Salty Podcast: Sailing

Salty Podcast #39 | Sailboats & Hurricanes! 🌪️⛵

• Captain Tinsley | Key West John | Vanessa Linsley • Season 1 • Episode 39

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Navigating the Storm with Vanessa Linsley & Key West John 🌪️⛵ 
YouTube Podlink: https://tinyurl.com/SaltyPodcast39

Vanessa and John, both living on their respective boats in Key West, have a tremendous amount of knowledge about sailboats and passagemaking. I encourage watchers to ask questions in the live chat on YouTube and Facebook.

#SaltyAbandon #SaltyPodcast #Sailing #HurricaneHelene #StormPrep #BoatLife

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SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

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Capn Tinsley:

Welcome back to the Salty Podcast, where it's always a great day to talk about sailing. This is episode #39. Before we begin, please smash that like button, subscribe and feel free to ask a question or comment in the live chat on either YouTube or Facebook. Tonight's episode, I'm going to ask my two guests what they think about the current storm that threatens the Gulf Coast, as well as other things regarding sailboats and sailing. Current storm that threatens the Gulf Coast, as well as other things regarding sailboats and sailing. Joining me are Vanessa Linsley and Key West John, two experienced sailors who live full time on their boats in Key West. With their vast knowledge of sailboats, passage making and how to handle storms, vanessa and John will share their wisdom, tips and predictions. As Helene approaches weather, and whether you're a seasoned sailor or new to the lifestyle, this conversation will be full of insights and practical advice. With that, let's bring out Vanessa and Key West John. Here we go. Hey, hey, hey, hello everyone.

Key West John:

And when you talk about wisdom, you need to refer to Vanessa. She is the one, she is the one with wisdom, so don't associate me in the wisdom thing. I have experience, I don't know how much wisdom.

Capn Tinsley:

It is, oh my goodness. Well, you both are very wise and I appreciate you always helping me when I when I get in a jam. So let's let's start off with Vanessa Tell me, you guys have a storm that's kind of going by you right now, right Kind of sitting on top of us growing right now. What are you doing, what are the conditions where you are and what have you done to prepare for it?

Vanessa Linsley:

So it's only a tropical storm here, but you should still prepare for that like a hurricane. So I have doubled up all my lines. I carry three quarter inch, three strand dacron lines, new england, yeah and um. So I have doubled up bows, doubled up, sterns actually doubled up, forward springs doubled up and two smaller lines that are intermediate springs on either side because of the breeze and also because of my windage.

Vanessa Linsley:

The dock that I have to tie up to now has one piling and there's a little floating dock and there's a concrete wall, so I don't get to have a lot of good security in between places. So I've got to have longer springs one and a half times the length of the boat and I've got to have a lot of good security in between places. So I've got to have longer springs one and a half times the length of the boat and I've got to have them super tight. So I also have to maintain those bows and sterns during a tidal surge, which they think is only going to be three feet here if we're lucky. But right now the wind direction's out of the southeast, it's off in my forward quarter and off of my port port nose and it's got me rocking and rolling big time. The canvas is down, but I did do something I've not done in a long time and I left one my awnings up.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, you think it's gonna. You did it on purpose.

Vanessa Linsley:

Yeah, it has fiberglass reinforcement rods in it. I lowered it closer to the boat but it has it's. It's just it's with stood sustained 50 knots before. It has fiberglass reinforcement rods in it. I lowered it closer to the boat but it has, uh, it's, it's just it's withstood sustained 50 knots before and it looks like it's going to be up to about 35, 36 in the morning in the wee hours. But that's why I'm monitoring it closely and that's why I'm moving around a lot.

Capn Tinsley:

If you don't notice, yeah, that's cool Well around a lot if you don't notice, yeah, that's cool.

Vanessa Linsley:

Well, you remember goose? Uh, john, you remember goose?

Capn Tinsley:

he's he's on your screen. Right there, the goose is loose. Are you safe?

Key West John:

boats all tied up and, uh, the answer to that is yes, or something like yeah, he's recovering.

Capn Tinsley:

He wants to get back on his sailboat. He's an island packet guy, so maybe you'll sell him a boat, vanessa. Hey, I got one for sale, she's a good one.

Key West John:

I highly recommend her for it.

Capn Tinsley:

John, what did you do and what are your conditions where you are? Let's tell where you are.

Key West John:

Key West.

Capn Tinsley:

White Marina.

Key West John:

I'm probably five miles from where Vanessa is. She is more exposed and I'm well protected from, but I've got a big brewery that helps me, but, as you can see, I'm still. It's either the rum or it's the wind, but I'm still rocking even here. But so it's, I've done basically the same. You know, vanessa had great, obviously great wisdom on it. And you know, double the lines and then add the same. You know vanessa had great, you know obviously great wisdom on it. And uh, you know double the lines and uh, then add the springs. Uh, you know, even on both sides. And uh, and then I I normally would take down, just remove all the canvas from the demony. This time I just pull that the back uh section to the and the forward section together in the.

Key West John:

The signature hunter thing of Vanessa will know the name of it, the frame that they use, I mean the sturdy, what's the frame called that they use the frame for the traveler. So I mean you have a very hard support. That's how, anyway, I pulled both of them back together I think I sent you a picture earlier and this and then wrapped them, tied them and I furled the. Since you and me have the furling mains, I furled the main cell in as far as I could. I didn't leave the little artistic triangle out, too much Did you wrap it around.

Key West John:

No, I didn't wrap it Normally if we were expecting a much higher storm. Like Vanessa said, we're basically going to be a tropical storm strength. We're going to let it get a little closer to you before getting to be something big.

Capn Tinsley:

So what's that work?

Key West John:

Normally I would undo the outhaul and take the remaining triangle part of the main cell, wrap it around the mast and then either tape it or wrap a dock line around it. I would remove the head cell as well, but this time, you know, we just got everything wrapped tight. But it's good to have that canvas, the Bimini, top down, because when the winds start hitting that really flaps around a lot.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, that makes it kind of stressful when that happens.

Key West John:

So did you say that you were getting 58 knot winds you were going to Well, I saw at one time that I think it was right in the storm they clocked at 50, but it was right in one of those thunderstorms that came through with a couple of those outer bands, but mostly, as Vanessa said, we've been in the 30s 30 knots.

Capn Tinsley:

Which is a lot when you're on a boat.

Key West John:

Oh yeah, and then you add 15% to get miles per hour. On this 15%, yeah, well, that moves the transition from knots to miles per hour. Just add 15% and then I'll get that.

Capn Tinsley:

What was that word? He was reaching for, vanessa, what he was reaching for a word. What was that word?

Key West John:

you were like oh, I'm the traveler, or something the hunter builds that hard frame that supports the traveler and it goes over the cockpit.

Vanessa Linsley:

I have one of those it causes a split cockpit, but it's one. One of the manufacturers has their own name for them and they just called that a rigid traveler, rigid traveler.

Key West John:

Okay, it's a real fancy name.

Capn Tinsley:

A rigid traveler. I like that.

Vanessa Linsley:

That way you could actually tie everything off in a cockpit as a reinforcement, because it's built into a home.

Key West John:

Yeah, yeah, it's built into the home, yeah, yeah. So it's a great system and it makes it very hard to have an accidental job job and get a boom smack. I mean because you really got to be up, you know. I mean you got to do some serious you know. You know maneuvering to get your head up there in the way of this boat.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, yeah, on it up there in the way of this boat. Yeah, yeah, on my boat too. Yeah, I would have to be standing up on, you know, but, um, so goose. Uh, I know you like to ask a lot of questions, so this is the panel right here to do that. Goose, these guys. I'm just gonna say it.

Key West John:

Y'all know everything no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Okay, I I have been, I have known vanessa for a long time and I'm telling you what as I told you today, I think she's tops as far as knowledge and operation of boats. So if you have questions, everything. I've ever had Don't care too, she's been able to come up with an answer.

Capn Tinsley:

And I mean very sharp.

Key West John:

One of the greatest lessons I learned from her. A funny story. I think I've even told it on here before. Oh, it's very sharp. One of the greatest. One of the greatest lessons I learned from her. A funny story. I think I've even told it on here before.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, let's hear it.

