Microbursts

Current location: Bahia del Sol, El Salvador

MICROBURSTS By Mickey Doolittle

Microbursts start out raining. It looks like it’s just another rainy night. But then the rain mixes with dry air so the rain starts to evaporate, cooling the air. The dry air goes to the ground in a column. The wind spreads out around the ground, making winds up to sometimes 100 m.p.h.

Our experience was on a boat. It was just another Saturday night sitting on the boat. As always it started to rain. All of a sudden the wind picked up to 76 knots (about 84 m.p.h.). That’s when our friends broke off the mooring ball. They were free. Another boat got off and then we got off. Thanks to my parent’s quick reactions they switched on the engine and we were off. My family and I pulled into the marina. Afterwards my dad was gone to help other boats.

The man who discovered microbursts was Theodore Fujita. He invented the F-Scale. It rates how big tornadoes are. Early in his career, he was fascinated by tornadoes. Microbursts normally happen where thunderstorms are such as; El Salvador, Florida, Costa Rica, and Beliz. FBI Warning: Do NOT be in a plane while a microburst is going on!!!

Well, I guess that’s it! See ya!



MICROBURSTS
By J.P. Doolittle

Microbursts are very dangerous. It happens when rain falls and mixes with the dry air. Rain evaporates and cools that air. The cool air falls and creates a microburst. The wind hits the ground and spreads.

When I was in one, I was on a boat. Our boat tipped a lot. There was a “snap”. Then my dad yelled, “We’re loose.” We broke from our mooring ball. So my dad grabbed the wheel and we drove around. We were about to anchor, when it TOTALLY stopped. We pulled into the marina. There was lots of damage to other boats.

If you’re wondering who figured out microbursts, his name is Theodore Fujjita. He invented this thing called the F-Scale. It shows how big a tornado is. He also found out about microbursts. They usually happen in southeast places in the U.S.A. or places with thunderstorms, for example, Panama. Being in a microburst is very scary.

Pupusas in El Salvador

From the teacher: The boys have started their poetry unit and here are their first samples of poetry writing. FYI-Pupusas in El Salvador are what "tacos" are to Mexico.

Pupusas in El Salvador
By Mickey Doolittle

Pupusas are off the chart awesome and cheap,
when you eat them your stomach feels like it's three feet deep.

Pupusas are off the charts awesome and cheap,
when I leave El Salvador I will weep!

Pupusas are off the charts awesome and cheap,
when I taste them, I begin to leap!

Pupusas are off the charts awesome and cheap,
after you eat, go get some sleep!




Video Games
By J.P. Doolittle

Video games are entertaining and fun!
I like to play a ton.

Video games are entertaining and fun!
I play them so much it hurts my bun.

Video games are entertaining and fun!
I hate it when I'm done.

Video games are entertaining and fun!
When the t.v. shuts off I scream and run.

Ben Gone

Ben Gone
by Mickey

Hi everybody! Mickey here! In my last post, on the way back from San Salvador, we dropped my dad off at the airport so he and our friend, Aaron could fly to Miami. He went to take a drug test for his captain's license.

So that left mom, J.P. and I at the boat (barco). In the morning, J.P. and I watched a show called The Batman. Then we did school. Lastly, we spent the rest of the day at the pool. The next day was the same and the day after that was Saturday so no school. But besides that, it was the same.

Alright, I guess that's it. Once again, "Hasta la bye-bye!".

P.S. He's back now.

P.S.S. Here's a link to the "belly flop" contest I started at the pool one day.

Boat Naming Ceremony

Hi again! Last Sunday we had a changing boat name ceremony! That deserves a big celebration. We changed the name from Jace to Knee Deep.

We had it at the dock. We rang out Jace in the beginning. There were lots of people. It was a sunny day. We sang songs, had drinks, and partied! After all the excitement, we rang in Knee Deep. I rang a bell and we shouted the new name altogether. After that everbody left. Everybody had a really good time.




Everybody met on the dock by our boat.

















That's our friend, Christian from Andiamo III



















Zach from Panache and Aaron and Nicole from Bella Star.

























We sang the song by Jimmy Buffet and Zach Brown, "Knee Deep".

El Salvador and Storms

BAHIA DEL SOL
By Mickey

Bahia del Sol is a hotel/marina. It is where we are staying. There is an anchorage and a mooring field. Our friends, sailing vessel Andiamo III, are staying in the hotel because they are moving to Texas.

Yesterday we got on the bus to San Salvador. Almost every day there is a van from Bahia del Sol to the capital of El Salvador, San Salvador. On the way back we dropped my dad, Ben, and our friend, Aaron off at the airport so they can fly to Florida. He will take a drug test for his Captain’s license.

The marina has a pool!!! Every day we go swimming, but there is a LOT of chemicals in that thing. When you open your mouth, your teeth feel like they’re raw. Well, I guess that’s a wrap!


STORM
By J.P.

Hi again! We are in El Salvador. There was a huge thunder storm last Sunday night. Our boat got soaked. It was nighttime. The thunder was like somebody screaming in your ear! The lightening looked like the water was a cake and the lightening was a candle.

I felt totally normal. I was kinda scared, not of the lightening but of the rain because it was pouring so hard. I felt comfortable under my blanket. I wondered why it was pouring so much.

In the morning our boat was actually pretty dry. We opened the hatches again and had breakfast. After that we packed up and headed for the pool. That will be it for today!