
New Year’s Eve was anything but normal for the dozens upon dozens of megayachts that ventured to St. Barts. In fact, instead of ringing in 2010 stern-to as usual in Gustavia, more than 80 yachts did it anchored offshore, due to some incredibly rough swells.
The photo here was taken by charter broker Ann E. McHorney at Select Yachts, who posted it to her Twitpic account (a Twitter photo-sharing site). It gives you an idea of just how bad the north seas were that chased the yachts, crews, and guests from the docks.
The bad weather had been brewing for several days. Shelby Hodge, a longtime society writer based in Texas, was supposed to join Lady Sheridan on the island for the New Year’s celebration, but on December 30 she wrote that the yacht’s captain decided conditions were just too poor. She also reported that he saw a Smart Car lifted 10 feet into the air by a wave that washed onto shore. According to Hodge, the seas were anywhere from nine to 12 feet, and as McHorney’s photo proves, waves washed straight across the roads.
To get the best sense of how many yachts were affected, though, check out the satellite image posted on Panbo, the outstanding marine-electronics blog written by Ben Ellison. Depicting the AIS signals being broadcast by the yachts in the harbor, the image shows Limitless, Le Grand Bleu, Pelorus, Phoenix, Destination Fox Harb’r Too, Andromeda la Dea, Octopus, Hanuman, Ghost, and Sycara IV being among those who rode out the swells offshore.
As bad as the weather was, though, some guests aboard the yachts found a way to make the best of it. Actress Lindsay Lohan was among them, sharing the fun with fans via photos on her Twitter page. (Side note: Some reports say she was aboard Pelorus, but the photos don’t necessarily match the yacht’s alfresco spaces.)
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