Key West John:

She was doing a bottom job on my boat and of course I'm out there trying to act busy. So I said okay. So I asked her. I said you know, should I scrape this prop, whatever in the eyes? And she said oh no, take some of that on and off, put it on there. Of course I said okay. So I opened up the on and off and I just kind of dribbled it on there.

Key West John:

You remember this, you know this story, and so I'm dribbling on there. She said come on, alice, put some on there. So, alice, that's when you're being a little timid or you know, kind of not like not being aggressive. Have you never heard that?

Key West John:

yeah, so no so so I d it. All you've got to do is put that on there. So then I go over to get the water hose to rinse it off and I come back and it's gone the barnacles, all that stuff. So anyway, that's just one of many things I've learned from her. So when you talk about boat knowledge, she has a tremendous amount of skills.

Capn Tinsley:

I think you told remember that when my boat was out of the water. I'm not sure it was on the podcast, but I remember you talking about that.

Key West John:

Yeah, on and off.

Capn Tinsley:

After I just sanded it all off. No, yeah, All right y'all Don't waste my time.

Key West John:

She has great knowledge on a lot of boat things A lot.

Capn Tinsley:

So I did a little chat GPT. I did a little chat GPT. I came up with some questions. The first one was how do you typically prepare your sailboat for a hurricane like Helene is approaching Key West. Is there anything you left out? Yes, go ahead.

Vanessa Linsley:

You should always top off your water tanks. You want to weight the boat as much as you can. Make sure your fuel tanks are topped off. You want to also make sure that you've removed any flying objects from your deck, no matter how comfortable it is without them being in there. Throw them, Put them away. You don't need to be chasing them around Missiles yeah.

Vanessa Linsley:

So that includes everything on your dock right next to your boat if you're tied up to a dock, so you don't know you're dingy blowing it into your neighbors either yeah do a curse, do a cursory check of your rigging and make sure that your rig is all set and it's doing well and make sure that your lines are in good shape that you're actually using. The worst thing that you can do is lose a line in the middle of the night because you decided you were going to use that five-year-old shaped three-strand line because it looked like it might work. Yep, good advice.

Capn Tinsley:

It's not only stress about it.

Vanessa Linsley:

You'll blow a line, your boat will come loose, something will happen. You'll get hurt trying to fix it, because once this breeze is blowing 20-25 knots, it doesn't matter how strong you are, you're not going to fix it. Nope, time to go to the locker room and just wait.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, so it would have been a different story if you had a three. You probably wouldn't be on your boats. If there was a three, would you? Well, at what point do you get off?

Vanessa Linsley:

I get off at the beginning of one along with my dog and we go check into a hotel or go to a friend's house because you pay your insurance for a reason. Once the blow starts and it's beyond a certain point, you cannot safely get on and off to the boat Right.

Capn Tinsley:

I agree with that.

Vanessa Linsley:

And it's going wacko life's short Time to go. Go to a hotel, go to a friend's house, go to a shelter, go somewhere that's safe, but you do that ahead of time. It's about preparation, yeah.

Capn Tinsley:

I agree, totally, yeah, I got caught with my pants down in Hurricane Sally and Scott was caught with my pants down in Hurricane Sally and Scott was too, with his pants down. Yeah did I ever tell you? I think I told you, john. You know the movie we were talking about this the other day?

Key West John:

no, not.

Capn Tinsley:

Field of Dreams, but League of their Own. League of their Own there's no crying in baseball. Remember I started crying on the boat At like 3 o'clock in the morning when the water was coming in everywhere and he goes. There's no crying in sailing.

Key West John:

If you stay, like Vanessa said, if you stay on a boat and you get into Cat 1 or above, then you need to be crying. You need to be crying and slapping yourself.

Vanessa Linsley:

You need to be getting off the boat.

Key West John:

What.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, goose says how do you even get insurance to keep a boat in Florida these days? Who wants to answer that one? Vanessa?

Vanessa Linsley:

It's difficult but it's very doable, and it depends on who the insurance carrier is, but it's more important about who the broker is, because the carriers are not allowing insurance to come through all brokers. So if you have a broker that's actually working with you, that's got a good reputation and had a low risk and they've been very good with their clients for a number of years and you've got a good history and you've got a good background, that's a clean history. You haven't had any claims or a lot of claims you can get insurance. Still, there's a couple of new companies getting ready to come on the market as well, even for older boats all right, this is the news I want to hear for gulffront condos too.

Capn Tinsley:

So so, yeah, okay. So so, goose, yes, you can get insurance, you, just like they. On my 1998 Boat I had insurance for the new boat after Hurricane Sally for a year and then they said all of a sudden no, we're not going to do your boat anymore. And I went to Geico and I know John's not a fan Of Geico, but All the companies were talking about you. You know what they were asking. They were saying will you be at the helm by yourself overnight, or something? And I said yes, and there were all the things. I was going to fail on all these questions. And so I called Geico and I said, well, they, they didn't, they didn't want to let me have insurance because I'm because of these things, and she goes. What are those things? I said I don't want to tell you. Well, let's just get it out of the way. And I told her she goes, we don't have a problem with that, you know. So it's okay for me to go make passages overnight by myself. So you have to ask those questions.

Vanessa Linsley:

I was like what's the point? And relative to your experience. So my boat, remember, is a 1985 full keel, 23 tons, a single hand ocean. I'm a shipper, single hand. Tell us what kind of boat it is. So I have a William Garden CT42. I've owned it for 35 years.

Capn Tinsley:

Let me put this up here.

Vanessa Linsley:

And I've sailed by myself halfway around the world with it. But I'm also a retired ocean racer and I also work professionally in this industry for over 40 years did you say william garden?

Capn Tinsley:

yes, william garden. And what's the size? It's a ct42.

Vanessa Linsley:

That's a big boat, john, oh yeah oh yeah, and and if I get caught in a blow at sea, 65 knots in about five and a half foot seas, it's very comfortable, you put up a jigger, you put up your mason, you put up your jib, and not a genoa but a jib. I also have a staysail, but you put up a jib and jigger, you put the shoulder in and you dig in and you just go Very comfortable.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, look at this Goose. You have the names of good brokers in Florida. Well, it just so happens, vanessa is a good broker in Florida.

Key West John:

That's right. I've known her for years and she is a good broker in Florida.

Vanessa Linsley:

She knows everything. Do you want charter brokers, or I mean boat brokers. Or do you want charter brokers? Or I mean, uh, boat brokers, or you want insurance brokers?

Key West John:

oh good question yeah, well, and while we're on the insurance thing, but that's might know this, I this kind of I believe it or not I kind of rolled the dice. I have not maintained, uh, whole insurance, I just did the liability that's required by the marina, but I had to do full coverage. I was in marathon. I wanted to do a haul out to change out a through hole, uh valve. I've done so many or not so many, but you know, a half a dozen in the water. I'm getting a little old for all that excitement.

Key West John:

So I said okay, I took a lunch hour thing.

Key West John:

They have 178 special at uh at marathon and I needed to change out the air conditioner through the hole. So I did that. But they did require insurance, so I had to call. I had mine with Progressive, believe it or not, and I called Progressive. And what was? When Vanessa first sold me this boat years ago, it was to get full insurance, was $4,400 or something. Then I got it. This time they added on full coverage for $1,400 extra. I was like, okay, do you all hear what I'm saying? I said I need full coverage and they did so. Why has that much changed over that many years?

Vanessa Linsley:

John, how long have you had that boat?

Key West John:

So what 10 years?

Vanessa Linsley:

I think it's more than that. Yeah, maybe so, but it's called depreciation factor, it's called valuation. That's gone down, you haven't had any claims to speak of and you've got a good following on it, so it makes it easy.

Key West John:

Okay, so I was really shocked because you know when you and I first got together and we got this boat, because you know when you and I first got together and we got this boat, I got this boat. It was really, I think it was 4,200 extra for the full coverage. So, okay, that explains it.

Vanessa Linsley:

But you didn't have a history. Yeah, exactly.

Capn Tinsley:

You don't have a history, John. He didn't at that time.

Key West John:

I have history now.

Capn Tinsley:

I have a history.

Key West John:

We all have histories, Whether it's bad or good. I have history now I have a history.

