Gale force winds.

We had force 9 winds this morning but much better to be in the harbour than at sea. Even in the bay, we had good sized waves with white caps. I heard that some ferry sailings were cancelled.

A bit of damage to Eidos from hitting the pontoon - the teak trim ripped off. But having big fenders helped. We also had help from the crew of a neighbour's boat. They loaned us two fenders and helped when one of the shrouds came out of the fitting. Also, we threw the fortress anchor out to keep us away from the pontoon. Unfortunately,  a shackle on the anchor chain snapped and I had to call a diver to find the anchor. 

It is now early afternoon and the wind is finally dying so after a short walk, the crew and skipper can rest. 

Mother nature doesn't like to be seen at her worst.

So she saves her worst rages for the night.

The wind and waves increased between midnight and 3 a.m. and that's when I began to worry about my boat. The concrete quay was no match for the plastic fenders, even when I had them protected by a wooden plank. Soon they were flattened to a quarter of their size and I had to use life jackets, water bottles, and pillows to protect Eidos' hull from getting shattered. I even prepared sail bags as last effort.

Note to self: buy new fenders.

Yes, the harbor is safe but only if you have old tires and big fenders for protection and don't stay on board through the storm. 

Inside, the noise of the wind, the waves and the squeaking of the fenders and mooring lines prevented me from getting any sleep. And of course I worried about what was going to happen if the protection failed. Visualizing my boat and home at the bottom of the sea was not conducive to sleeping.

My sister supported me emotionally from Hawaii through the night, for which I am grateful.

I finally fell asleep at about 3 in the morning, but slept fitfully and kept waking up, my ears pricked up for any sign of increasing wind. 

Early morning, I woke up to calm seas and light wind. Mother Nature did not want to be photographed at her worst.