whole hurricane disaster. We heard about the hurricane first on our way
down from the states.
We arrived in Santa Rosalia after a *long* trip, just in time for it.
The next day and a half were a scramble to provision before all the
shops were blown away. (Luckily this didn't happen to most of them). It
was also a frenzy of preparation for all the boats.
The Singular dock there wasn't a very good dock, so we all tied
ourselves to the breakwater and pylons. There was another kid boat there
called Ocean Blue, friends of ours. Steve, the captain,
and his wife were an inexpressible help to us during the hurricane.
The night before the hurricane was supposed to reach us, we received a
very nasty chubaska at 4:00 in the morning. Just to to top
it all. Indeed, the chubaska was so nasty that for a moment, many of us
thought the hurricane had come early.
A few hours before the hurricane, Ocean Blue and the Don Quixote crew
brought everything that was absolutely essential for our survival. Like
our computers, some clothes, legal papers, passports, Mommy's wallet,
etc. This was hauled up to the Cool Room in the marina. The Cool Room
was a large room with air-conditioning. It was essentially the cruiser
common room. Set below the office, it was entirely for marina
inhabitants use.
The most important thing was our every-3- hour update on the hurricane.
It showed us which way the hurricane was going.
Once inside the Cool Room, we were not allowed out. The people over 115
pounds got to go out, but not us. Then the hurricane set in and we,
meaning th kids, were quite glad that we didn't have to go outside.
It rained buckets, then it rained cats and dogs. Then it rained horses.
(so to speak). Wet everywhere. It seeped through the windows, it dripped
from the *ceiling*, it washed in from the door. The floor quickly
covered itself in water an inch deep. If one of the kids even so much as
hinted he/she was bored, they were quickly set to chasing the water out
through the door.
Very soon Mom brought up what was possibly the unhappiest, wettest, most
sulky looking cat that was ever born, ours, Dulcinea. She found the
driest spot in the room, than began washing herself, ignoring
both the hurricane howling outside and us.
The next few hours were a dull lethargy punctuated with spurts of
low-grade frightenedness. It's not a word, so I'm making it one. I
watched as my friends and Mom came in soaked and left marginally better.
There was a point in which no-one could go outside. We were afraid of
losing the boat. The hurricane, instead of veering west, headed straight
for us. Fortunately, instead of being a Cat 5, by the time it got to
us it was a Cat 1 and a half. Still, 90 knots is not a laughing matter.
There was a momentary lull in the hurricane. That is when the roof in
the Cool Room decided to fall. I'm not kidding, it actually fell in. The
roof was made of soft plaster and had been gathering water in the middle.
It then decided enough was enough and nearly landed on top of Skyler, a
kid off Ocean Blue. Another mad scramble, and everyone ended up in the
girl's bathroom. The girl's bathroom was large and its
roof better suited with water. No time for sensitivity in the middle
of a hurricane. Also, bye bye went the office upstairs.
The hurricane passed us and headed north. Everyone received a few hours
of respite, then the little bugger turned around and headed towards us
/*again. */By this time everyone was more that a little
pissed off and tired. Fortunately we hadn't moved anything from the
girl's bathroom so we spent another night sleeping in the hot,
uncomfortable room. The cats, Ocean Blue had one too, had passed
pissed off and headed towards absolutely furious. Not to mention bored
and refusing to use litter that had gone beyond foul to something that
resembled a badly gone wrong science experiment.
At last, the end of the hurricane. A day after it we had a huge party.
During the hurricane I had composed a song on my recorder called the
*/lull/*aby. Everyone thought that it was beautiful when
I played it at the party.
I have only one more thing to say. *NEVER AGAIN*.
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