Will HMC still exist?

[JoeCruisin]

I hope HMC survives Frances. I wonder how the cabanas will hold up against 150 MPH winds. Would HAL close HMC down for a few weeks to re-build?

[Lithium]

At this point, hurricane force winds (80MPH+) extend up to 80 miles from the eye. Tropical storm winds (40MPH+) are up to 165 miles out. My guess is if the eye passes anywhere within 60 miles, most of the island will be a wreck. Just my opinion though, only time will tell facts.

[jollycruiser]

There is no way those cabanas will survive a hurricane. They are basicly ground decking with some thin wood partitions on the sides and completely exposed front. I just hope the trees survive. The place will be pretty barren if the trees are lost.

[jhannah]

I can easily see the island having to be shut down to clean up at the very least (if not rebuild.) Some of the new enhancements are probably not finished yet. The materials for those will be scattered far out to sea by the hurricane, and will have to be replaced. It doesn't look pretty at this point.

[stillfrantic]

Isn't HMC either part of Little San Salvadore or maybe that is its official name?? ANyway, just heard Island of San Salvadore was taking a direct hit. I assume(???) LSS is near to SS??

[Krazy Kruizers]

HMC is going to get hit and sustain damage. Those cabanas aren't built to handle high winds.

We took a cruise a number of years ago right after St Maarten and St Thomas and other islands had gone through a couple of hurricanes in a row. Our cruise ship was the first one to be allowed into St Maarten - and the devestation was unreal. St Thomas - the same thing.

[Esme]

Isn't HMC either part of Little San Salvadore or maybe that is its official name?? ANyway, just heard Island of San Salvadore was taking a direct hit. I assume(???) LSS is near to SS??

HMC and Little San Salvadore are one and the same. It's really sad that the island will probably be destroyed but I am sure HAL will rebuild.

[Stevesan]

The worst damage will be to the vegetation. It will take a couple, or more, years for it to recover.

[Randyk47]

Unfortunately it does look like HMC is going to get hammered. My wife and I were talking about it this AM and she's a professional engineer with 16 years of substantial construction background plus she grew up in hurricane country. Her "professional" opinion is that few, if any, of the structures at HMC could withstand a sustained cat 4 hurricane. Frances is huge so the concept of a direct hit is not really an issue. Obviously she's only going on "educated" speculation but said she won't want to volunteer to guard HMC right now. :( Having said that, it ain't over until it's over so there's always hope. We love HMC and would hate to see it totally trashed.

[petermccue]

Living in Houston (where we do get hurricanes) and having worked down near the Gulf at a couple of riding stables, I must say that if I was in charge of building HMC .. I would have designed it so that there was a hidden bunker/storage faciity/etc. that would hold all the equipment and supplies .. probably located as inland as they can make it.

I would make the cabanas such that they'd be able to be disassembled and put in said safe spot.

Now, whether anyone actually DID that, I don't know.

I know that the stable I worked at had a place they had build to hold the tack and equipment out of the way of the winds. They figured the stable itself (which was just a steel pipe frame with some plywood attached on the side) could be taken down as much as possible and hidden away to lessen the debris. Horses had a BIG pasture to escape into with several high spots and berms to shelter in, and the general feeling was it was better to build most of the stuff such that you could rebuild quick.

V

[elmorejj]

We are scheduled to visit HMC twice in Dec. on our BtoBs, If the Island is devastated, I wonder if they will substitute another port, or just spend a day at sea? I would prefer a sea day to ,say, Nassau!!.....jean :cool:

[sail7seas]

I wonder how long it will take them to replace all of the lounge chairs that surely will wash out to sea. The barbeque area cannot withstand that sort of storm and wave goodbye to all of the picnic tables/benches.

I cannot imagine the cabanas will survive because it is doubtful IMO that they built that underground storage area as suggested above.


Randy: Thank you for that wonderful post describing what an expert with educated knowledge thinks will be at HMC.

PeterMccue.....I also enjoyed your post. Interesting.

[JohnR49er]

Just saw a report that San Salvador island is reporting 70 mph gusts already.

[jollycruiser]

Just saw a report that San Salvador island is reporting 70 mph gusts already.
Unfortunately San Salvador is going to take a direct hit from the eye of the storm. The eye is headed at it like a rifle shot when viewed on the hurrucane time lapse. Looks to be 3-5 hours from now that the eye hits.

[DFD1]

Fortunately, there is a caretaker staff there who, I am sure, will be working frantically to secure the furniture and fxtures as best they can. The pavillions and other wood frame buildings will probably go. The docks and concrete construction (walls, walkways, etc.) might survive in some form or another. You can bet that they did everything possible to save whatever they could. Also, the work boat there is pretty good sized and they may have had time to take some things off the island to a safer place on the adjacent, more populated island. I know HAL has done everything they can to what is one of the company's most valuable marketing assets.
Keep your fingers crossed. We're scheduled to be there on November 27. HMC is an important reason that we have selected HAL over the past few years.

