FYI

[joewr]

Friends, Romans and Scubadivers,

Chantal is now a full fledged tropical storm and that prompts me to post these two sites that I use when trip planning:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

and

http://www.usatoday.com/weather

We usually avoid the Caribbean from late July to late October, but that is very conservative. And as all the stock brokers say, "Past performance is not an indicator of future results." So, take a look whilst planning--it cannot hurt (too much).

Joewr

 

[Zagnut]

Although my trip is already planned. Now let's just hope she steers clear of Belize. My wife and I leave for Ambergris Caye a week from tomorrow. I really want the resort to still be there when we get there. Thanks Joewr for the website info.

 

[Zagnut]

The damn thing is headed straight for Ambergris Caye!! Go figure. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping she'll swing north, but I got a bad feelin' about it. I'm going no matter what... and I'm diving no matter what... I just may end up doing search and recovery dives for the local's boats or roofs or something ...no travel insurance either, I thought I'd take a chance on it seein' as how I "damn near broke the bank" buying scuba gear...so you see, I just gotta go!!..at least it's not a full on hurricane..yet..Damn it all!..

 

[TexasMike]

Scubaboarders:

Would something like this be covered by the DAN trip insurance???

 

[Zagnut]

I guess I need to go back and double check but, I think the master plan (the plan that Kathleen and I purchased) doesn't have any vacation cancellation coverage. The preferred plan does have vacation cancellation coverage up to $10,000 (lifetime) with a $250 deductable but, it is only if the insured gets injured or ill and has to cancel for that reason and it does not cover losses for the traveler's companion. Like if I broke my leg and couldn't go, my lost expenses would be covered, but if Kathleen cancelled because I couldn't go, her lost expenses would not be covered. That is the preferred plan, though, and we have the master plan so it wouldn't apply to us anyways. Besides, we are craving this vacation so badly, that we simply must go.

 

[TexasMike]

Well...there's always Athens....

Johnny...e-mail me your phone numbers....I wanted to bring you out to the Oasis today, but didn't know how to get ahold of you. And where were you Saturday night??? we missed ya!

 

[Zagnut]

I'm more of a hunter and a pecker(I say I'm more of a hunter...My wife says I'm more of a pecker ).
Anyhows, we were sorry we missed the dinner, we did yard work Saturday and then ran some errands and we were pretty bushed. I ended up fallin' asleep from about 5:00 to 9:30 p.m. I was hoping to meet some more of the Swampsters. Maybe nextime. I'm sorry we will miss the Athens trip too. It sounds like it's gonna be a lot of fun. Also a chance to meet some more of the Scubaboarders. A gathering of the tribes if you will(kind of like Sturgis S.D. is to Bikers but with scuba'ers instead. If for any reason we wouldn't make Belize(like hell freezing over.. or we get bumped from the flight and can't get another) we will go to the Athens Shindig.

 

[Zagnut]

How was the vis at the Oasis? Did any of the perch take a bite out of your ears?

 

[joewr]

Zagnut, Zagnette, and Warhammer (in abstentia),

You guys think you can just run off without telling me in advance so I can show you the light? Well, Zag the Nut, you may luck out: looks like the chance of Chantal hitting Belize is now around 31%. But you probably wiil feel some wind and you might get some rain. Things are looking a little up now, though. BUT it is too early to place bets.

Warhammer is headed toward Cancun and Chantal may be on her way to meet him--and the good Mrs. Warhammer (Warhammerette?). We shall see.

Take home lesson, boys and girls: the Caribbean can be tricky from August through October--and the edges, July and November, occasionally experience joy, too. Well, I will keep the various appendages crossed for you all...

Joewr (with everything crossed except the white and black wires)

 

[joewr]

Zagnut,

I am up before the crack of dawn today and I checked on
Chantal whilst making the morning pot of strong Peets coffee (just the House Blend). Chantal is described as "disorganized" which, I think, means only slightly predictable in terms of vector and ultimate strength. However, as I compose this she is heading for Belize and the Yucatan Penninsula. Last night there was a chance she was not going to hit Belize, but now that seems to have changed.

She is supposed to make landfall within 24 hours. I am not a weather predictor, so I cannot tell you how this will affect your trip. However, I can tell you that resort folks will, generally, do nothing to dissuade you from coming down. That is probably because that is the only way they get your hard-earned $$$ and because they have seen these storms veer hard to North and allow business as usual.

I cannot give any advice at this point except the obvious: if the airplane cannot go there, neither can you. I wish I could help more...

Joewr