Google-Translation (German > English) ---------------------------------------- Date: February 22, 2016 02:55:37 -0000 Dear family and friends, First: We are concerned personally good, only a few small injury like bruises and abrasions. The Ulani there ... Here are some information, images then later when the telephone and Internet networks function again. Current state: The Ulani floats and is down tight. But since 24 hours we have some holes in the ship The largest is about 25cm in diameter. All holes are far above the waterline. But the rain penetrated the Ulani and we are now at the sealing and cleaning. Especially Mitigation is now announced. The railing of the right side of the ship, the pulpit, anchor roller and more is completely destroyed. What happened: We knew. that the tropical Wirbelstrum WINSTON (cyclone category 4 or 5 - that would be the highest level!) is on the way. When we heard that cyclone WINSTON in its path were changed almost 180 degrees and Tonga moves back towards Fiji, we have prepared for the approaching storm: - Cut off all the sails and stowed in - Bimini, Bimini top, Sprayhood degraded - Lashed all the rods Canopies on deck Located Aussbordmotor deck - - Gross tree several times secured with ropes and peppers left no loose items on deck - - The ship moored with 6 strong hawsers to the double helix moorings and much more An Escape from the storm seemed more dangerous than here at the storm safe mooring in Creek from Savusavu (deemed Hurricanhole) abzuwettern. Some ships in Mooringfeld were unmanned because the crew took shelter from the storm ashore. We decided on our yacht Ulani to stay, the storm endure to intervene in an emergency order (as much as possible). To approximately 11:00 am (local time) was the tempest. It lasted about here until 17:30. Then the strong wind went back hourly. After one hour, the first boats began to drift. Unmanned boats drove uncontrollably through the buoy field. The torn off boats with crew tried to keep up the whirlwind the position under the engine. In the chaos hit us with a ship speed on the starboard side. Through the tangle of this yacht too much depended on the mooring lines so that they broke (this is my personal assumption we're not sure). Fortunately, diluting it the boat and we were able to prevent Stranden under engine. The increasing wind (60 Kn gusts to about 80) and meanwhile high steep waves made a complete check of the yacht impossible. The narrow Platzverhaeltnisse and the increasing number of yachts were driving a big problem. Besides much flotsam floated also several lines and ropes in the harbor basin. Wenden (beyond Stag) was not always possible and we were able to avoid collisions with other boats each time. The time seemed endless. During the worst hours I was behind the wheel, trying to keep yacht. We decided to let us drop the anchor to avoid drifting on the coral, if the engine would fail. Still hang our 6 hawsers and the two mooring lines at our bow, and this we drag through the water uncontrollably. The visibility is usually extremely poor, sometimes to zero. Against the horizontal rain that hits like a high-pressure cleaner to us, goggles helped us (Gokels). But the unprotected skin of the face, especially the Nasenruecken, burned us long after the event for. In some cases the top layer of skin has peeled off. The visibility was so bad that I had to, based on a capsized small boat that still hung on a leash. The two nearby banks of the Creeks were at times not to recognize. We fought for our yacht! By crossing with motor boat capsized near this twisted and tangled the drooping Bugleinen and our anchor chain with the wreck. That was lucky, because his mooring line was still in tact and we now hung on his basic dishes, a few yards behind him. So we thundered down the final hours of the cyclone WINSTON and spent the following night in this position. All night we went anchor Guard and even tried the hole in our saloon structure sealed so that no more rain water to pass into the vessel. Even in the dusk and admire the many stranded boats (19). Add to this all the dive boats and local fishing boats. Some ships are high up on land, another has it driven into the mangroves. The waterfront has been transformed by the forces of nature! Our list of damages is long and repairs will preoccupy us. But we were lucky in misfortune! The next morning, we were able, with the help of a diver, solve us from the wreck and Verholen one of the last free buoys. Since our bow fitting (incl. Anchor roller) is heavily damaged, we let the diver also equal to the new buoys crockery and anchoring control and put a further line, the anchors we can not use at the moment. As the weather improves, we are more abzukleben Decksloecher able to dry and the ship inside. Perhaps you have already read in the media: In Fiji the emergency was declared. There are several people died in the storm, destroyed whole villages and been demolished sections of road. Around us many trees are uprooted and damaged houses. The massive Marina dock (concrete) is just a ruin. A curfew was imposed. In the stranded yachts Pluederer are now the problem. The police are unable to cope. Current lot for from 24 hour - the communication is not yet restored: no phone, no mobile networks, no Internet. There are then later still pictures on our homepage - but it will take a few days ... Until then... Mast and ahoy (ha ha) Philippe and Sandra Ochsenbein