[DFD1]

Fortunately, there is a caretaker staff there who, I am sure, will be working frantically to secure the furniture and fxtures as best they can. The pavillions and other wood frame buildings will probably go. The docks and concrete construction (walls, walkways, etc.) might survive in some form or another. You can bet that they did everything possible to save whatever they could. Also, the work boat there is pretty good sized and they may have had time to take some things off the island to a safer place on the adjacent, more populated island. I know HAL has done everything they can to protect what is one of the company's most valuable marketing assets.
Keep your fingers crossed. We're scheduled to be there on November 27. HMC is an important reason that we have selected HAL over the past few years.

[JoeCruisin]

We're heading there on a cruise the first week of November. Hopefully the damage won't be that bad and they'll be able to rebuild/repair quickly. If not, at least we'll still have a great ship to enjoy. Unfortunately, I have not been to HMC before and I was really looking forward to it after reading so many positive posts about it. Normally I could care less about a private island but it seems like HMC is/was quite the place.

[spcl4cs_gal]

Hopefully this caretaker staff got really proactive on Sunday after the Z left the island and started to dismantle things right away, knowing that Frances was on its way.

[elmorejj]

Well I`m sure most of the caretaking staff are Bahamians, and we know they work on Caribbean time, about as slow as cold molasses in winter time!! :cool:

[spcl4cs_gal]

Well I`m sure most of the caretaking staff are Bahamians, and we know they work on Caribbean time, about as slow as cold molasses in winter time!! :cool:

:D GOT THAT RIGHT!!

[jollycruiser]

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/FLOAT/VIS/20.jpg

Eye wall very near San Salvador right now. The little island just northwest of the eye is San Salvador and it is headed directly at it.

[RevNeal]

Does anyone know when HMC was last hit by a Hurricane? What kind of damage was done that time??

[Orcrone]

Jollycruiser,

HMC is on Little Salvador Island, not San Salvador Island. Looking at your link it's the small dot that's north-northwest of the eye. There's the island that's shaped like a backwards L. Just to the west of the northern end of the island is a white dot. That's where HMC is located. Looking at the visible loop it appears that Frances is running slightly north of the official forecast. If that's the case HMC will definitely feel Frances' impact, but the eye will hopefully miss it.

[DFD1]

The Bahamians...sounds like you're not to confident in them. I expect there is a company representative there who can get things done. Besides, they manage to keep the place in great shape week in and week out with lots of wear and tear, especially in the winter when several ships call there each week. I've been there several times and it always looks pretty well kept.
In this case, I'd give the Bahamians the benefit of the doubt. I hope they got right to it and secured the island as best they could. It would be a shame to lose it for an extended period of time.

[jhannah]

Does anyone know when HMC was last hit by a Hurricane? What kind of damage was done that time??Don't know just when ... but it used to be called "Full Moon Cay." ;)

[Orcrone]

Don't know just when ... but it used to be called "Full Moon Cay." ;)Aaarrrggghhh!!!!:D ;)

[merryecho]

I'm afraid I have to take credit for the destruction of half moon cay. I reserved a cabana Monday, and this is the way my luck usually goes. (at least, from the look of the cabanas, they won't cost too much to replace).

[RevNeal]

No ... it's not your fault. As with everything these days, it's Bush's fault. :D

[spcl4cs_gal]

No ... it's not your fault. As with everything these days, it's Bush's fault. :D

HAHAHA I knew there was a reason why I liked you, Neal. :D

[Lovebirds]

No ... it's not your fault. As with everything these days, it's Bush's fault. :D
But Kerry has a secret plan to fix it!!:D

[elmorejj]

ROFLMAO!!! JIm, you are a hoot!!.....jean :cool:

[RevNeal]

HAHAHA I knew there was a reason why I liked you, Neal.

Trying to find something to laugh about can be pretty tough. That's a joke i can't tell around church -- too many on each side of the political spectrum. Oh, and, of course, one mustn't forget that, being a pastor, I have to keep my lips sealed on the subject of politics or risk hurting the church's status. :) Hence, I'm apolitical around church ... but in venues like this I can "let my hair (what little of it there is left) down a bit."

[Krazy Kruizers]

It could be that the care taker may have left the island for safer ground.

If only to protect the boats that they have there.

[srpilo]

Don't know just when ... but it used to be called "Full Moon Cay." ;)
Ooooh..Thats Good :D

Srpilo

[Chilipepa]

Isadore blew through the Cozumel area in September 2002 and I was there about 6 weeks after, vacationing on a small island in the area that I had been to about 4 months before. What struck me was how the coastline had been "rearranged". The storm surge had caused some of the beach bars & palapas to be wading in a few feet of water while other areas suddenly had more beach. But more commonly, the sand appeared to have been just "washed away".

