The wind-driven storm surge from Hurricane Helene brought about a foot of muddy water into the Sailing Center building but overall damage was not too bad. Our boats were not hurt, we just lost some tools, supplies, and documents that were too close to the ground. We picked up the pieces and were carrying on as usual when Hurricane Milton came along.
The water came up quite a bit higher in Milton, removing our 420’s from their trailers and smashing them into the Optimist Prams and Minifish, which then floated into the Sunfish rack, freeing all of them and sending them into the Laser rack and then the whole jumble of boats fetched up against our bigger boats and the fence. What a mess. Here’s a video summary:
The small sailboat pile was interlocked and we had to cut the rig off a Laser to extract it.
These 420’s were strapped to ground anchors on their trailers. Now the trailers and the metal pole barn roof and two of the hulls need repair.
Inside the building there seems to have been some wave action, enough to knock over a pretty big air compressor. It was pungent.
After we shoveled away the wet piles, the dried mud had to be scraped from the floor. It’s still going to need pressure washing.
We got the small boats moved from the messy pile at one end of the yard.
To a more organized stack at the other end of the yard. Next up: rebuilding the small sailboat racks and the trailers for the 420’s.
While we were cleaning up we talked to a couple of people who work for Charlotte County and they said that restoring operation of the boat ramp is a priority but the damage has not yet been fully evaluated. When the ramp is open again, we expect to open the Sailing Center again. Until that time, the park gate is locked and we are being allowed occasional access to clean up but we can not operate as of the end of October, 2024.
