CuttingWater

Saturday, July 14, 2012

...and the rain came down, down, down....

I woke early this morning, earlier than I wished, must have had lots on my mind. I'm trying not to worry about the weather, but I suppose subconsciously it is playing a major game inside my head.

After breakfast, I decided to call Mike Oram after viewing his post on the channel group. There was going to a small break in the wind, but not enough to settle the seas. The report is as follows.

We decided it was not worth the risk with such a small window. Unfortunately as the weather is not called to improve. I have one more call with Mike to make sure about Wednesday, but chances are slim to none.

It's OK with me, the water and air are very cold and I really do not want to be sick all summer, I still have the SwimAcrosstheSound in 2 week and a good 10K in Long Beach CA in Sept. I'm always welcome over here and if the weather clears I still may be back.

I still did a quick hour with John Collingwood, cold hands from the wind chill, all else fine. Dave, the harbor seal, visited another swimmer, he wasn't interested in me, bummer.

... But in the meantime, Amanda and I (and all the swimmers and helpers at the beach) got caught in an amazing Thunder Storm. Flash Flooding was a common find. Amanda and I took refuge at Blakes, only to witness the basement and garden flooding, before Amanda finished her shopping, I'm pretty much done, but have one more go at it in London later this week, assuming I won't be in the channel.

I actually am QUITE ready to return to a HOT CT summer, I feel like I'm trapped in a cool Autumn fortnight with occasional breaks in sun.

Until tomorrow.

At the moment (0900 bst) the Sandettie light ship is showing South Westerly @ 22 knots and a 1.6 ft wave height of 6 secs duration.
It's been blowing at 20+ knots for most of the night and wave heights have reached 3 foot plus (1 metre) when it was wind against tide. 
The water temp is 59.2°F - (15.1°C). that's a slight drop from earlier this week.
Air temperature is a little less at 58.1°F - (14.5°C).
The wind and tide are together at the moment this will change to wind against tide at around 1245 / 1300.
See below for the Met office forecast -- www.metoffice.gov.uk.
"Coast and sea" for the shipping & inshore waters
Dover - Langdon Bay for the land forecast.
--------------------------------
Shipping Forecast - Issued: 0405 UTC Sat 14 Jul
Wind - Southwesterly 5 to 7 veering northwesterly 4 or 5, then backing westerly 3 or 4 later.
Sea State - Moderate occasionally rough, becoming slight or moderate.
Weather - Rain or thundery showers.
Visibility - Good, occasionally poor.
--------------------------------
North Foreland to Selsey Bill - inshore waters forecast
Strong winds are forecast
For coastal areas up to 12 miles offshore from 0600 UTC Sat 14 Jul until 0600 UTC Sun 15 Jul 24 hour forecast:
Wind - Southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first in east, veering northwesterly 3 or 4, then backing westerly later.
Sea State - Moderate becoming slight.
Weather - Rain or thundery showers, becoming fair later.
Visibility - Moderate or good.
--------------------------------
Outlook for the following 24 hours: 0600 Sun 15 Jul to 0600 Mon 16th Jul
 Wind - Westerly 3 or 4 backing southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in east.
Sea State - Slight becoming moderate.
Weather - Showers.
Visibility - Good
Langdon Bay predictions --
25 mph gusts forecast for 1300 through to 1900 - then a lull from 1900 until midday Sunday. From 1300 Sunday the wind is forecast to build with the wind veering (going clockwise) at 26 mph through to midnight.
Monday & Tuesday is showing predicted gusts of up to 40 mph (gales again)
Looking at the pressure chart it looks like late Thursday or Friday before anything with settle enough for a swim.
The weather is changing quickly with the UK in a jet stream situation. Best we can do is hope the weather forecasters have got it wrong and things will change for the better.
Regards
Michael O

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2015 ... Swimming for Homes for the Brave

After spending the past 20 years paddling from Dover to France, it is time to venture into new waters, while helping some special people.
Soon, I will be traveling with my A-team to Scotland to swim the length of the famous Loch Ness.
As always, I try to help a Foundation raise funds and awareness and I thank you for interest and support.
I am deeply troubled with the thought of homeless individuals, especially in our US Veteran population.

That is why I am teaming up with our Connecticut-based “Homes for the Brave”. Can you imagine not having a place to call home?

Here is more information about Homes for the Brave! -Facebook pages – https://www.facebook.com/pages/ABRIHomes-for-the-Brave/199613606735630?ref=hl

- Annual Appeal with more information about our financials and programs- http://www.homesforthebrave.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/HFTB-2014-Annual-Report-FINAL.pdf

-Check donations can be mailed to the following address:
Homes for the Brave
655 Park Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604

- Donations can be made online as well: https://homesforthebrave.isecuresites.com/products/index.php?type=1110

Please write “Loch Ness Swim/Marcy” to track your donation.


I will always be dedicating my swimming to all those battling cancer and in the memory of 4 special people in my life. Cancer first hit my family when I was young. My grand-aunt Eleanor Kersavage, passed away with uterine cancer and my Auntie Bea Halchak battled with brain cancer.

On January 1, 2002, our LEHY family lost Nikki Giampolo to bone cancer, just turning 16 years old. Her spirit still lives on in our East Hartford swim team.

In July of 2009, my brother-in-law, Gregory Allen Urban, who passed away, after a valient battle with lung cancer. I can see him now, talking about cars and projects around the house, music and his family.

I know Aunties, Eleanor and Bea, Nikki, Greg and all the angels will help me CUT through all this water this summer.

The St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, based in Bridgeport, CT provides financial support for the needs that Health insurance companies don't cover, in addition to providing affordable cancer screening, wigs, medication and other things to make life easier for those suffering with cancer and their families.

Please make a donation, and thank you.

Online donations can be made at: http://give.stvincents.org

or you can send a check through the post to:

Swim Across the Sound
St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation
2800 Main Street
Bridgeport, CT 06606
(203)576-5451

Thank you so very much, peace and good health to all.