My point is, with HMC being a tendering port and the fact that in a category 4 storm the docks have a chance to be severely damaged, the buildings are not the only thing to worry about. Until it is safe for passengers to disembark there, there may be no HMC for a little while.:( :( :(

I'm very bummed because I'm supposed to be standing on that beach in about three and a half weeks.
My thoughts are with all the Bahamians that they stay safe.:o

[gizmo]

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 74.8 WEST

Half Moon is at Latitude 24.35 and Longitude 75.55.

Looks like Half Moon took a direct hit.

[Krazy Kruizers]

gizmo

Thanks for the update - oh that is so sad. That beautiful little island.

[bookworm0911]

Looks like Half Moon took a direct hit.That hurts. :eek: Thanks, gizmo.

[spcl4cs_gal]

That is indeed very sad. HMC is such a beautiful spot for all of HAL's passengers to visit. :(

[sail7seas]

The caretaker and the local workers who 'man' HMC all come from Eleuthra which is about 30 minutes away. They probably returned to their homes there and perhaps took "The Clipper" with them. (That is the work boat that carts all the provisions from ship to shore each time HAL pulls in.)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Even 30 minutes isn't far from the brunt of this storm.

[spcl4cs_gal]

Trying to find something to laugh about can be pretty tough. That's a joke i can't tell around church -- too many on each side of the political spectrum. Oh, and, of course, one mustn't forget that, being a pastor, I have to keep my lips sealed on the subject of politics or risk hurting the church's status. :) Hence, I'm apolitical around church ... but in venues like this I can "let my hair (what little of it there is left) down a bit."


I understand completely...although I have known a couple of ministers who weren't shy when it came to expressing their opinions from the pulpit. ;)

[RevNeal]

I understand completely...although I have known a couple of ministers who weren't shy when it came to expressing their opinions from the pulpit.

Some clergy, and some denominations, can get away with making political statements from the pulpit ... these same can invite political candidates to speak from their pulpits.

That doesn't apply to us. :D

....

I sure am worried about HMC. I pray it weathered the storm ok ... and that the damage can be quickly cleaned up. They'll have about a month and a week to get it back into shape before we're due there.

[MISSYLOU]

RevNeal: We were on the Maasdam in Nov of 2001 during hurricane Michelle. I believe HMC sustained some minor damage to the tendering docks then. We were scheduled to stop there and could not. Also Grand Cayman was cancelled due to some minor damage. Hurricane Michelle didn't have the impact that Frances will have.

[JohnR49er]

Not getting a good feeling about my Nov 1 visit there. But thats not a big deal compared to what may happen in the next few days.

[RevNeal]

Good point ... our concern and prayers should be with all the people in the path of this monster storm.

[spcl4cs_gal]

I sure am worried about HMC. I pray it weathered the storm ok ... and that the damage can be quickly cleaned up. They'll have about a month and a week to get it back into shape before we're due there.

You and me both...my brother just sent me a sat picture of Frances roaring through the Bahamas and the eye is right on top of HMC/Little San Salvador. :( To think I was there just a week ago and things couldn't have been better.

[petermccue]

Urf. I'm due to be there the 12th of THIS month, and again the next week... (gotta love B2Bs). I'm betting we don't go, huh?

Will try to let ya'll know if we find anything out.

V

[Peggy Sue]

I've been wondering about this beautiful island all day and was going to post a question when I saw this post and all your subsequent responses. Disney also has a beautiful island .. castaway cay .. It's also a Bahama island, but I don't know how close it is in relation to half moon cay .. They both surprisingly look a lot a like..both are beautiful and offer such a relaxing experience.

I know Disney a few years ago suffered quite a bit of damage from a hurrican that shut down the island for a few months while they rebuilt. Disney actually docks at their island, and the dock sustained a lot of damage.

We certainly hope everyone on the island is safe, and that damage sustained isn't too bad.. We sit here in new england in disbelief looking at the sheer size of this monster storm..and we pray that everyone safely gets out of harms way. Those islands are so tiny...where does one go to seek safety and get out of the way of such a powerful storm?

Does anyone know if HAL has the horses on the island yet?? Wonder what will happen to the 3-day westerdam cruise that was to visit half moon cay to kick off all the enhancements they are making?

Peggy Sue

[spcl4cs_gal]

Does anyone know if HAL has the horses on the island yet?? Wonder what will happen to the 3-day westerdam cruise that was to visit half moon cay to kick off all the enhancements they are making?


No the horses are apparently not on the island yet.

[FoxyTerrier]

I was wonder the same thing about the horses.

We were planning on going on the 3 dayer and were going to book at the end of this week. I'm guessing we will not be doing this one.