CASTING OFF: maritime news
What's your plan?
Abi Nicholas
The Post and Courier
Hurricane Hugo piled boats up on Goat Island across from the Isle of Palms in 1989.
Storm preparation tips every boat owner should know.
On Sept. 21, 1989, Hurricane Hugo took the helm of thousands of Lowcountry boats while the true captains waited helplessly to find out if their vessels would survive the storm unscathed.
Many didn’t.
Vessels from almost every marina and dock in the Lowcountry were tossed around like toys. Hugo piled up more than 100 boats behind Isle of Palms marinas and yanked yachts free from their docks and moorings along the Ashley River and dropped them onto Lockwood Boulevard.
The fishing village of McClellanville and nearby Awendaw lost 34 fishing boats; only six survived.
Even the hundreds of boats that had been taken up the Cooper, Ashley and Wando rivers for safe keeping couldn’t hide from Hugo’s herculean winds and powerful storm surge. So how do you keep your vessel safe should another big storm crash our coastline?
Make a plan
First and foremost, review your dock contract for language that might require you to take certain steps or to leave the marina when a hurricane threatens. Ask the marina manager what hurricane plan the marina has in place.
Planning where your boat will best weather a storm and what protective steps you need to take when a hurricane threatens should begin months before hurricane season.
Be sure to spell out your plan on paper and give a copy to each person involved. Visit www.boatus.com to download a hurricane preparation worksheet.
Pick a location
The BoatU.S. Marine Insurance claim files have shown that the probability of damage can be reduced considerably by choosing the most stormworthy location possible.
A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after Hurricane Gloria in 1985 found that boats stored ashore were far more likely to be saved than boats stored in the water.
Securing a boat ashore
Smaller, open boats and high performance powerboats with low freeboard will almost always be overcome by waves, spray and rain if left in the water during a strong hurricace.
Also, high-rise storage racks can be toppled by a storm’s high winds, and a boat on davits is vulnerable to storm surge.
If possible, trailer boats and store them farther inland, well above the anticipated storm surge.
Trailering boats
Inspect your trailer regularly to make sure it will be operable when it’s needed.
A boat is lighter and more vulnerable to high winds than a car, so if it makes sense financially, leave the boat in the garage instead of the car. If this isn’t practical, put the boat and trailer where they will get the best protection from wind and falling branches.
You can increase the weight of lighter outboard boats by leaving the drain plug in and using a garden hose to add water. (Be careful: Rain could add a lot more water later.) This also provides an added advantage of giving you emergency water (non-drinking) if the main water supply gets knocked out by the storm.
On a boat with a stern drive, remove the drain plug so that the engine won’t be damaged by flooding.
Secure the trailer to trees or with anchors or augers, and lash the boat to the trailer.
Securing a boat in water
Any boat in the water should be secured in a snug harbor. The trick is deciding which harbors will still be snug if a hurricane comes ashore and which will be vulnerable.
A storm surge of 10 feet or more is common in a hurricane, so a seawall or sandy spit that normally protects a harbor may not offer any protection in a hurricane. Crowded harbors may not be the best place to keep your boat in a storm; the chance that another boat will break loose and drift into yours is very high.
Finally, what is the bottom of the harbor like? If you plan to anchor, check your charts to see how much water your boat will be anchored in. The best anchoring is usually in sand, followed by clay, hard mud, shells, broken shells and soft mud.
(For examples of specific equipment and techniques for storm anchoring, visit www.boatus.com)
Reducing windage
Take off all loose gear that will create windage: sails, canvas covers, bimini tops, spray dodgers, outriggers, antennas, anchors, running rigging, booms, life rings, dinghies, portable davits, etc.
Preventing theft
After a storm, boats and any valuables left aboard can become easy targets for looters. Electronics and other valuable gear should be taken home for safekeeping. Personal belongings and other loose gear (potential missiles) should be taken home, and cabinets and cabin doors secured. All ship’s documents should be taken off of the boat.
Preventing water damage
Remove cowl ventilators and seal the openings. Use duct tape to cover instrument gauges. Duct tape should also be used around hatches, ports and lockers to prevent water damage below.
Close all but the cockpit drain seacocks and bang a plug into the engine’s exhaust ports. If the boat does take on water, it will sit lower, and water could back up into the cylinders. (Remember to remove the plug before starting the engine when the storm has passed.)
Cleats and chocks
Many boats have inadequate cleats and chocks. This problem becomes critical when more and larger diameter storm lines are used during a storm. If necessary, add more and larger cleats and chocks now; they’ll make securing the boat easier all year.
Chafe gear
Chafe protectors are essential on all lines: at a dock, at a mooring or at anchor. Use a polyester line from the cleat through the chock and then join it with a nylon line (use two eyes) to the piling or mooring. This way you can get the best of both types of line: the chafe resistance of polyester and the stretch of nylon.
Source: BoatU.S.
Reach Abi Nicholas at 958-7375 or abi@tidelinemagazine.com.
Comments
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)