Capn Tinsley:

We all have histories. Whether it's bad or good, I have history. So Goose says both, he wants both. He wants an insurance broker and a boat broker.

Vanessa Linsley:

Well, I'd love to help you out. Goose is a boat broker. I got a heck of an Island Packet 485 listed. Right now it's actually a number.

Capn Tinsley:

he's a fan. He used to have an island packet. Your face is kind of in the shadows. Yeah, the sun just went down here, there we go.

Key West John:

The sun is down.

Capn Tinsley:

It looked all mysterious and everything. I think he had an island packet, 370 is that, or 37 is that? Right goose?

Vanessa Linsley:

anyway, he'll tell us um I've got island packet 485 that's on the market. It's a 10 out of a 10. It just got brand new mate and brand new sales that were delivered today and it's in jacksonville and it's in jackson. It's a 2005. Look it up on Yacht World the name of the boat is Eos and it is a 9.9, depending on how much of a perfectionist you are to a 10. And it's being sold as that, but it just had a price reduction.

Capn Tinsley:

And it's down to $4,000.

Vanessa Linsley:

What a deal no-transcript. Yeah, I interviewed them. Go around the world. It's had every upgrade that's been done to it. That can be done.

Capn Tinsley:

So hopefully Goose is making his recovery. Let's see what else do I have here?

Vanessa Linsley:

Goose, if you want to get in from Texas, you can get my number and I'd be happy to share insurance brokers with you.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, goose, goose. He's writing this from Facebook. Your email address is which one do you?

Vanessa Linsley:

use. The best one is Cassie C-A-S-S-I-E K-W at AOLcom.

Capn Tinsley:

Let me put that in there. Goldie, but the goodie Goose AOLcom Let me put that in there, goldie, but the goodie Goose. All right, let me put that up there. It's C-A-S-S. Hold on Having trouble with capitals here.

Vanessa Linsley:

C-A-S-S-I-E-K-W at AOLcom.

Capn Tinsley:

She's old school.

Vanessa Linsley:

That's it. It will probably go away, who knows?

Capn Tinsley:

There we go, goose. There's your contact right there. Everything you want to know about. He's an Island Packet fan Because he had one, so I think he wants another Island Packet. That's how I met him. It's on the Island Packet Facebook page. Okay, alright, so hopefully you'll get a call from Goose. What are the common mistakes You've seen other boat owners make During when preparing for hurricanes?

Key West John:

Hold on, are you, you gonna?

Capn Tinsley:

answer that, or are we supposed to stay on the boat during the two? People go people always ask me are you gonna do that again?

Vanessa Linsley:

I go I didn't mean to the first time so, tansley, do you remember talking to me in the middle of?

Capn Tinsley:

that I remember talking to John. Was I talking to you too?

Key West John:

You talked to both of us. You talked to both of us during that.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh really, what was your feedback on that, Vanessa?

Vanessa Linsley:

What the hell are you doing? Get your ass off the boat.

Capn Tinsley:

She was a little more blunt than I was. I didn't save the boat yeah, it was.

Vanessa Linsley:

You were asking me questions about how to make the water stop running in places, where to look for it and how to make it and what to do with it.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, it was breaking my heart, it was just breaking my heart. I was like. That's when I was like, and Scott said, no, there's no crying, I'm sailing All right. So how do you so? I guess I guess what the bottom line is get off the boat if it's a one, Right?

Key West John:

I think a big thing in that and Vanessa and I both you know talking with you that night when Sally came in. Vanessa and I both you know talking with you that night when Sally came in is you're going?

Key West John:

to have all a ton of forecasts and when you see one forecast that says they say it's only going to be 45 knots here, factor in everything you can and constantly update those reports and forecasts, because what was good 48 hours ago totally changed when you're 24 hours out. And I think you, you know, you, you definitely saw that in Sally goes, you know, and I actually under guessed it too, cause you, you said there they're talking 35 or 45. And I looked at I said I think you're going to get 75 and eighties. I don't know what Vanessa was telling you, but that's just to get that hell off the boat, which was the best.

Key West John:

Don't know what vanessa was telling vanessa's day, get the hell off the boat, which was the best. That's the wisdom and um and so. And then it obviously went well over 100 and um. So I think the best thing is to to don't rely totally on one forecast. Keep updating your reports and, and just when, don't don't try to, you know, ride something out. That's, you know, tied up as best you can and get the hell out of the way.

Capn Tinsley:

And you know and what and what it was. It was supposed to be going to Louisiana, so I was just there for storm surge and it just turned into something and I didn't want to give up on it.

Vanessa Linsley:

You got to remember. Your forecast is also situational and geographical. You know it's like. Key West is a perfect example. We have 39 inches of rain annually. Miami has 171 inches.

Vanessa Linsley:

How many times are you watching the news and watching the weather report and they're telling you how wet it is on that tropical update, and we're sitting down here with no rain? Yeah, exactly. You've got to realize that you've also got to do some digging where you are located in your boat at that specific time to get your accurate weather reports as well, and you never rely on one. So sometimes it's beneficial to get an oceanographic weather report as well as a meteorological weather report, because you can see what's happening with wind and with waves, and that's usually your precursor to what's happening with passage weather. Well, there's buoy weather, there's passage weather, there's wind finder, there's actually windy. I swear by windy, ty, if you're going to be in open water, um, and I also swear by buoy weather. But you're able to actually attribute that directly to the gfs models, the no gaps models, medio france, the european models, and you're able to make your own Educated decision on it.

Capn Tinsley:

John likes European, don't you?

Key West John:

They say Europeans the most accurate. What do you know?

Vanessa Linsley:

And I gotta tell you ocean racing, it was all. It's your friends, really, yeah.

Capn Tinsley:

So goose says we can always count on Goose here. 370,. I've had a Crealock 37, a Malo 40, and the 370,. I guess it's an IP and a Vanguard. 471 design racer in college but he says I'm going to stay with the 32 or 37 foot range in shallow draft.

Vanessa Linsley:

That's very findable for you, contact me. That's very findable for you, contact me. That's very findable. I know there's a couple 380s out there right now.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, did you hear that Goose Goose? Talk to me, Goose.

Key West John:

Well, 37's his limit, but he might have to stretch it.

Vanessa Linsley:

Well, there's a 34 also where I know of, but it's not in as good a shape as the couple of 380s are right now. And I was a 470 racer. I worked on a 1986 Olympic campaign in the 470s.

Capn Tinsley:

Wow, that's cool.

Vanessa Linsley:

The biggest thing I ever made off a boat was building a 470 to the French Olympic team. There was somebody that asked me that wanted.

Capn Tinsley:

they wanted me to set up a debate, but it wouldn't take very long to debate this Full kill it's like I'll unpack it versus Katarina.

Key West John:

You know where my vote's going. I don't like them.

Capn Tinsley:

Pros and cons go, john my pro.

Key West John:

I like to be able to turn on a dime. I like to be able to to maneuver better. Okay, go ahead, that's mine okay, so that's it, huh.

Vanessa Linsley:

So, full keel, stability, riding moment, riding moment, open water, handling seas, handling breezes, but yet being able to move in light wind. And can you turn on a dime? You can turn on a dime, but it takes you a lot of homework to learn how to do that. I can do it.

Key West John:

Yep, yep, there you go. Okay, I've got a good idea. I don't like study halls, so I'm not going to do homework. I'm going to stick with my 103.06.

Capn Tinsley:

What's the proper term, Vanessa and John, when I go forward and then I put it in reverse and then I turn and it turns on its axis Back and fill. I feel like a boss when I do that.

Vanessa Linsley:

What is it called? It's called backing and filling.

Key West John:

Backing and filling Okay.

Vanessa Linsley:

Back and fill.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, so if you go, you put it in reverse and it turns, and then, when you feel it start to stop, you put it in neutral and then very gently put it in forward and it keeps going and it turns like this I'm done.

Key West John:

Yeah, I go out, I go out and I throw it hard to port or hard to starboard and I turn and I go.

Capn Tinsley:

Well, okay. So what's the difference between I'm on my way. What's the difference between in rough waves, massive?

