ISLA BELLA and Patricia

Professional Mariner Forum
1

Any comments regarding the replacement for the EL FARO currently underway, southbound to Panama and potential interaction with Hurricane Patricia? I find it interesting that in a relatively mild Hurricane season that Tote has to deal with two . . . . or course my thoughts are with those onboard.

2

[QUOTE=cmakin;172287]Any comments regarding the replacement for the EL FARO currently underway, southbound to Panama and potential interaction with Hurricane Patricia? I find it interesting that in a relatively mild Hurricane season that Tote has to deal with two . . . . or course my thoughts are with those onboard.[/QUOTE]

My guess would be that Tote would tell the Isla Bella captain to be extra cautious. Pretty sure the El Faro would be on the captain’s mind and that he would very wary of getting any where near Patricia

3

Patrica should be going ashore about now. 200 mph winds Cat 5.

4

What should REALLY be getting everyone’s attention are the following bits of information:

  1. At present Hurr. Patricia is the most powerful measured Western Hemisphere hurricane ever to make landfall.

  2. Lowest central pressure ever measured at 879 mb.

  3. Most important to us seafarer-types, all of the computer models got it wrong. That’s right, all of them.

  4. This was among the most rapidly-intensifying cyclones known to modern meteorological science: from a tropical storm to Cat 5 in just 30 hours.

The weather is not nearly so predictable as we sometimes foolishly like to tell ourselves, and nature always bats last. No exceptions.

So the next time someone ashore suggests that it’s okay to treat tropical storms as if they are no big deal (famous last words: “it’s only a tropical storm”), gently suggest that they remove their head from their rectum ASAP and get a clue.

When it comes to voyage planning and weather decisions, shoreside managers (who, by definition, have no physical skin in the game) should be very, very careful about what they say or imply to vessel masters and how it might be taken.

This storms aren’t a game, unless you’re idea of a game is Russian Roulette.

5

At the moment AIS info has her slow steaming near the Baja Peninsula bound for the Panama Canal.

6

[QUOTE=Chief Seadog;172339]At the moment AIS info has her slow steaming near the Baja Peninsula bound for the Panama Canal.[/QUOTE]

The best Info I had was a couple of days old. . .