Friday, September 5, 2008

Mariners on Wilmington Island got a visit from the Coast Guard Friday, it was one of twenty visits they made to different marinas across the area.  “If the hurricane does head this way I'll take the lines off and leave, go anchor it out some where," says Captain of the Sea  Edwin Longwater.  

Coast Guard officials say by making house calls around the area, it lets the boaters know how important it is for them to have a plan should Hanna pick up.  Coast Guard Marine Science Technician Leslie McCallum says, “You can't get the point across over the phone, so it's more effective face to face, they need to see the Coast Guard cares about the mariner community.”

Longwater said he’s not so worried about Hanna and now focuses his attention to the possible storms on the horizon.  “I am worried about Ike and Josephine they are deadly storms and it could be disastrous, says Longwater.”  After tying up his ship, he jumped into the waves with his three Labradors and said, “It's cool breezy, no bugs, and good waves.” 

Ike is expected to make landfall in Florida around Wednesday.

Copyright 2008 WJCL 22/ABC, Fox28/WTGS, The Coastal Source