I have had a few questions directed this way about this storm. Those of us living here in Panama City and Bay County have dodged that bullet about as closely as one can dodge one of these things. The worst of this storm including rain, wind, and tornados are on the right side of its track and sadly impacting our friends to the south toward Tampa and its environs. Thusly, we who live to the left (north) of the track can be very close to this particular storm and have much less severe weather than those on the other side. I have two non-Trawler and Trawlering list friends who are weathering the storm aboard their vessels in marinas in Carrabelle and St Marks at the head of Apalachee Bay where the storm is predicted to make landfall, one on a 55-foot steel hulled trawler, and one on a Grand Banks 36. I am in regular phone contact with them. Neither is exposed to heaving seas, and both are dealing with what will happen as the storm surge runs them up the pilings of their slips. Carrabelle will have less surge than St Marks, and we are estimating the St Marks boat will have the top of his pilings at about the rub rail level on his boat by midnight when the center makes landfall. Last I heard, he was running long lines from his stern cleats to pilings in adjacent slips to center his boat in the event the surge gets higher. I suggested he might want to strap some sort of waterproof lights to the piling tops at dark. Glad it is not me. I just cranked my boat up higher in the lift and put some anti-sway lines on the cradle for when the strong north winds hit it broadside late tonight. Rich Gano FROLIC 2005 Mainship 30 Pilot II Panama City, FL