IRENE: MD vs. RI

Forecast for 50+ MPH winds
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

This storm will be massive and we have been looking at this weather for over a week, that is why we have been running for the Chesapeake Bay. We departed Block Island, RI on Tue for a direct run to Cape May, NJ. We then took a lay day in CMNJ. Today, we ran at 2am from Cape May NJ for the Chesapeake Bay 100 miles! We are now nearing the Chesapeake and should be HOME by 3PM today. This will give us time to decide on how much to strip off the boat and to secure her in a nice wide slip at our marina. Then when the storm hits Sat PM we will be off the boat in a hotel room since the winds will be 40-50 knots all night sat pm.

When we compare the winds of the two places we were, Block Island, RI to Chesapeake Bay, MD, you will see we are very lucky to have made this long move. Compare these...


BLOCK ISLAND, RI Forecast:

SAT
 S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP
 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 7 TO 8 FT. SHOWERS...MAINLY IN
 THE AFTERNOON. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING. VSBY 1 TO 3 NM.

 SAT NIGHT
 TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS POSSIBLE WITH HURRICANE
 CONDITIONS ALSO POSSIBLE. E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO
 35 KT...INCREASING TO 30 TO 40 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 KT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. SEAS AROUND 9 FT...BUILDING TO 13 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT.
 SHOWERS. VSBY 1 TO 3 NM.

 SUN
 TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS POSSIBLE. SE WINDS 45 TO 60 KT
 WITH GUSTS UP TO 80 KT. SEAS AROUND 22 FT. SHOWERS. VSBY 1 TO
 3 NM.


-------------------------Compare to Chesapeake------------------

CHESAPEAKE BAY ROCK HALL, MD Forecast:

SAT
 TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS EXPECTED. NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH
 GUSTS TO 25 KT...INCREASING TO 30 TO 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WAVES
 3 FT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS
 LIKELY WITH A CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE AFTERNOON. VSBY 1 NM OR LESS.

 SAT NIGHT
 TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS EXPECTED. NE WINDS 35 TO
 45 KT. WAVES 5 FT...BUILDING TO 7 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. A CHANCE OF
 TSTMS IN THE EVENING. SHOWERS. VSBY 1 NM OR LESS.

 SUN
 TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS POSSIBLE. NW WINDS 30 TO 40 KT...
 DIMINISHING TO 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS TO 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.
 WAVES 6 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. NEAR THE MOUTH OF
 THE PATAPSCO...WAVES AROUND 3 FT. SHOWERS...MAINLY IN THE MORNING
 WITH VSBY 1 NM OR LESS.

----------------------------END COPY------------------

It has been a long hard push, but we will soon be home and we feel that the Chesapeake Bay is more protected than New England. Our issue will be dealing with floods and high tides, especially since we will now be off the boat. Island Spirit has taken such good care of us we hope to do the same for her....