Thursday, November 14, 2019

Titusville - High winds coming

Looks nice and secure, snuggled against the docks
As much as I like Titusville Marina, it does have an Achilles Heel - it's open to an east wind. There's a good amount of fetch from across the Indian River and the waves will roll right into the marina when the wind is right. Some docks are better than others such as "A" dock, followed by "B" dock with 'C" dock being the worst. "D" dock is a little better. The docks are fixed, which is fine since there is no tide here but you do have to be careful in setting your fenders. If at all possible, you would like a dock with the finger on the east side of your boat so an east will push you away from the dock. However, those docks are usually the first ones to go.

However, watch out for waves coming through the harbor entrance with an east wind
We are secure here on "A" dock and the slip tucked up on the end behind two huge powerboats. They shield us from the worst of the winds and waves and by being on "A" dock, we are at a good angle to the opening to the harbor, an east wind is away from us, not into us. It is still a very good idea to have one of these inflatable fenders. They are worth their weight in gold when the wind pipes up and you find yourself too close to a dock you cannot leave. I carry one on board for high wind days or when I leave Fleetwing for an extended period of time, you can never be too safe. Uninflated, it tucks away nicely in a cockpit locker.

Why the concern about high winds? Well, there's a front due here on Saturday and Sunday with winds predicted in the 30 kt range with higher gusts, oh well, more wind...

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