Isadore Cat III Directly Hits 45 unanchored Pallet Balls placed in 3.4 feet of water off the beach of Progresso, Mexico...
We spoke this morning to Javier who is a Reef Ball contractor in Merida Mexico that took a direct hit (twice actually) of Hurricane Isadore (Cat III possibly a 4 at impact) and then Tropical Storm Isadora (on exit). Javier was in the middle of a Reef Ball installation and had constructed two lines of Pallet Balls in 3.4 feet of water..he had ordered fiberglass rebar to use
as anchors, but did not receive the rebar in time to install the anchors before the storm hit.
Javier reported this morning that all 45 Pallet Balls did not
move at all. Two on the outside edges even had Polyform A-4s (the same size as the center bladder in Bay Balls) chained to them as markers and they are still there and did not move even though the Polyforms go underwater with each passing wave.
The beach being protected by the Pallet Balls experianced less erosion than the surrounding beaches. The rest of the Progresso beach lost most of the "renourished" sands....
except those protected by the Pallet Balls. The front (ocean side) row Reef Balls settled about 2 inches, the landward row did not settle at all, but up to one foot of new sand is around the bases of the Pallet Balls.
