Tropical Storm Nadine 20 to 21 Sept 2012

As stated in the previous Blog, we left Velas on Sao Jorge earlier than planned due to the expected arrival of Hurricane Nadine. We considered that Horta on Faial would be a safer harbour in such a storm.

On the 15the Spetember, this was NOAA's prediction, with Nadine heading straight for Faial and the other Azores Islands in

 Initially, the predicted swell direction was from the SW, very good direction for Horta Marina as it would be protected by the Monte da Guia . Unfortunately, at the height of the storm, the swell was predicted to come from the NE, the worst direction for Horta.

On 18 September had a stroll to the south facing Porto Pim Bay close to Monte da Guia and indeed big swells from Nadine were rolling in

Please click on arrow to play video clip of the SW swells breaking in the normally tranquill Porto Pim Bay  - unfortunately will not work on Ipads

 

 Nadine was expected to hit us on the night of 20 September. Everyone in the marina was on the internet checking the Grib File, Passage Weather, NOAA Hurricane Prediction and other websites every couple of hours to get te latest forecasts. More and more mooring ropes were being added to their boats and anchors laid as an added precaution. Dutch Link was no exception.

The Horta Marina staff were very conscientious and helpful, checking boats 24 hours a day and attaching their own extra lines to boats they thought would need them plus laying anchors for boats if required - very commendable.

 Ropes were secured around the substantial pillars which kept the pontoons in place - just in case the pontoons broke free

We were lucky to have pillars to attach to - two at the front and two at the stern

 The pillars on starboard at our Stern and Bow were particularly reassuring as they would keep us off the pontoon finger in the predicted NEerlies and prevent our fenders from bursting.

 Finally the night of 20th September arrived - the latest predictions luckily showed that Nadine had been downgraded to a Tropical Storm and that we could expect 45 plus knots from the NE and the swell would be around 4 meters from the NE, the worst direction for Horta

 

 Grib Files for 00300 hours 21 September

 The night of 20/21 September was a tense night on Dutch Link, and all the other boats in the marina. The wind was above 40 knots most of the night with gusts up to 50 knots.

We tried to sleep but with the swell working its way into our part of the marina, the boat was rolling and lurching all night. Also we were rather concerned that the waves would break over the low marina wall at High Water in the early hours of the morning.

So we gave up and played Rummycube all night instead!

 The next morning looking NE from our marina wall

Please click on arrow to play video clip of the marina the morning after the storm had passed - unfortunately will not work on Ipads 

 The chartlets below show the problem with a NE swell

Looking North to the main part of the marina, tucked behind the large harbour wall - much quieter in a NEerly swell

After hitting us, Nadine went south and later eastwards towards Madeira where it weakened. However, a few days later it turned back west and strengthened yet again into a Hurricane. The latest NOAA prediction as of 1 October is for it to once more head north and hit the Azores for a second time - three hurricanes in one year is a bit much for the Azores when the previous one was in 2006.

Hurricane Gordon 19 August 2/12

We have never really considered the Azores to be a hurricane prone area. So we were somewhat surprised when what seemed like a normal low pressure

 

 started to look on the grib files more and more like a revolving storm.
 

 As the days went by the feature got a name, Gordon, and became a Tropical Storm
 
and then as it got yet closer it became a category 2 Hurricane heading straight for the Azores.

However, the track forecast by NOAA indicated that it would pass south of Pico, the island where we were moored. 

 On Pico, the wind would be less than 20kts and from the East, a good direction for the Lajes do Pico marina.

 NOAA prediction for wind strengths above 50 knots - Sao Miguel and Santa Maria clearly in the danger zone

 The resulting swell according to Passage Weather website would be around 4 meters from the SWest - also a good direction for us. Hence we decided to stay put.

Sao Miguel and Santa Maria would not be so lucky  - the eye of the hurricane was predicted to pass over them by 0600hrs 20 August with wind and swell initially from the east - the worst possible direction for Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel.

However, two days before the Hurricane was due to be due south of us, the harbour authorites based in Horta issued the advice for all yachts in Lajes do Pico and Sao Jorge to move to Horta on Faial.
We considered their advice, one yacht left Lajes do Pico for Horta but returned as progress was poor against headwinds and swell.
So, as the weather forecasting in this area is very good and put the track well to the south of us, plus the local fisherman considering that Lajes do Pico would be safe in the predicted conditions, plus I, (Mike) had the flu and was not feeling well enough for a tough passage unless absolutely necessary, we decided to ignore the advice and stay.
The harbour authorities required us to sign a paper which made us liable for any damage we might cause to their harbour facilities - a bit daunting but by then there was no way we were going to move.

We then prepared as best we could for the possibility that the track of the hurricane shifted more northerly than forecast by adding extra lines - 15 in total (normally 5 !)

 including a 40 meter rope from the bow across the harbour to a stone jetty to keep the bow off the pontoon finger.

Luckily we had thanks to Paul of Picomatica, very good WiFi so could keep continuously  informed of Gordon's progress and the latest predictions. 

2100hrs Sunday night, Gordon's closest point to us, came and went and there was hardly a whisper of wind and no significant swell and a beautiful sunset

 The peak of Pico looking majestic in a pink glow - red sky at night ... shepherds warning?

Went to bed and woke up next morning after one of the calmest nights we have had on Pico, to a calm, sunny day - very very thankful that Gordon had not had a sudden change of  direction during the night.

 even the often shy cloud shrouded Pico was clear

We are even more impressed with the weather forecasting abilities these days.

Information received later from boats who were in Ponta Delgada indicated that they had been let off lighter than expected - the eye was slightly south of them and the winds had reduced to just under 50 kts with wind and swell changing from East to North East which is much better for Ponta Delgada.

Have looked up Azores Hurricane statistics on Wikipedia - the links of the hurricanes that have hit the Azores are listed below - click on the link to go to the writeup.

1973	Hurricane Fran (1973)
1976	Hurricane Emmy
1992	Hurricane Bonnie (1992)
1995	Hurricane Tanya (1995)
1997	Hurricane Erika (1997)
2003	Tropical Storm Ana (2003)
2005	2005 Azores subtropical storm
2006	Hurricane Gordon (2006)
2009	Tropical Storm Grace (2009)
2012	Hurricane Gordon

So one can see that whilst not exactly Hurricane prone, the Azores have had several hurricanes over the past years.

Amazingly the last Hurricane to hit the Azores was also called Gordon and hit in 2006, 6 years ago - hopefully it will be at least 6 years before the next one!