Vanessa Linsley:

Huh, massive, and John's good about it. He knows the parameters and he knows the limitations that he's got with his boat, so that's what he's comfortable with. Yeah, exactly yeah, coastwise, you know, potentially round the buoys racer that could actually give, potentially, that potentially that he could take off in a bullet shot. You know anywhere from six knots of breeze all the way up to 25 and still be good with it, but with a full keel, you know when you've got waves you're going to actually do some cutting through them. If you're on the right plane and you have the right, your sails are set properly and you're actually handling your conditions correctly. I mean a couple of different boats, a couple of different times. When we had weather that picked up and you couldn't go anywhere, you had to deal with it.

Capn Tinsley:

Well, remember, when we were coming back across from Everglades City to I was going to Marathon, you were going to the bridge, he was like you're talking to me. But he was whipping my ass, he was like he was gone. We were going into the ways, we were beating into the ways, weren't we john into the ways?

Key West John:

yeah. Yeah, we were kind of pretty much into the border quarter he he was just.

Capn Tinsley:

He left me in the dust.

Vanessa Linsley:

You got, you got to cut through him. He's going to be over the top of him and he's also going to be bounce here yeah yeah exactly, if you got it I'm a much lighter boat. I'm a much lighter and if you got a neck injury or a back injury, you don't want to think you you. You want to talk to people ah yeah, yeah all right.

Capn Tinsley:

Well, let's ask. Okay, that was my question, so let's have. Let's ask, uh, vanessa, about the we, the we could have made um margaritas with the salt that was on our boats. I've never seen anything like it.

Key West John:

I've researched this and I cannot get an answer for it. We had salt and the texture was almost like ice cream salt. The spray, I mean. It was unbelievably heavy of the texture and for the life of me I've tried to figure out why.

Vanessa Linsley:

I've never seen it before In the corner of the Gulf. Yeah, it before in the corner of the gulf yeah, it was in the corner of the gulf.

Vanessa Linsley:

So you do realize that part of the history of Key West came from what were called the salt marshes. Oh yeah, riviera Canal and the whole area over off the back of the salt ponds. That was part of the main million dollar businesses here back. You know before the salt ponds that that was part of the main million dollar businesses here back uh, you know, before the chinos. And it was our ocean water with the salinity level and it's because of the high heat, it's the transference from the four currents that come in from the yucatan, actually from the, the straits of florida, that build that up. Now, as pollution has taken over and we've had a lot more shoreside pollutants, we don't keep that salt level as much on the Atlantic side here in Key West as we do on the backside in the Gulf. You have a lot of natural reservoirs, you have a lot of natural water that mixes with that high salinity level water back there.

Capn Tinsley:

Her knowledge is unbelievable, isn't?

Vanessa Linsley:

it and as the heat temperature changes changes, especially in the wintertime, you're going to see a lot more of that salt spray. And it's amazing. Well, it was okay, that's good december, november when was that?

Capn Tinsley:

it was september uh, it was.

Vanessa Linsley:

It was probably from the fall going into the winter, or else it was the spring going into the fall.

Key West John:

Yeah, let's see. Yeah, it was fall going into the winter, I think.

Vanessa Linsley:

That's when we get more fresh water. That's actually aquifer fed, that actually comes up to the surfaces, that pushes that water up, that actually makes that happen.

Capn Tinsley:

What an answer, oh my gosh. All right, so Goose says I campaigned. The 470 and the 72 Olympic trials Wow, wet standing holes with a thousand grit. This dude is he could hang with you guys. So I want to throw this in here that I told you last night that I was getting Kirsten Neuschafer. Neuschafer, oh boy.

Key West John:

Don't try to say that.

Capn Tinsley:

She's going to be amazing Goose. You've got to watch that she's gonna be amazing goose.

Key West John:

You gotta watch that.

Vanessa Linsley:

Vanessa, you were involved with the, the 471, the limit right, or was it goose in Pusan, in Pusan Korea, but I had an accident before it, okay okay so that as well no, it was, I had a surfing accident okay, you had the surfing.

Key West John:

Okay, that's what I was thinking. Okay, what happened? You were the one that was involved with the 470 and the 72 Olympics. Okay.

Vanessa Linsley:

I was involved in 470s in the 86 Olympics, but I had a surfing accident before that that screwed me up. What Olympics? Which one?

Capn Tinsley:

86. Oh, on my gosh. So goose was in the olympic trials and you were in the olympic trials I did a lot going up in 470s and 420s.

Vanessa Linsley:

Actually I was a class racer for stars, yinglings, 5.5s um, etchels um 470s, 4, 420s. I did sunfish and still do sunfish masters, but I haven't done them lately.

Key West John:

Yeah, you and Goose might have crossed paths somewhere.

Vanessa Linsley:

I'm a youngster if he did 72, I was 86 but yeah, I was the youngster that was actually sailing around with a lot of the folks in 5.5s and stuff like that. I mean I sailed with King Olaf V in 5.5 is not bad. I mean I sailed with King Olaf V in 5.5. I mean I was a baby 5.5. And he was still alive Tells you when.

Capn Tinsley:

After the storm passes, what are the first things you check on your boat to ensure everything is intact.

Vanessa Linsley:

Go ahead, vanessa. Well, since I'm going to be staying aboard in this little blow, it's going to be a little bit different. Normally, when I can come back, the very first thing I would do is I would barrel below and I would look real quickly at my bilge. The very first thing.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay.

Vanessa Linsley:

Since I'm going to be here, I'm going to hear my bilge pump. But you always also want to check your float switch ahead of time. Check your bilge pump ahead of time, make sure everything's good when you fill up your fresh water tank. If you've got a little overflow system, that's the time to hear that. So and I did that, but I carry 350 gallons of water. It makes a difference for the stability, wow yeah, that's huge yeah I'm only 40.

Key West John:

I'm only 40, so she's huge.

Vanessa Linsley:

But you've got fuel and water actually split up so you still want to fill your tanks, actually for that stability, yeah. So yeah, look at your build. You're always going to look back at your rudder post because things can hit your rudder and hit your rudder post and you get water coming in the boat trickling in. That's where it actually comes from debris in the water a lot of times. So, with the boats moving around, check your rigging, check your mast step, check the base of your mast and then always go back and look at your lines and see if anybody's gotten massively frayed or tattered and time to replace them and also see if anybody's boat is on your on your boat.

Capn Tinsley:

On your boat. Make sure your neighbors are okay. Tell the folks where you are, Vanessa.

Vanessa Linsley:

So I am at the Perry Marina on Coconut Row, but I am, I love that name Coconut Row. I am facing south by south-south east.

Key West John:

That's too many souths. You can only choose two in a direction.

Capn Tinsley:

South, south, south, south, southeast.

Vanessa Linsley:

I'm directly exposed off of the entrance of the Stock Island Channel entrance where I still get a little bit of the wave pattern. So I'm halfway down the row and the Australian pines that are right across from me on the row coming into Robbie's Marina, that Robbie's is doing a no-no in trying to strip them out. Oh okay, that's always been on protection from hurricanes, right?

Key West John:

here. Yeah, oh yeah, that row is huge and they're going to take them down and they're going to take them down, they're going to take them down.

Vanessa Linsley:

They're trying to gradually do some things without letting people notice.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, oh yeah. Are you going to make a stink about it?

Vanessa Linsley:

A lot of people are.

Capn Tinsley:

But did they ever figure out why that boat burned? I mean, was it what you thought it was?

Vanessa Linsley:

Yes, it was lithium batteries.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, the e-bike had fallen into the water, right.

Vanessa Linsley:

The e-bike had fallen into the water. They pulled it out of the water, they took the battery out of the bike and they had the battery charging off of the edge of the Going in above where the electrical panel was and it had been wet with salt water. It's gone, it's toast. It burned to the water line and took a lady and her dog along with it and it was very sad.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, yeah, that was sad. So what's the moral of that story? Don't use lithium batteries in a high-heat climate.

Vanessa Linsley:

They're not worthy and they don't want to insure them.

Key West John:

Hey man, I'll add on the slash captain on that. There's a good reason why lithium batteries are not allowed on any aircraft a Boeing, the Boeing 737, you cannot put a lithium battery on there. If this something everybody blows off, you talk about checking your luggage and all that. You're not supposed to have lithium batteries all in there yeah, they ask. They ask that, they say that, but everybody they blow by. But, like Vanessa said, lithium batteries are bad.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, aren't they on?

