"INTENSITY" NO MATCH FOR KATRINA


This is an email I received from Scott Williams, owner of "Intensity" a Grampian 26 after he found his boat following Katrina.

22 September 2005

Hi Ken,

I just found my boat yesterday after spending the afternoon wading through the marsh and hiking the forest surrounding the marina where it was secured before the storm.  Unfortunately, it's stranded high and dry about 40 yards from the nearest water and wedged between two  large pine trees.  Those hulls must be tough.  There's not a crack in the hull or deck anywhere, but the mast was torn off and  broken into several pieces, one of which is in the top of a tree.  The custom SS bow and stern pulpits were also ripped off, as well as the  stanchions, the port sheet winch, and the custom anchor platform.  Looters had broken in and stolen my VHF, stereo, and a few misc. items, but I was able to salvage two canoe loads of gear, including the compass, DC and AC circuit panels, all the galley equipment and stove, and lots of misc. fenders, boat hooks, line, etc.  My Honda 9.9 was still there, and probably okay, but the tiller arm was broken.  The boat floated high and dry on the storm surge, and the 1 foot or so of water in the bilges was likely rain water.  There was a report from the crew of a large shrimp boat that rode it out on board that the storm surge in the area was 30 feet +, with 12 foot breaking seas on top of that.  It's hard to imagine, unless you've seen the aftermath. 

 

I did bring my working jib off, and the main and  genoa are still there as well.  The working jib is in good shape and was my best sail.  Maybe someone with a G26 would want to buy it?  There may be some other stuff as well that I could get if I go back there later, like the mast tabernacle, etc. 

 

I'll post photos of it on my website when I can and give you a link.  It may be of interest to other Grampian owners.  It was heartbreaking to see my boat in such sad condition, but I'm glad at least to have found her and salvaged some of the gear.

 
Scott Williams

 

I have not heard from Scott since this email and am unsure about the equipment he may want to sell.
 

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