Create a Hurricane Plan for Your Boat

Create a Hurricane Plan for Your Boat | BoatUS

Рет қаралды 15,404

Күн бұрын

BoatUS Magazine's Lenny Rudow talks to Mike McCook, Field Operations Manager for the BoatUS Catastrophe Team, about how to create a hurricane plan for your boat. Hurricane plans start well before a named hurricane is announced and requires preparation and cooperation on the parts of the boat and marina owners. Hurricane prep for boats can be summed up in three things: preparation, preparation, and preparation. Make a hurricane plan. If possible, haul your boat and either trailer it to another location or get it jacked and blocked far from the potential storm surge. And use tie-downs if possible. If you have to keep it in the water, adjust your lines, double up lines, put out fenders, and reduce windage. If your boat is usually kept on a lift, get it off there. Moorings aren't ideal, but if necessary, ensure that they are in good condition and secure--sometimes requiring a diver. Anchoring is generally a bad idea, as is staying on your boat during a storm.
Download a Hurricane Plan Worksheet PDF or Word doc at www.boatus.com/hurricanes/wks...
A special thank you to Herrington Harbour North in Tracys Landing, Maryland (www.herringtonharbour.com) and Liberty Marina in Edgewater, Maryland (www.libertymarina.com/) for allowing us to film at their locations.
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Пікірлер: 19

@doolittlegeorge 5 жыл бұрын

TOTALLY AWESOME! much appreciated. My buddy Mike sailboat ended up many miles inland down your way in one of these many, many years ago...and that was his home back then. He had a lot of friends and that helped more than anything in the World. Look forward to your next posts.

@boatus 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching, Andrew, and for the great story. Glad your friend ended up OK. A hurricane plan doesn't guarantee that boats won't be lost or damaged, but proper preparation can help in a lot of situations.

@Captdal 5 жыл бұрын

Great info Thanks

@nelsonfernandez5803 5 жыл бұрын

I own a Mako that use to be my dads , it means a lot to me , I always put it on my trailer and take it up north to my brothers home when there is a storm here in Miami dade county , and I take no chances with it I learned my lesson with andrew in 1992 we all did , I spend around 450 diesel , but is well worth it , pluse i dont stick around anyways

@boatus 5 жыл бұрын

Solid plan, Nelson. Thanks for watching!

@jamesscardelli5443 2 жыл бұрын

Our 28 footer is stored on the 3rd level of a racking system at the marina in FL. Should we bring it down to ground level? Can it be blown off the rack? Should it be secured to the rack and remain there? Tnks!

@boatus 2 жыл бұрын

Hi James. That's a REALLY important question, especially since you live in Florida. First, find out when your dry rack was built. In 2002, the Florida Building Code was enacted, combining about 400 local codes from around the state. If the rack was built within the last 20 years, it should meet those codes. If there's any question, ask for information about code compliance, in writing. If the rack meets building codes and is stored inside a steel barn, then you are probably OK with leaving it there during a storm. However, if there's no enclosed building or you have any concerns, we'd recommend getting your boat on a trailer and moved away from the water (and trees that could fall on it) or strapped down on the hard. Now is a good time to put together a hurricane plan and share it with your marina management. (You can find a downloadable form template at the BoatUS Hurricane Resource Center at the URL below.) If they have any kind of hurricane club, it may be too late to join this season, but ask about it. Hurricane Club members get priority if boats need to be taken down, moved, or strapped. And check your insurance policy. Some (like GEICO | BoatUS) offer to share the cost of hurricane prep once a named storm is predicted for your area, so it makes sense to take advantage of it. You can find more info on prepping your boat for a hurricane in our playlist at kzfaq.info/sun/PLSrVa8gUFaPzhakTGVIGnJx2zi6h0J3FG or visit the BoatUS Hurricane Resource Center at www.boatus.com/hurricanes. You can also download the BoatUS App (www.boatus.com/app) and sign up for push notifications for updates if a storm is headed your way. Thanks again for your question. Here's hoping you don't have to worry about it this season!