Vanessa Linsley:

our phones. Everybody's wanting to have lithium batteries set up on their boats. They're paying a lot of money for it. But I gotta tell you, you gotta pay attention to what's happening with high heat, lack of climate, like what we have here in the Keys. You gotta pay attention to why those batteries are off-gassing and why those batteries are catching on fire, even if they've been done professionally in an environment like this in the summertime. I've got three boats that I've managed and maintained and looked after and all three of those had lithium batteries and at some point in time not under my watch two of those three boats caught on fire, off gas like crazy, and I called the owner and said these are off, gassing like crazy, and I had to open the whole boat up. The CO2 alarms are going off like crazy, the chargers are heating up, the batteries are heating up and you can't get them down below their ambient temperature when the air temperature is up at where their ambient temperature.

Key West John:

Is Tinsley's not going to sleep tonight?

Capn Tinsley:

Yes, she's not gonna sleep tonight. My guys told me that I have the rolls royce of lithium batteries like you. Really, even on those e-bikes you cannot get those cheap. You, when you buy a used e-bike, you just can't do that. You know, because the cheap chinese sorry chinese, but the cheap chinese lithium batteries right. I mean, doesn't it matter what kind of lithium battery you buy?

Vanessa Linsley:

it does matter what kind of lithium battery you buy, but they still have to keep doing some more homework on in the high heat environments because, the insurance companies do not want to insure boats with lithium batteries. Now.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah.

Vanessa Linsley:

Okay.

Capn Tinsley:

There's one. When it comes to sailboat design, what features are must-haves for you, especially for living?

Key West John:

aboard full-time in a place like Key West, go John, go me. Yes, well, obviously, air conditioning for one and then for actual, you know. But you know my, my things I like. I like an open stern because I like to pull in and go out the back of the boat. And when vanessa, first you know uh, told me about this boat, I forgot how it came up that I was looking for, uh, you know, a different boat and she had this one and um and uh, I like god, that's perfect because I like the open stern. Like eric there's, I like a full bimini top, which this one has a really huge bimini top.

Key West John:

And then I'm old enough and lazy and I've had really good luck with them because I know how to operate them. I like a furling main and this one had that. So, uh, it just had all the those were were the biggies I looked for and, of course, obviously an autopilot. And then, as I've gotten older, I've added a remote for my autopilot, so I don't even have to get up anywhere. I'm sitting on the boat.

Capn Tinsley:

I know it's pretty awesome.

Key West John:

Yeah, he sits up there and he's just like. So those are the things I look for a lot of the lazy things, but I do like the open stern. I like the full bimini top and a furling main.

Vanessa Linsley:

Well, you specified Living aboard, not necessarily Going out sailing a whole lot. So living aboard A big, huge thing is at least two staterooms. Two heads is nice. Two staterooms, um, two heads is nice. Yeah, two staterooms is a must. Um, I like to have a galley that I can actually cook in, because I enjoy cooking and I want my, I want my birth to be aft and I want it big, and so I think in a half.

Capn Tinsley:

Say say that again. You want what. I want it to be big, I want it big. And so I have a king and a half. Say that again. You want what?

Vanessa Linsley:

I want it to be big. I want it to have plenty of space.

Capn Tinsley:

Like a condo on the water.

Vanessa Linsley:

If I want to have two dogs that I'm babysitting sleeping in bed with me along with my dog, I want dogs in my bed, so a big half berth. Mine's a king and a half. It's in the port sheds, a king and a half really. It's on the side of the boat. That's on Because if the boat has a predominant way it's going to move. I don't want to roll out of bed even underway. I want to be able to adjust to my conditions, right.

Key West John:

Okay.

Capn Tinsley:

Well, ralph, who's been's been on his boat in Curacao. He says great video. He's a sailor, he's been sailing around the world. Thanks, ralph. Thank you for commenting. So is there anything you guys want to cover about the hurricane or sailboats or anything I might have run out of questions?

Key West John:

I think we've been very fortunate here. You have to watch these things for two weeks when they well, this one came out of the Caribbean, but then a lot of times out of the Atlantic. You watch them for so long and then it comes down to 50 miles makes a huge difference.

Key West John:

Yeah, let's talk about what it's going to do to me Well at the moment, if you follow the tracks and the forecast and all the models, you're okay because you're going to be on the west side, the good side, but as you know from sally, things can drastically change, yeah, so let's see when that's and I will write out another one here with you know being you.

Key West John:

You know, like vanessa said earlier in the podcast, be tied up and ready for it. You know to double in size. You know, like Vanessa said earlier in the podcast, be tied up and ready for it. You know to double in size. You know you've got to be ready for it to really strengthen. So you know, right now we're riding it out. We look like we're going to be pretty good, but we're prepared in case it kicked up to 80, 90, or 100 knots.

Vanessa Linsley:

Because once it does, you can't do anything about that, and you learn that intensely.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh yeah, when the lines broke, it was so difficult, we were we sit there and we were like trying to get those lines back over the. It was so hard to pull the boat, it's impossible. No, no, you pull the boat.

Vanessa Linsley:

Yeah, you're gonna get hurt doing it.

Capn Tinsley:

I threw up yeah, I was like hurry up, hurry, put the light on it.

Key West John:

I go, I'm throwing up I remember a picture and I think vanessa was a little more stern, she was being the better parent at that time, but I mean I remember because you know definitely you got to get off the boat and but I remember seeing the picture of of salty Scotty, waist deep in the water with the winds going like that, and I'm like, oh boy.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, he was, uh, he, he was he. He stepped off on the finger pier and it was up to his chest. Yeah, yeah, so yeah, and I.

Vanessa Linsley:

I never did that, but technically you told me that and I said and I immediately said what the hell are you doing? Get back on the. What's going on with the electricity?

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, it was sad, um. So what do you think it's going to do? You think it's going to hit around Apalachicola.

Vanessa Linsley:

Yeah that's kind of the plan now right around there. Yeah, I'm still debating on that. Yeah, there's still a lot going on.

Key West John:

Like Vanessa said earlier, you get into that questionable zone out here over the next few hours, so a lot of things can happen.

Vanessa Linsley:

It has the potential of having this warble smack in the middle of the gulf, where it's looking like it's starting to try to take that shape a little tiny bit. And if, if you look at the precursors of the wind and also look at what the current's doing around there, pull up some high comms actually on the noah maps or on something like that, and you can actually see that it's passage weather. You can go to buoy weather is this?

Vanessa Linsley:

okay, yeah, the buoy weather is really good because that's got all the models on it separately. You can also go to windy and you can pick up your wind models, which they have merged those with, like the ECMWF as well as the GFS, so you can see the merge of that and you can see the progression of it. They utilize some of the oceanographic Models with it as well.

Capn Tinsley:

Look at this 5 to 6 meters.

Vanessa Linsley:

And they're still saying Tallahassee.

Capn Tinsley:

Six to eight If you go with the models and what the NHC has.

Key West John:

You're looking at Appalachian School of Tallahassee but, like Vanessa said, it's below you and, as an old guy once said, it doesn't turn until it turns. Who said that I heard some old guy say that one day it said hurricanes, they don't turn until they turn. You're all basing on this thing turning Right now. This thing is headed directly at you.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, so this is tomorrow at noon UTC time and then Friday. When do you think it's going to hit land?

Vanessa Linsley:

I don't know. I think it's going to hit land. Actually it might even be Thursday night late.

Key West John:

Yeah, I think it's Thursday night late when it'll get landfall. That's tomorrow night. Yeah, we're talking like 10 o night late. Yeah, I think it's Thursday night late is when it'll get landfall.

Capn Tinsley:

We're talking like that's tomorrow night.

Vanessa Linsley:

Yeah, we're talking like 10 o'clock.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, but.

Vanessa Linsley:

I got a sneaky suspicion. It's going to slow down just a tiny bit and that's when it's going to take a little warble and it's going to come in as a cat one to a cat two.

Key West John:

Okay, all right yeah.

