Hurricane preparation advice

FourPoints · Aug 22, 2011

your insurance company would probably prefer you haul out onto the trailer (and make sure to strap the boat to the trailer), unstep the mast, and tie the trailer to the ground with good ground stakes, they may even pay you to do so...

MrUnix · Aug 22, 2011

Yup, get it out of the water if you can.. and as far away from water as you can!

Cheers,
Brad

fokker416 · Aug 22, 2011

I agree. If you want to hedge your bets I'd say go ahead and pull the boat out soon and leave it at the yard. Do anything else you can do to prep. If Irene is for sure heading your way, still a little early to tell, step the mast. Good thing about doing this is that you won't have a lot to do when you step the mast since the boat will already be out so you can take your time. Maybe you can even make some calls for help getting it down. If the storm decides that the gulf coast is wonderful this time of year, you can easily put her back in. Use it as an excuse to do a little haul out work.

BrianW · Aug 23, 2011

Kermit, I agree with all above about removing from water and stepping the mast. If you do have to leave the mast up, make sure you remove all sails and orient the boat & trailer bow into the projected wind direction with tongue completely lowered. If you can pound stakes into ground to tie trailer tongue and use mega-chocks on the wheels in both directions. BrianW

Benny17441 · Aug 23, 2011

It may be time to practice unstepping and stepping the mast. Get it on the trailer, tie the boat down to the trailer and tie the trailer down to anchors in the ground. Also fill the boat up with water watching not to exceed the trailer's weight limit.

FourPoints · Aug 23, 2011

Benny17441 said:
Also fill the boat up with water watching not to exceed the trailer's weight limit.

BTW, I don't think he means turning the host loose in the cabin and filling up the hull, just if you have water balast.... otherwise I would suggest sand bags in the cockpit and bilge area

Sublime · Aug 23, 2011

Here's an official hurricane prep guide. Good luck!
http://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/assets/pdf/swhurr_prep_guide.pdf

Forrest15112 · Aug 24, 2011

You did say inland lake right? I might consider leaving it in the water and tightening the docklines. You're correct to be concerned about falling trees or other blown around debris. I had a branch fall on mine in the driveway during Katrina. I always chock the wheels but have never anchored the boat and trailer down. Hurricane winds aren't going to toss a H23 over, but small tornados are common and might cause more wind damage. So, it could be a little overkill, but it could save your boat and isn't that much trouble. It's interesting here in the marinas subject to tidal surge, how many large ( 25' and over) boats are secured with 3/8" or smaller dock lines. If you do leave in the water, and this may be obvious to you, make sure your dock lines are not old and weakened. That's pretty common around here.

A friend tossed his anchor off the stern while in his slip in New Orleans prior to Katrina. His was possibly the only boat at the N.O. Yacht Harbor that didn't get washed onto shore. He saw some satellite images and the only boat in the water was in the slip across from his. He was already contemplating the insurance check but later discovered that was his boat that was dragged some and settled in the other slip.

Deucer · Aug 25, 2011

Living on the coast of Mississippi, my plan is to put the boat in the back yard, secure all shrouds and the rolling furler as well as possible, then sink tent anchors (cheap from Harbor Freight) and tie the boat down and hope for the best.

Left the boat in the water during Ike (passed 300 mi south, but still got 35kt winds). Had the boat tied off with extra lines. When I checked on her, she was being tossed around a bit, but stayed dry. After the storm passed, found out that I lost a stern cleat. I would have to believe she may have broke loose in hurricane force winds.

Kivalo · Aug 27, 2011

Hi everyone,
My boat, a 260, is on Owasco Lake in Central New York. We aren't scheduled to be in Irene's path but they are calling for wind gusting into the 30's. I have an available hurricane hitch line but right now I simply use it as extra rode. Are the line cleats on the side of the bow strong enough to hold should the bow eye pull out? Any suggestions? I could haul it but due to lake levels that is a difficult task right now.

Brad
s/v KIVALO

teacher63 · Sep 9, 2011

I was lucky enough to get my 23 back on the trailer Friday afternoon before Irene did her thing all day Saturday in southern MD. I left the mast up and the sails rapped and bagged. Left the furler fly with the jib on. I am lucky that I have a trailer spot and a slip that I can leave the mast up and launch and retrieve intact. The worst I got was a giant pile of leaves. I went down to check the dock that my boat was tied to and there was power boat sitting on the dock. Not good!! I live in St. Mary's County the furthest south point on the western shore. They said we got the worst in all of MD. Our county for the most part looked like a war zone. I had no idea that 50 to 75 foot oak trees could come out of the ground root ball and all and land on my roof. If you ran a lumber mill here, you could have made a mint.

Kermit said:
First mate just sent me the newest projected path for Hurricane Irene. Looks like it'll hit us directly on an inland lake. So we're wondering if we should take our Hunter 23 out and bring it home to Sumter, SC (Sumter was totally destroyed by Hurricane Hugo) where we have lots of trees (that like to fall), leave it in the water tied to the outermost end of the floating dock in a protected cove, or keep it on the trailer in the boat yard at the sailing club. The yard is clear, but lots of pine trees surround the yard.

Neither of is real comfortable with stepping and unstepping the mast. I'm thinking I would trailer the boat if I were comfortable with the whole mast situation. But I'm not.

I'm wondering what y'all might do in my situation.

Thanks!