| The
yard boss from a French marina agrees with him. "Everything
always has to be done at the very last minute"
he says angrily. "People are crazy, fools. It is
not the money because getting an average forty footer
in and out of the water and ashore for a week costs
4 to 500 US dollars. And they don't even have to pay
up front. No these sailors are lazy, passive and stubborn!!
Three hours before the storm broke I had 25 yachts with
begging owners queuing at my yard. I couldn't help any
of them. The wind was already blowing too hard. It would
have been far too dangerous to try and use the crane."
The yachts that were already ashore with their keels
dug into the sand have all survived. Just a few had
their masts blown off. |
Until
the bastard came this way but then it was already too
late to do anything. Sven is really pissed off. "And
now a fortune is simply lying around waiting to be picked
up and everything within sight is being stolen. We have
placed armed guards on board twelve of the severely
damaged yachts that are insured through us. What a mess.
And just like back in '95 with Luis all this misery
could easily have been avoided. Then over 1500 yachts
came here from all over the place to seek shelter from
the storm. Of these 1000 were badly damaged or even
total loss. In future not one single yacht will be insured
if it stays in the water during the hurricane season.
Put it safely ashore and take the mast of. Then nothing
can happen."