off - but was lying in the cockpit! The dinghy was lashed down well onshore but blew into the bushes - undamaged however. The engine started with the first pull.

THe windgenerator (they apparently didn''t have time to remove it) is still working and in good shape.

They tell me the wind sounded like a jet engine, but at 136mph the island''s windmeter blew away so nobody knows what the max wind was! they describe the emotions they felt when coming around the corner of the cove they were anchored and tied up in and seeing that all three boats there were fine.

Important thing is they''re fine. Not sure how others fared...

M Murphy