Prepare long before a hurricane approaches
Ensure you have everything you need to secure your boat for a hurricane, including extra lines, chafe protection, fenders, anchors, port plugs, duct tape, and extra batteries. These items may be hard to find once a storm is imminent, so get them before hurricane season starts.
Decide where you'll keep your boat if there's a hurricane and how you'll get it there. Move your boat before the authorities post a hurricane watch. If you don't, you may find that bridges are closed, or that the place that you want to keep your boat is too crowded or inaccessible. Also, remember that marinas get very busy before a hurricane and may be unable to store your boat.
Boat storage tips for hurricanes
A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology following Hurricane Gloria (1985) found that boats stored ashore were far more likely to survive than boats in the water. If you keep your boat ashore, store it well above the anticipated storm surge and move it out of high-rise storage racks, which are vulnerable to high wind. If you keep your boat on davits or a lift, move it ashore.
If you anchor your boat during a storm, the storm surge may wash out the seawall or sandy spit that typically protects a snug harbor. The best anchoring is usually found in sand, followed by clay, hard mud, shells, broken shells, and soft mud.
Hurricanes can pose several threats to boats:
- Storm surges can raise water levels far above normal high tide
- Winds can range from 70 to 200 mph
- Waves, even in protected harbors, can build to surprising heights
- Hurricanes can bring 6 to 12 inches of rain in 24 hours
- Hurricanes can spawn tornadoes and waterspouts
Now that you've learned about the importance of developing a hurricane preparedness plan for your boat, get ready before the next big storm arrives. Follow the links below to file a boat insurance claim if your boat sustains damage from a hurricane or other weather-related catastrophe.
Sources: NOAA, AAA, National Hurricane Center