Vanessa Linsley:

There's a pressure gradient coming across the middle of the gulf that you can actually see. That's going to dip down and that's going to affect the warble and if you look at the timing on that, it looks to be like it's going to kick it in the teeth just a little bit, which is good, but it's actually going to increase the wind field on the right side.

Key West John:

Okay.

Vanessa Linsley:

The more Florida's going to get hit.

Key West John:

I told you she was full of wisdom and knowledge.

Capn Tinsley:

She's full of something Fresh to Salty says, hey, they've been on the podcast. Yeah, so you guys are fine, it's going to be. Do you think I'll have the same? Let's see what are the winds saying it's going to be. Do you think I'll have the same? Let's see what are the ones saying it's going to be 25 to 30? You think that's what we'll get?

Key West John:

If I were guessing, what you'd have is out of the north, 20, 25, you know maybe, but anybody shift, shifts to the west a little bit and things totally change.

Capn Tinsley:

Don't take your eye off of it. Don't watch the Weather Channel, though, right?

Key West John:

Nah, yeah, no, no, Like Lindsay referred, I mean Vanessa referred to it earlier on. You know, factor in get every bit of you can. We both talked about that. Get all the information you can. Weather sources Don't rely on, just the Weather Channel says so, and so Don't just.

Capn Tinsley:

They exaggerate so much.

Key West John:

And don't take it three days out and then don't look at it again.

Vanessa Linsley:

No, and they're politically motivated. They're motivated. People go shopping.

Capn Tinsley:

It's Hollywood.

Vanessa Linsley:

It's Hollywood, I'm sorry, but the weather is not about the economics. As a boater, weather will make you be poor, oh yeah. As a boater, weather will make you be poor, oh yeah, oh yeah, you're gonna pay for the insurance to protect you or you're gonna pay out of the yin yang to fix it when it's done right.

Key West John:

Yeah, and on that note a little plug. If you need some fixing, nobody's better than vanessa. Oh, vanessa can do anything I've seen the train.

Capn Tinsley:

I've seen her do so many projects. She'll help you buy a boat. She'll help you find another insurance. She'll help you know about your broken ankle.

Vanessa Linsley:

She'll know about the hurricane uh yeah, motor vessel life and I've lived well. Yeah, I mean it feels great life and I've lived it Well. Yeah, I mean it comes with it.

Key West John:

You get enough experience, you learn things. But I mean, I've observed her knowledge for a long time and I mean it's just like damn.

Capn Tinsley:

I didn't know how to do it.

Key West John:

It really is. She is a good fixer, a good operator and a good boat dealer.

Vanessa Linsley:

I like to get people to understand how to do what they've got to do to their boats.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh yeah.

Vanessa Linsley:

She actually can drive a train. This is Mike's weather page. It's pretty good.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, she drives a train.

Key West John:

She drives a train really good.

Capn Tinsley:

You might see her on the conch train down here. So it says Mike's weather page is pretty good. Mike's weather page yeah, that's a good source.

Vanessa Linsley:

So it says Mike's weather page is pretty good. Mike's weather page is. That's a good source. He does some. He's Unfortunately sometimes gets lost up in the last minute.

Key West John:

Yes, oh, really yes.

Vanessa Linsley:

Yeah, he.

Capn Tinsley:

I knew you'd have an opinion.

Vanessa Linsley:

Well, they're like, but he does a great job. But one of the hard parts about him is that he's trying to cover a vast amount of space for everybody. And so the last Caribbean. Yeah, when you need to get something detailed, it's hard to get right where you are, unless he's on top of it.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, all right, mr Weatherman, shields is a pretty good one. I don't know who that is. Do you anybody? I don't know, Is that a website?

Key West John:

I've never heard of it, so I don't know Okay.

Vanessa Linsley:

I know. I like looking at the models directly, and I also know that I like looking at the oceanographic models and looking at the HICOMs to figure things out.

Capn Tinsley:

John likes to look at the original where it comes from. And the 500 billion maps.

Key West John:

Yep, I'm like Vanessa, I like to look at the models. I like to look at you know, because you see the wide range of opinions when you see the models and all that stuff. That's good.

Capn Tinsley:

Right, and then you look at which models are accurate.

Vanessa Linsley:

You go up your levels on them, and that's how you determine which ones you're going to look at yeah, yeah, and you both agree that the European model is the most accurate.

Key West John:

Absolutely. I hear people say that is I don't know what. Do you know, vanessa? Do you have an opinion on that here? I hear more people say they put their faith in Europe.

Vanessa Linsley:

So I minored in meteorology, retired ocean racer and one of my best friends. Oh, you did not, of course, you did I did extra analysis, ate my lunch so I didn't major in it okay, okay.

Capn Tinsley:

So she's saying what's your?

Key West John:

favorite. What's your favorite? What do you put your most faith on?

Vanessa Linsley:

the european models the european model. It's been my experience, especially out at sea, that the european models in the at Atlantic Basin and actually over off mainland Europe and in the Caribbean as well, are all close to 92 to 98 percent accurate. Right, that's pretty good, dang. And you do that with a 500 millibar map and then you actually look at your HICOMs along with that and you're usually pretty close to spot on.

Key West John:

Yeah, Okay, and the Euro's still in black. That's the black one, right?

Vanessa Linsley:

Yeah, within 8 to 10 hours. Within what? Within 8 to 10 hours. Oh yeah, okay good 380 and 420 miles out at sea. I'm getting ready to get my tail kicked. That's the model I want to see.

Key West John:

Okay, good so Chris.

Capn Tinsley:

DeSalty says YouTube, he's a meteorologist on YouTube and he covers the Caribbean, covers all the models. And then Florida Buckeyes says just log it in.

Key West John:

Are the springs going to get wet?

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, are the springs going to get wet? Where you are, you should be.

Key West John:

Yeah, Tarpon Springs will be.

Vanessa Linsley:

There was a phenomenal guy on the single sideband that we used to use when we were doing transits out at sea. His name was southbound too, it was Herb Holland, and he was a Canadian guy that was living in Bermuda.

Vanessa Linsley:

Oh wow, he wore by the European models as well, but Herb Holland and he was a Canadian guy that was living in Bermuda, oh, wow, okay, he's wore by the European models as well, but Herb, he was spot on always. He would talk to me, find out what your present position was and actually be able to come back on. People would wait in line on the single sideband in the morning to be able to talk to Southbound to find out what he had to say about when their wind direction was oh yeah, wow, southbound to how do you get him?

Vanessa Linsley:

Single sideband. Single sideband used to be, but he got kicked out of Bermuda because they thought they had somebody that could do the job he did, so he moved back to Canada and I've lost touch with whatever happened, but I think he passed away.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, oh, my Well, florida Buckeyes and Motor Vessel Intrigue needs to get out of the way, because that's right where it's going right. That's the dirty side of the hurricane.

Key West John:

Is the Florida Buckeye on? There? Is he on Because we kind of jumped on him since we were SEC people the first time. But the Florida Buckeye the Ohio State's had a great program for many, many years as well. I go back to the Woody Hayes days, as you well remember, and so I have the utmost respect for the Ohio State program. Yeah, so we kind of jumped in. You and me double teamed in the last time he was on.

Capn Tinsley:

You were Bama, I was Georgia. You were Bama, I was.

Key West John:

Georgia. We were roughing him up.

Vanessa Linsley:

Roll tide, Tarpen Springs looks like it's going to be getting category one strength breezes on a pretty steady basis. They're going to be on a really dirty side, but that breeze and everything that's there in Tarpen Springs that looks like it is going to start as soon as when's it gonna start?

Vanessa Linsley:

they're gonna start they're gonna start getting breezes, uh, out of the east when you start seeing those around 2025. It's gonna pick up pretty quick when that happens and it looks like it's gonna be midday tomorrow that they're really going to be getting whaled on. Get all the lines on by midday, out of the southeast first and you're going to have it whaling out of the southeast. Quite a bit Whaling, I like that.

Capn Tinsley:

Whaling.

Vanessa Linsley:

And then because it's going to go from 25 to literally like 60. Bam.

Key West John:

Tell Florida I hate to say this tell florida buck. I, I, o. I never said that in my life. He sent in the. Oh, I'll send in the io. Oh, don't tell anybody in the sec that I said that. Okay, now back to vanessa's great weather stuff.

