Storm Irene..Sailing Thursday

Tamsin72 · August 24, 2011

Cant stop in Key West or Canaveral if they dont stop at a foreign port

What does this mean?

Our cruise is scheduled to stop in Key West and the Bahamas. If we can't make the Bahamas due to hurricane damage, we wouldn't go to key west either?

cuyahoga11 · August 24, 2011

Simply put, because of the Jones Act, cruise ships that were not U.S. built, U.S. owned and with U.S. crews cannot travel between U.S. ports, unless they stop at a foreign port.

Large fines are assessed for violations

Nickymjw1 · August 24, 2011

I hope you don't think I was implying you were complaining because I didn't mean that at all. I just meant that there will be others who will.

Fingerscrossed you have a great cruise - wherever you wind up! :D

Still watching it closely. It is starting to look better for us leaving

keystonemama · August 24, 2011

Jax update as of 11 p.m.

For us, High Tides, Rough Surf, Rip Currents, and Gusty Winds at the beaches

I am glad that I no longer live in my native state of New Jersey. I’m afraid the Atlantic seaboard is in for the worst hurricane in decades if the above forecast proves correct.

For us here in Florida and southeast Georgia, we are now outside the cone of uncertainty. It’s not very often that I can comfortably say that IRENE will not strike here when it is more than 2 days before passing us offshore. With the storm on this forecast track, we can expect northeast to north winds Thursday night and Friday morning averaging 20 to 35 mph, wih gusts near 50 mph at the beaches. Skies will be cloudy Friday morning with some passing showers, but they should begin to clear by late afternoon. The main effect on our area will be rough surf, rip currents and high tides. Surfers will find waves ranging from 9 to 14 feet. If IRENE deviates inside the cone to track number 1, you can add 15 mph to these wind speeds. But conversely, if IRENE goes to track number 3, you can subtract about at least 10 mph from the Friday forecast.

On Saturday, IRENE will be near Wilmington or Morehead City, NC. Our winds will swing around to the west and drop to 8 to 12 mph. We will see partly sunny skies, and it feel uncomfortably warm and humid, even at the beaches. Surfers will still see waves 5 to 8 feet in the morning, but they will be decreasing during Satuday afternoon and evening. On Sunday, seas will subside to only 2 to 3 feet, and it will be a nice beach day!