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Be Careful What You Wish For

By the looks of this satellite imagery, local reservoirs should be filling up nicely. Unfortunately, so will storm drains and treatment facilities.

© NOAA

Could it be that too many snowboarders have been praying for snow? Or too many resouce managers have been whining about our three-year drought? Whatever the reason, meteorologists seem to be in full agreement that we are in for one helluva deluge during the next two weeks.

The obvious note to boaters: If you haven’t checked your boat for clogged cockpit drains, inoperable bilge pumps, poorly stowed roller-furlers, frayed docklines, and inadequate fenders, you’d better get on it without delay. And if you’ve been putting off the purchase of a new set of foulies, now would be an excellent time to make that investment.

A rare combination of meteorological factors has forecasters’ eyes bugging out with a sense of wonder not often seen since ‘the perfect storm’. An unattributed meteorological report has been cirulating widely in cyberspace which explains that a strong El Niño influence in the Pacific is beginning to affect regional weather — big time. "Multiple large and powerful storm systems are expected to slam into California from the west and northwest over the coming two weeks, all riding this extremely powerful jet stream directly into the state," the report states. The onslaught is expected to affect the entire state, from Oregon to the Mexican border. High winds and flooding in the Bay Area and beyond are also expected throughout the ordeal. In lowland areas, 5 to 10 inches of rain are anticipated with much higher precip in higher elevations.

So if you haven’t checked your boat lately, don’t wait for a lull in the weather to do so — there may not be one for days. Remember, you alone are responsible for the welfare of your boat. Marina operators cannot be expected to bail out cockpits and check for chafe on every boat they rent space to.

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The Singlehanded Sailing Society is presenting one of the most important seminars for this summer’s Singlehanded TransPac: Communications and Electronic Navigation.