Derecho - we are fine

Well here we are in the midst of a record breaking heat wave anchored out in Washington Channel. We arrived on June 22nd hoping to find a nice spot to anchor before the boats start arriving for the 4th of July. We have a nice spot with a great view of the Washington Monument. The temps had been high as we traveled up the Potomac with the heat index over 100 degrees and continued to rise after we arrived.  On Sat. we had a great dinner with our DC/VA kids all who have June birthdays as does John. By Tuesday we finished applying the final coat of Cetol gloss to our brightwork and began to remove tape and replace the stainless pieces that we removed for the work. It looks so much better.

This past Friday June 29th the heat was intense and registered a record of 104 degrees at National Airport quite close to where we are anchored. We had heard there may be some t-storms during the evening so we made sure we were back on Spunky by early afternoon. Around 8 pm or so Mike, our son who lives in Ashburn, VA west of DC, sent us a text warning that he had heard of a line of storms heading east that were pretty strong. We pulled up radar and started watching the long wide line of reds and yellows move east. While we were waiting we let out more anchor rode (line/chain) so our anchor would have a better chance to hold. We tied down anything loose on deck and closed up all of our hatches and ports. Then we waited. We ask Mike to text us when it hit Ashburn, VA. He sent a text that winds were very high and scary. We had our VHF on and there were consistent warnings of a line of high winds approaching.

Then it hit. We rode out 60 mph winds in Marsh Harbor, Abacos last winter, but this was somewhat different. Spunky laid way over. We put the engine on as a backup if our Rocna 73 lb. anchor did not hold us in place (although a friend said it could hold the Queen Mary). I tried to get our Tacktick wind speed guage up and running but it took a few minutes or more while everything else was going on around us. By the time I got it turned on it only registered 44 mph. National Airport registered 70 mph so we assume we were higher at the beginning of the storm. The rains followed and poured down on us so we could not see too well. It was dark but there was lightening all around us with loud claps of thunder and we watched the 40 ft. sail boat anchored just in front of us start dragging down toward us. John pulled out our horn so we could warn them if they got close. Fortunately their anchor finally held and they stopped short of us. The storm moved through very quickly and we sat up past midnight watching the remaining lightening. The next morning the boat that dragged pulled up their anchor and anchored back in their original spot.

Today we hear that a Derecho is a rare event and we should not see one again for some time. Folks are saying that it hit with no warning but we had Mike watching the weather and had ample warning to prepare. Over 1 million folks in this area are without power and the heat continues to be oppressive. Lots of homes are without a/c. We live without a/c so we are hot but more used to it. Several metro stations were closed over the weekend without power. The power companies are saying it will be Friday before they have 90% of repairs completed. We rode to Pentagon City Mall on Saturday to buy a new US flag as ours was shredded in the storm.

The weather reports are for above average temps for the current week coupled with high humidity it feels like it is in the 100's. We will be here to visit with our Kansas kids who arrived in DC today for their vacation and we plan to depart on Saturday or Sunday to return to Annapolis.

Hope those of you in the area are safe. Check in and let us know how you did in the storm.