CHABA is Here?

Saturday, 30 October 2010 – 0800

Yesterday we added more lines in anticipation of Chaba arriving on Friday night and Saturday. Starr weighs 100 tons and the dock we are tied to is a Bellingham Marine float, with cleats bolted through a 3×10” wooden rub rail. These cleats can be torn off of from the rub rail, so it is important to spread the load to as many different points as possible. Our winter lines for Starr are 1″+ diameter nylon, and we carry a 600’ reel of ¾” dyneema (spectra) line. The spectra line has a tensile strength of 68,000 lbs., but has no elasticity. We use this in combination with our nylon lines; it is good for running really long spring lines to limit movement in surge. We also use this line as a emergency tow rope (again in combination with nylon for shock absorption). We tie to a piling whenever we can; obviously the piling is much stronger than the float.

Yesterday afternoon three Japanese boats came into the marina for shelter, so it is clear that people here are taking Chaba seriously. It is nice to have some company, as we are usually the only large boat here.

Last night the sky was beautiful, belying the reality that a typhoon was approaching; however, a Japanese gentleman walking by asked the usual question “Hello, Seattle?” and then he waved his arms about and added the warning “Hurricane, Hurricane”.

Chaba sky

We woke up this morning to the following (click to enlarge):

PassageWeather

 

 

JTWC – Naval Oceanography Portal

 

 

Japan Meteorological Agency/Tropical Cyclone Information



Chaba moved further out to sea and we are only feeling the effects of the outer edges of the storm. It is offshore now, as close as it will come to Ashiya. We will wait to see what kind of wind and rain the backside of the circular weather patterns of the storm create here.

Right now you wouldn’t know there is a typhoon out there. YES!!!!