Hurricane Season Is Almost Here: Ready Your Boat Now

Hurricane season is fast approaching, and it's time to plan how to protect your boat from a storm's furies, says BoatU.S., the nation's largest association of recreational boaters. Last year Hurricane Floyd alone caused $140 million in damage to recreational boats, and this year's season is expected to be almost as active.

According to Colorado State University hurricane forecaster Dr. William Gray, El Nino (which slows hurricane activity on the East Coast) is not expected to reappear this summer, and the number of expected storms is still above average. This year, Gray predicts there will be 11 named storms (average is 9.3), 7 hurricanes (average is 5.7) and 3 intense (category 3, 4 or 5) hurricanes. In 1999, there were 12 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 intense hurricanes - Cindy, Floyd, Gert and Lenny.

Hurricanes can affect boats five ways. The storm surge can raise the water level far above normal high tide. Winds can range from 70 - 200 mph and, as the speed of the wind increases, the damage it causes increases at a much greater rate. Waves, even in protected harbors, can build to surprising heights. Most hurricanes bring at least 6" - 12" of rain in 24-hours, and often much more. Finally, hurricanes sometimes spawn tornadoes and water spouts.

Boat owners can do two things now, long before a hurricane approaches, to help ensure their boats get the best protection possible during a hurricane.

* First, make sure you have everything you'll need to secure your boat - extra lines, chafe protection, fenders, anchors, duct tape and port plugs. (Get extra batteries now, too - stores always seem to run out of these first.)

* Second, decide where to keep your boat in case of a hurricane and figure out how to get it there. Move your boat when a hurricane is a substantial possibility - before a hurricane "watch" is posted. Otherwise, you may find bridges locked down, your hurricane hole inaccessible or too crowded, or your marina too busy to haul your boat.

A study by MIT after Hurricane Gloria found that boats stored ashore were far more likely to survive than boats in the water. Boats ashore should be stored well above the anticipated storm surge and moved out of high-rise storage racks, which are vulnerable in a storm's high winds. If possible, boats stored on davits or lifts should also be removed and stored ashore.

If you plan to anchor your boat, remember a storm surge - which may be at least 10 feet high - can wash out a seawall or sandy spit that normally protects a "snug" harbor. The best anchoring is usually in sand, followed by clay, hard mud, shells, broken shells and soft mud.

After Hurricane Fran, BoatU.S. catastrophe team members estimated that as many as half of the damaged boats at marinas could have been saved by using better docklines, lines that were longer (at least as long as the boat itself), larger (for most boats, use 1/2" line for boats up to 25 feet, 5/8" line for boats 25 - 34 feet, and 3/4" to 1" line for larger boats), and protected by chafing (use two layers of neoprene garden hose or, in an emergency, duct tape that secures several layers of heavy canvas to the lines.)

Canals, rivers and waterways can be good hurricane holes. In narrow canals, a boat should be secured in the center with several sturdy lines tied to trees and pilings on both shores. In wider canals and waterways, boats should be secured using a combination of anchors and lines tied to trees ashore. The more lines and anchors you use, the better.

Mooring in a sheltered location can be a good alternative to exposed harbors and crowded marinas. A BoatU.S. test found that embedment type mooring anchors that are screwed or driven into the harbor bottom are the most likely to hold. If you have any doubts about your mooring's holding power, use one or more storm anchors to augment it.

If you trailer your boat, inspect your trailer regularly to be sure it will work when you need it. You may want to move your car out of the garage and put your boat in - a boat is lighter and more vulnerable to high winds than a car.

Once you've secured your boat, strip all loose gear that creates windage: canvas covers, bimini tops, outriggers, antennas, anchors, running rigging, dinghies, etc. Anything on deck that can't be taken off should be lashed securely. If you can't unstep your mast, remove sails - especially roller furling headsails.

Remove all electronics and other valuable gear - including ship's documents -- from the boat. Remove cowl ventilators and seal the openings. Use duct tape to secure instrument gauge covers and around hatches, ports, lockers, etc. to prevent water damage below. Close all but the cockpit drain seacocks and bang a plug into the engine's exhaust ports.

Above all, get off your boat. There is little, if anything, a skipper can do to save a boat in the middle of a hurricane. Do whatever it takes to secure your boat, and then head inland. Boats can be replaced. People can't.

Posted: 7-11-2000