Avoiding Hurricanes

Many people are concerned that we're about to sail into the perfect storm. Surely you'll be crushed by five-hundred foot waves! And if a storm doesn’t get you, the Kraken will! Information is the best cure for fear, so here's a brief explanation of how storms in the North Atlantic work.

We intend to leave the US east coast by 1 June 2014 bound for Gibraltar--the entrance to the Mediterranean. This route generally takes a sailing vessel like our 34 foot Saugeen Witch (Thomas Colvin design) 30 days to complete, so for planning purposes we’ll be in the North Atlantic for the entire month of June.

Whoa! June is the start of hurricane season, are you NUTS??!!

Let's look at some statistics:

Since 1851, the month of June has seen 82 Tropical Storms and/or Hurricanes. That averages out to 0.5 per year, or one every two years (again, this is only for the month of June).

We must also consider the locations that storms tend to occur.

Based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), you can see below that likely storm locations are in the Gulf of Mexico and a couple hundred miles off the US east coast during the month of June. I’ve also included pictures of July through November for comparison. If we set sail From North Carolina with an optimistic weather forecast, we will clear this hazard zone long before a tropical storm brews in the lower latitudes.

As you can see, the chance of running into a serious storm in June is quite low. Outliers are known to happen, so storm avoidance really comes down to watching current weather forecasts and using your best friend--common sense.

Recap: The Last 5 Years

Alas! We are on the verge of leaving Clovis, New Mexico. We've called this small town home for the last 5 years, and what an adventure it has been!

Just like countless people before us, we cursed the remoteness. The flatness. The dryness. The fragrant smells...

One day we strolled the main street of Clovis, hunting for small-town photo opportunities. Amanda and I were determined to find a picturesque scene in contrast to the typical 7th Street burned-out, shot-out, brokedown house from the '50s. Surely there was something good in this town!

Walking over the red bricks, I spotted a piece of literature eloquently transposed on a storefront window: "Clovis Sux"

Beautiful! Even the locals don't like it here, I thought.

Looks can be deceiving, however.

The beauty of this town isn't its well-maintained roads, its numerous breweries, or its botanical gardens. The jewel of Clovis is its people.

Every neighbor we've had was a born 'n raised Clovis resident, and if it wasn't an offer to become honorary family members, it was a Thanksgiving turkey on our doorstep.

"Need us to watch your house while you're out of town? We'll check on the place every hour, water your plants, and if someone tries to break in we'll kill 'em dead."

Sigh. Maybe we can bring them with? I guess Clovis wouldn't be Clovis if we snatched up these wonderful folks.

It was a blessing in disguise, living in Clovis. Like a cattle prod it forced us to get out and explore the region. Rock climbing, snowboarding, caving, oh my! I can't even begin to list all the adventures we've experienced here. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll let them do the talking.


Monster Trucks @ Curry County Events Center

Rodeo @ Curry County Events Center

Fun in the Snow @ Ned Houk Park

Blue Hole @ Santa Rosa, NM

Perch Lake @ Santa Rosa, NM

Balloon Fiesta @ Albuquerque, NM

Hiking @ Ruidoso, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Hiking @ South Colony Lake, CO

Snowboarding @ Sipapu, NM

Hiking @ Capitan, NM

Rock Climbing @ El Rito, NM

Rock Climbing @ Diablo Canyon, NM

Hiking Wheeler Peak @ Taos, NM

Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO

White water rafting @ Royal Gorge, CO

Cross-country Kayaking @ Lake Powell, AZ/UT

Canyon de Chelly National Monument, AZ

Monument Valley, UT

Zion National Park, UT

Rock climbing/camping @ St. George, UT

Hiking @ Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Fall colors @ Los Alamos, NM

Blanca Peak, 4th highest of the Rocky Mountains @ 14,345ft

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived”
--Henry David Thoreau