Hurricane Irene Slams Marina

McCotter's Marina Damaged by Irene

Another Boathouse Gone

Once again, McCotter's Marina suffers losses, this time from the Category 1 Hurricane Irene. I only have local news reports to go by, and I will confirm this information when Paul and I return to retrieve Piper and Paul's boat from Broad Creek.

This photo seems to show the wreckage at the docks of the marina, east of Washington, NC




A combination of hurricane force gusts and storm surge likely caused this collapse, I doubt anything could have been done.

The storm surge on the western shores of Pamlico Sound was predicted to be massive as this map of risk indicates.


The red areas are in the Neuse River, and the Pamlico River near McCotters is the shaded in brown, indicating nearly as severe a risk of flooding.

With that in mind, Paul's family and I zipped down to McCotters to ensure the safety of their 29 foot Columbia, Delphine. Our strategy was to anchor her out in the creek, where she could ride over the storm surge. At dock, she would likely be damaged by surge and waves and it was too late to have her hauled out. She had been up on stands for the previous two years. Also the flood might float her off of any stands that the staff might set up.

Here she sits on stands in October.



Below, after Hurricane Irene has passed, a boat is stranded blocking the road; this sort of damage is the reason there is currently a curfew in Washington, NC.



In a photo also from the Washington Daily News, boats in slips ride out the storm while the docks are awash.



Finally, from the WDN, from the Washington waterfront is this well-anchored sailboat with a branch, riding safely on the Pamlico River.



With Luck, Delphine is fine, Piper and Paul actually used three anchors to secure her. If no trees or boats ran into the sailboat, then she will be as we left her on Thursday. The eyewall of Irene was around 25 mile from McCotter's Marina, so no one could be confident of complete protection. I'm sure the staff did all they could to protect their property and that of clients. I hate to see property damaged, but the most important thing in a dangerous situation is to protect life and limb, and once again, no lives were lost as McCotter's suffers their continuing bad luck.