Capn Tinsley:

I'm sorry well, is that some fighting words or something?

Key West John:

Well, yeah, that's the thing.

Capn Tinsley:

O-H-I-O.

Key West John:

Okay Now, okay, okay, I had to support Florida Buck Island. Okay now, I'm sorry to interrupt Vanessa because she was giving us some really great stuff and we were talking football crap.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, you need to have your boats tied up. You need to have your boats tied up by midday.

Vanessa Linsley:

Get that done by midday tomorrow, because it's only going to look like it's about 20 knots and then it's going to pick up literally within an hour and go 20 to 20. What is this? You want to be secured out of southeast, so pay attention, out of southeast. But you know the other thing that's most important, that nobody's remembering with this one, what's that? You've got to pay attention to? What's going to happen with this tidal surge, because the tidal surge, even though you're not directly in its path and you're not directly hit, the direction that the wind is flowing and it's pushing the water out of this is what's going to pile up the water coast. It's going to pile up and so, as it's going up the coast of florida, that pile up is what's going to start becoming significant. Remember, you got to have your lines paid attention to so that you can handle that tide yeah and in my case, it's going to be.

Capn Tinsley:

It's going to be pushing it out. Pushing it out, yeah right, but you're talking.

Vanessa Linsley:

You're talking anywhere from probably uh uh, four to eight feet on your tidal surge.

Key West John:

You're talking about Tampa Bay area, like Tampa Bay area, yeah.

Capn Tinsley:

North of that Tarpon Springs.

Vanessa Linsley:

Yeah, even with it dropping down to a Cat 1 because it's so big, it's pushed so much water in already. We've got to wash right here and I've got to tell you I went out and I rode along the south side of the island just a little while ago taking my puppy on a car ride, and South Roosevelt's already flooded and we're only supposed to have one to three, but we've got that water that's been pushing in out of the southeast with this breeze for so long now. Once it comes out of the south, we're probably going to have a three-foot tidal surge here and we only have two.

Key West John:

Once it comes out of the south, we're probably going to have a three-foot tidal surge here. Come over here on the north side it's dry over here.

Vanessa Linsley:

Remember you only got the bridge, you got to follow through.

Capn Tinsley:

So you'll get wet at the southernmost point, right, oh yeah.

Vanessa Linsley:

You'll get wet at the southernmost point. Yeah, everybody over there is getting wet.

Key West John:

There'll be a splash or two down there.

Vanessa Linsley:

Oh so they're're gonna get it at low tide. It was over the beach road actually at 5 o'clock.

Key West John:

Really Okay.

Capn Tinsley:

The one supposed to be strongest at 530 tomorrow. He says Would the, would the wind overtake the tide, make it go higher? Or, with the low tide, help us? Well, not at 10 o'clock, because that's going to be going up.

Vanessa Linsley:

It's going to be going up yeah, when it looks like it, unless this little pressure gradient in the middle of the gulf where it takes this little warble slows it down a lot longer than what it's supposed to, which you don't want to do, because it's going to have the capability of building a little bit, then it's going to have the capability of building a little bit, then it's going to. You got five to eight, I think you're looking at over there along Tarpon Springs area.

Key West John:

Oh yeah, easily. Five to eight Fresh to salt.

Capn Tinsley:

he said Glad we're on the Indian River. I think y'all are in, is it? Where are you? Where are you fresh to salt?

Key West John:

they were in the bahamas, but let's see, he says you're far enough at the indian river, are you okay, but down toward the coast yeah, topham springs around 10 o'clock tomorrow night yep, yeah, I would drink to that I am now. Israel, are you driving the train in the morning? No, we are closed. Melbourne Okay, good.

Capn Tinsley:

That's the East Coast. You think they're going to get anything in Melbourne.

Vanessa Linsley:

I think they're going to get some breeze and they're going to get some stuff on the back side of this. Yeah, we're on the East Coast. Yeah, y'all keep talking. I'm coughing, we're on the East.

Key West John:

Coast. Oh yeah, we got to keep takeover while she calls Okay. But yeah, the little wind and rain over there and some breeze and surfers Surfers will probably like it. They'll probably like it. I think there's enough coming in for the southeast.

Vanessa Linsley:

As it comes up and it goes across from Port St Lucie, actually almost all the way to Myrtle Beach. You're going to have some breezes and some conditions.

Key West John:

Oh, yeah, yeah, that's going to be.

Vanessa Linsley:

Georgia and South Carolina coast. Yeah, I mean it's going to go all the way up to Hatteras before it really drops below 30 knots.

Key West John:

Yeah, they'll get some erosion and stuff up there and surfers, surfers will love it. Yeah, oh, she's back.

Capn Tinsley:

I guess we won't have any surfers here. Why not Cheers? It's a All right. So let's see, I guess that's it Anything you wanted to spread Any more wisdom that you guys have? I mean, you guys have so much wisdom.

Key West John:

Vanessa can spread wisdom and knowledge all night long. Be thick, you think I'm her agent, but I just know she has a wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

Vanessa Linsley:

You can go all night long. I'm going to tell you this again Me and elephants, we have something in common One day you're going to get your head and get rid of all the existential crap.

Capn Tinsley:

Fresh to Salty's says 35 knots sustained and gusts to 50 they are predicting in Melbourne.

Key West John:

That's right here when In. Melbourne oh Melbourne, really. Yeah, I wouldn't. I don't know, I guess they are. I wouldn't think they'd get any 50s there, but they might. Where In Melbourne? Oh Melbourne, really. Yeah, I wouldn't. I don't know, I guess they are, I wouldn't think they'd get any 50s there, but they might.

Vanessa Linsley:

As this crosses across once again, the dirty side of this that's going to be and you look at how it's going to move that dirty side is already going to be across the state and into Georgia, just as that eyewall is coming up into the state. Yeah, and that's the problem, that dirty stuff over there that you know you're not talking about anything more than 40 knots, but it's coming out of the south.

Key West John:

Yeah.

Vanessa Linsley:

They're not accustomed to that.

Key West John:

Right, oh yeah.

Capn Tinsley:

Well, here it is. This is someone knocking on your boat.

Key West John:

Oh no, it was just me knocking on the tape, Okay.

Capn Tinsley:

So he's asking me if I put the boat up on the hard. No, no, I think the boat up on the hard. No, no, I think I'll be the least affected, but Florida Buckeyes needs to worry about it a little bit. I hope his boat's okay.

Key West John:

Yeah, where's he located? I'm sorry, I didn't catch that Tarpon Springs oh no, no Florida, oh my Lord. Yeah, that could be interesting there, as Vanessa was covering earlier, but you know, Tampa seems to always avoid it most of Tampa. Well, we're in the bulls out here you can go into the old Indian mounds and the Indian graves or whatever it takes, but they seem to fight them off down there.

Capn Tinsley:

They got a lot of sponges there.

Key West John:

But, like Vanessa said, you're going to get that surge. A lot of Greeks too. That surge is going to be huge. Even if you don't get the wind damage, that surge is going to be huge there.

Capn Tinsley:

Because it's been going on like she said for so long.

Key West John:

I mean, this thing's moving along for so long you push a lot of water. We can't see that, but it pushes a lot of water.

Vanessa Linsley:

And that water's got nowhere else to go up there other than right on the cusp, and that's where it's headed.

Key West John:

And water's heavy, it hurts and it's powerful.

Capn Tinsley:

It hurts. Here's where let's go from R&A. It hurts yeah. So, this is midnight UTC time. That's about what is that 7 o'clock or something, Eastern time.

Key West John:

UTC is four hours different now, so what's that?

Capn Tinsley:

So Florida Buckeyes, this is what you're looking at tomorrow about 8 o'clock, 8 pm tomorrow is?

Vanessa Linsley:

this is 8 pm. I'm going to turn my picture around for a second.

Key West John:

This is windy at 8 pm all right, let me take it off and while she's doing that, we just had 34 knots gust out at the airport here in key west, so you guys are so good at monitoring everything. We should get up, you know, some little stronger later.

Capn Tinsley:

And what is that, Vanessa? What time is that?

