Tropical Storm Fay - slow moving and full of rain - stayed over the First Coast longer than predicted, causing widespread flooding. It also toppled trees and brought down power lines with its relentless 45-mile-per-hour-plus winds.
As Fay moved away on Saturday, boat owners arrived at still-windy Mulberry Cove to assess the damage. Catamaran owner Fred Groenert said, "This is not as bad as when Frances and Charlie came through, but the south-to-southeast wind from Fay played havoc with the cove. I counted 10 sailboats that slipped their mooring cables and drifted into the wetlands. One ended up against the west end of the Buckman Bridge."
Commander, Destroyer Squadron 14, Capt. Glenn Zeiders fought a losing battle to protect his Catalina 36 sailboat from the storm. The wind drove his boat aground just three feet away from the timber of the Mulberry Cove Nature Walk. Zeiders said, "I was relatively fortunate. Most of the damage appears minor and can be repaired. I'll have to wait to inspect the keel and rudder. I draw six feet of water and right now I'm stuck in the mud with just four feet. At high tide, I hope to have it towed back into deeper water."
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As Tropical Storm Fay moved west Aug. 23, catamaran owner Fred Groenert moved storm debris from the road near the Mulberry Cove Marina boat ramp. Photos by Clark Pierce
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Navy Jax Yacht Club member Darryl Currie stands by his sunken 40-foot Marine Trader Sundeck. "I guess you could say I took one for the team. A powerboat broke free from one of the nearby moorings and my hull took a direct hit. Obviously neither boat survived the collision," he said.
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