While Hurricane Irene left plenty of destruction along the East Coast, major megayacht facilities in the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast emerged unscathed.
Ocean Marine Yacht Center, The North Cove marina, and Derecktor Shipyards all were within the path of Hurricane Irene (pictured in the satellite image off the coast of Florida, as a category 3 storm). Enormous, at about 500 miles wide, Irene brushed the Virginia coast, close to Ocean Marine’s facilities in Portsmouth, on Saturday, as a category 2 hurricane, then continued north. It had diminished to a tropical storm when it reached New York City on Sunday morning, where North Cove is, though no less concerning, given 75-mph winds and continued heavy rains. The storm struck the Connecticut coast, where Derecktor is located, within a few hours.
James Brewer, general manager for Derecktor Connecticut, where the 281-foot Cakewalk was built, says that the shipyard received no significant damage. The same was true of Derecktor Mamaroneck, its New York-based facility, which specializes in racing yachts and performs other work as well.
Jim Bento, president and CEO of Ocean Marine, says that despite the impact in nearby Hampton Roads, “not one single ounce of damage” from wind or storm surge occurred at his facility. The yard had hauled more than 90 boats of varying sizes and spread the remaining yachts throughout the marina. As for the storm surge, it was about seven feet, similar to what occurred with Hurricane Isabel in 2003. (Isabel was the costliest and deadliest hurricane of that year, and one of the most significant tropical cyclones ever affecting northeastern North Carolina and east-central Virginia.)
Michael Fortenbaugh, North Cove’s commodore, sent a detailed email to media and previous marina visitors. About 40 yachts, including four megayachts, had booked slips for the weekend in advance and rode out the storm there. The megayachts included the 101-foot Hargrave Solo Tu, the 157-foot Christensen Top Five, and the 162-foot Remember When. Fortenbaugh says that two megayachts originally docked along the seawalls decided to depart Saturday morning and head farther north along the Hudson River. The decision was based on the initial expectations for Irene’s storm surge: between four and eight feet, according to the National Hurricane Center. Since the hurricane was arriving at high tide, the yachts’ captains were concerned that their fenders could very well be lifted above the seawall. Fortenbaugh adds that high tide was about three and a half feet higher than normal, but similar to what occurs during winter nor’easters.
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