@ecodeveloper2 5 жыл бұрын

So I am on the gulf coast at Port of Mobile. It seems to me that it would be better to go inland up the river rather than haul or stay tied in my slip. I can get 200 miles in 24 hours; to an inland marina or anchorage.Would you agree with this plan? and Would my Boat US policy cover any of the expense of doing this? 40' boat

@boatus 5 жыл бұрын

Hi Frank. It's great that you're thinking about this now and formulating your hurricane plan. While we can't tell you the best plan for your situation, here's our what our policy says regarding hurricane preparation: If a Tropical Storm or Hurricane Watch or Warning is issued for the location of an “insured boat” by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “we” will pay 50% of the cost up to a maximum of $1,000 for having the “insured boat” moved by a professional, or for a professional haulout, or for the professional execution of a hurricane plan. In addition to professional moving or a professional haulout, covered expenses include, but are not limited to, haulout, blocking, lashing to in ground anchors, powerwashing and relaunch.

@robertmorrison5159 3 жыл бұрын

Is it best to tie up bow in or bow out of a slip to prepare for a hurricane?

@boatus 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great question, Robert. The ideal situation would be to have your boat hauled. However, if that's not possible, for most boats, you'll want to arrange the bow toward open water or, lacking that, toward the least protected direction. This reduces windage and keeps the strongest part of the boat - the bow - facing the storm. For more information on preparing your boat for a hurricane, visit our Hurricane Resource Center at www.boatus.com/expert-advice/safety-and-prevention/hurricanes We offer lots of articles and videos to help give your boat the best chance of coming out unscathed.

@ulyssesbuzan1787 5 жыл бұрын

How safe are boats on trailers in the low country of South Carolina when they are in self storage facilities?

@boatus 5 жыл бұрын

Good question. In the grand scheme, a boat on a trailer in a self-storage facility away from the water is safer than leaving it near the ramp or marina. But it all depends on where the self-storage facility is located. A certain amount of luck comes into play, too.

@VWilliams411 5 жыл бұрын

Why do you need lines doubles the length of your boat. Our boat is 43 ft long. That means 86 ft long line? What do you do with a line this long? I don’t understand.

@boatus 5 жыл бұрын

If you need to leave your boat in a slip during a hurricane, you'll need to accommodate for storm surge. This potentially can be 12-14 feet above the normal water levels. Therefore, you need to ensure your lines are long enough and tied far enough away from the pilings/dock that your boat can rise and fall with that surge. One of the reasons the lines need to be so long, is that you're going to be tying them to pilings and/or cleats that are at least one slip over from where your boat is located. So, yes, to ensure you have enough line, we recommend twice the length of your boat in length. The larger the boat, the greater the strain will be placed upon the lines. Having longer lines (made from three-strand nylon) will give additional stretch. The boat should be centered in as wide a slip as possible and look like it's in the center of a spider web. We have another video on how to set lines for a hurricane that you may find helpful: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oZOHlLR6zZzbqHk.html. Another very useful resource is our new hurricane guide. You can view it at www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2019/august/boatus-hurricane-preparation-guide-2019. Hope this helps clarify.

@A.Matt7 5 жыл бұрын

In cali I think it should be fine

@boatus 5 жыл бұрын

Most likely, though we're seeing more storm activity in southern Cali these days. Hoping you'll never need to know this info.

@rickss69 21 күн бұрын

Here is the plan...get the boats away from the path.

@boatus 21 күн бұрын

Absolutely true, Rick. But there are a lot of other considerations, which means you need to have a plan in place. Does it need to be hauled? Do you have a contract for priority storm hauling with your marina? Does your insurance help share the cost of hauling before a storm? Does the marina have a safe place to store it on land? How do they prep hauled boats for a storm? Is your boat on a lift? Can't haul out? Can the boat ride it out in the marina? Who is doing the prep and when? What checklist prep items does your boat need? Do you have the supplies? If you can't leave your boat in the marina, where is the safest anchorage? And so on and so on. So, yes, getting away from the path is great -- but sometimes that's not feasible for many, many reasons. Preparation is key -- and that starts with a solid plan, which should be done months ahead of the start of hurricane season!