Vanessa Linsley:

That is at 8 o'clock tomorrow night on Windy Florida.

Capn Tinsley:

Buckeyes run.

Vanessa Linsley:

This is about that that spring hill right there when are you guys gonna flatten out when?

Capn Tinsley:

when would it all go away for you guys?

Vanessa Linsley:

um, it's not gonna flatten out for us until it looks like around friday morning yeah, oh man, you guys are tough.

Capn Tinsley:

I mean I it messes with my head when I'm just rocking and rolling at the.

Vanessa Linsley:

you know, you're used to it though, right, I mean we're going to keep 30 knots until 8 o'clock tomorrow night at least.

Key West John:

Yeah, yeah, this is not Right now. So far, this is a lot better ride than I was in the marathon for Ian but I was not protected ride. Then I was in the marathon for Ian but I was not protected and for 18 hours we were 30 degrees left, 30 degrees right.

Capn Tinsley:

I remember that.

Key West John:

Yeah, so yeah, and Ian was 140 miles. I was 140 miles from marathon and we were having 40 and 50 mile hour winds. That showed how big Ian was.

Vanessa Linsley:

I clocked 72 here on my boat at the ferry yeah.

Key West John:

That's why we decided to stay in Marathon. We were there and I said, dottie, can we just stay here, because no need to hurry down to Key West, yeah.

Vanessa Linsley:

And I snapped two, three quarter inch, three straight lines.

Key West John:

Really, really.

Vanessa Linsley:

Yeah.

Capn Tinsley:

That's no joke.

Vanessa Linsley:

on a boat I was in the same slip that I am now, but it was the when the water came up. The water came up. We had we only had like a four foot tidal surge, but the wind was pushing at the same time.

Key West John:

Yeah.

Vanessa Linsley:

We had a big commercial headboat that had broken loose from Robbie's and took the whole dock with them.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, crap, oh no.

Vanessa Linsley:

And it was coming down to Fairway over here where my boat is and two boats in front of me. Everybody else had evacuated to that area because they were on morgue calls and not pilings.

Key West John:

Yeah.

Vanessa Linsley:

Wow, and that boat was coming in. There were guys on their boats that lived down here. They were staying up at the Perry Hotel and they saw the boat and they came trucking down here, grabbed lines off of the boat and any free lines they could find laying around. And the boat actually got pushed up to the edge of the wall at one point and then jumped on and actually put lines on it to make it stop and stay. Oh really, so they just wiped out all the rest of the boats down here.

Key West John:

That's good. They were able to get on and get the lines on.

Capn Tinsley:

Wow, I don't think there's any traffic issues with this storm yet I don't know what. Do you think Any? What Traffic issues?

Vanessa Linsley:

We have three boats down in front of Key West already.

Capn Tinsley:

You have what?

Vanessa Linsley:

Three boats down in front of Key West already.

Capn Tinsley:

Three boats down. What does that mean?

Key West John:

Yeah, we'll lose some out here. Yeah, 250 boats, you're going to lose some.

Vanessa Linsley:

Yeah, we lost one last night and it's over in front of the Casa Casales.

Key West John:

Oh really.

Vanessa Linsley:

Past White Street Pier. They were two boats that were up in Cowkey Channel. Yeah, and the other one sunk at the turn at the airport. Right out there it looked like a little S2. Oh yeah, what caused that? When the wind picked up and the water was, you know, we had the water breaking here out on the reef five miles out. We had breaking seas two days ago here, out on the reef five miles out.

Vanessa Linsley:

We had breaking seas two days ago because we had a current that was countering that breeze as this system was coming up and I think a bunch of people that were on the hook actually had problems with that because that current was a really big take and everything else to see. So if you were set for the breeze and you're sitting on a morning ball or you're on an anchor and you pick up because you're not ready for that current, you're going to end up loose and you're going to end up going down. And I think both of those boats got caught that way. So their lines broke, they drug their anchors and then that was the end of it, I wouldn't be very happy.

Capn Tinsley:

On anchor, it's just not enough. I mean, you said, John, that some people have like two big engines down there. That's more like mooring balls, right?

Key West John:

I think, vanessa, they'll put three anchors out there, three heavy something. There's a number of those 36-foot boats out there, three heavy something.

Vanessa Linsley:

Three and four. There's a number of those 36-foot boats out there that are under 40 feet and they've got 150-pound yachtsman's anchors with a couple of other things, and there's a chain in the middle of the Key West Harbor where the links are about 85 pounds apiece. They used to belong to a big ship. Yeah yeah, when I ran the charter company here for that 25 years years, I had three moorings out there on the tail end of that chain. Oh and I I couldn't keep the derelicts off of it and oh yeah, I would stand over, and so finally I just gave up and I let the derelicts have it when they go out. They couldn't have, they didn't have a mooring they could go to, and so we worked something out with Eric Denver.

Capn Tinsley:

John calls those the dingoes. I call them the dingo people.

Key West John:

I mean, there's a wide range of people and supposedly but that's probably a better update on that the city's supposedly adding 100, but I don't know. You know they're going at city pace, so I don't know when they'll have it done. Government pace.

Vanessa Linsley:

They have to have 180, but they don't have space for them. Oh, really, okay.

Key West John:

Yeah.

Vanessa Linsley:

Oh they don't have space for 80? 180. Yeah, woo, if they want to institute this thing where you can't stay on a mooring longer than 90 days and then you have to. Oh man, they have to add 180 moorings in order to be able to do that. So they're kind of leaving everybody alone a little bit, but they're monitoring them.

Key West John:

Yeah.

Vanessa Linsley:

And, once again, everybody that had those anchors down that were set. Now they want you to, they don't allow you to do that, so your anchors are never really going to be set as they were before. It's got a hard bottom.

Key West John:

Yeah, you can't be horsing up a 150-pound anchor every three months.

Capn Tinsley:

Or an engine so fresh to salsa. It says trafficking Tampa from evacuations over hour delay getting out of tampa. That's always that way um 75. You know, 75 is always bad above tampa right, yeah, that four over to orlando.

Key West John:

I four of that orlando is bad.

Capn Tinsley:

So all right guys. Well, this has been fun, um really fun. I hope I'll get you back, vanessa. This is like the fourth time I've had. I think it's the fourth time I've had John on here. I hope you'll come back and do this again.

Key West John:

Yeah, get her back. She's got a lot, a lot of information to show people.

Vanessa Linsley:

I like to talk about stuff.

Capn Tinsley:

I like to, yeah, like the eyes just. I mean, when we talk about sailing, it's just, you know, it's just when you told me the other day you had a.

Key West John:

You know I learned so much from her. The other day you called me. I forgot you had some kind of stain on your gel, go whatever, and I said get you some thousand grit wet. I learned that from.

Capn Tinsley:

Vanessa, vanessa. Well, how do I get off the drips from teak oil or whatever you use? Oh yeah, the teak oil on your. It's all over the boat. The teak looks great, but the drips don't.

Key West John:

I told her a thousand grit, do some wet thousand grit, what should I do?

Vanessa Linsley:

You've got to buff over that with everything. So if it's regular oil, you can be very careful and use MEKP on a cotton cloth, or you can also use.

Capn Tinsley:

What was that On a cotton cloth?

Vanessa Linsley:

Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, mekp, and then put a different language wax. Fucking German you actually use when you're mixing gel coat, you're actually kicking fiberglass. It's a resin kicker, but it's less cost to your gel coat. Your gel coat's going to. Yeah, that's what I want.

Capn Tinsley:

Can we text that to me so I can I? Didn't quite understand. It was like Japanese or something.

Key West John:

You can have the whole lot, but that was a whole lot better than my thousand grip.

Capn Tinsley:

You're going to mess up your wax job big time. No, I don't want to do that. Come back in and wax it later.

Vanessa Linsley:

Give me KP and then take a little tiny bit Of 3M, the 3M sealer wax, oh yeah, the wax for sure, and the sealer wax actually might have. Yeah, the wax restorer, yeah, and the sealer wax actually might have some stuff in it that might bring that oil drip up.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, all right guys, all right. How I like to end it is saying we're going to go out now, so thank you for being here. Salty, abandon out Out. Hope you do okay. Oh, I didn't do it right, I did this last week. Here we go.

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