The remains of hurricane Noel are going to pass offshore tomorrow, and with the counter-clockwise spin of a northern hemisphere tropical storm, Cape Cod will be on the western side of the cyclone and see some strong winds out of the northeast — making this a veritable “nor’easter”
From the National Weather Service:
"A HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. DAMAGING NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY...ESPECIALLY DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS. THE HIGH WINDS WILL SUBSIDE DURING EARLY SATURDAY EVENING. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE ON CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH GUSTS UP"TO 75 MPH THERE."
The place to be tomorrow will be on the Outer Cape where the Atlantic Beaches are going to be smacked hard. There could be some interesting beach modifications. Cousin Pete and I may make the sojourn to see the show. My boat is in the lee of a northeast blow, so no cause for nervousness.
update: took some hooky time at lunch to yank my boat and help Marta get her skiff out of the water. Cousin Pete is decommissioning his boat now and the launch ramp is getting a bit more busy as the townies take the safe route and pull their boats. 75 mph gusts are the real deal.
And going out in that weather requires fully charged batteries, goof self bailing pumps and mighty man stones.
I learned my lesson taking my 18-foot Panga out and getting caught in six-foot-plus seas, just once. It was an unfun run back to Mission Bay until I managed to catch the top of a trough and surf it into the harbor, playing the ever so cautious throttle jovkey all the way in through the breakwater. I learn more and more about being on the water every fall. A cautious single person boater lives to fish another season.
Chowchilla,
Jim
On news this morning in Cheyenne reported that a little harbor seal that came into Chatham seeking shelter and the seagulls are hunkered down. News is calling it a strong N’oreaster. Keep safe. Tom