Hurricane Season Advice

woodster · May 27, 2011

you may want to ck with Boats US and see what they say direct...not sure about your location of trip during hurricane season ...and so far i hear that this season is supposed to equal the tornado season we have just had .......

regards

woody

Mike Turner · May 28, 2011

If you have Internet access, you can monitor the National Hurricane Center at www. nhc/noaa.gov . They'll identify systems forming out in the Atlantic and, once storms form, project tracks. They project several days out so there is plenty of time to see when a storm might affect you, and run in for shelter.

My Boat US policy anticipates that at some point here on the Gulf, I'll face a hurricane, and provides coverage for haul-out if I choose. I imagine that my rates take the risk into account, but even so the rates are in my opinion pretty good.

If you want any info on the ditch from Mobile through to Tarpon Springs, give a shout, we followed that route westbound last year bringing our boat up from Florida.

Mike Turner
Lazyjack 32 schooner "Mary'Lis"
Mobile Bay, Alabama

Ed Schenck · May 28, 2011

Maybe this thread should include a discussion about where to hide the boat. My experience is with one storm in North Carolina, predicted to be a hurricane but winds only got to 70+. The marina required all boats to be off the docks. Everyone there anchored up a creek somewhere. In the years that actual hurricanes went through and including that storm no boats were lost or damaged. In the club house were pictures of boats on the hard at other marinas. Several were half a mile from where they started. Just saying . . . .

Rick Webb · May 28, 2011

I Think You Could Avoid Them

If you are already on the move you can keep moving or stay put to avoid them.

When they are a week out you geta good indication of where they are going and at three days a very good indication. Three days is enough time to get out of the way. More of us would do that but we are busy boarding up windows and buying water, batteries, spam, toilet paper, beer and pop tarts.

Late in the season they somtimes pop up in the gulf and it is a little harder to predict. I'd be wary but would not do it because of there may be a storm.

sailaway78 · May 28, 2011

How much earlier

How much earlier are we talking. Before Nov. 1 that is. Hurricane season officially ends Nov. 1, but usually after Oct. 1, your pretty safe. If your talking August or early Sept. then be careful. I would not cancel due to a hurricane fear, but watch the weather closely.

Charlie13958 · May 28, 2011

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

here is a link to the National Hurricane Center

zeehag · May 28, 2011

in mexico there isnt a way to have as early warning as in gulf of mexico-- they come here faster and is harder to remain hidden from them unless one heads back north or into a region with cold water, which is safety from hurrycames. this is spozed to again be an el nino year, so we see what transpires, storm wise..... goood luck to those in warm waters this year..i plan on heading into marina mazatlan for hurrycame relief--is shelteed, especially when one is able to find a wind free slip behind condos-

Ron20324 · May 30, 2011

agaliha said:
I was planning to take a long ICW trip from Mobile to the Chesapeake starting on November 1... What will my insurance company (Boat U.S.) say?

A few people that went SOUTH from the Chesapeake Bay for the winter told me that they should/could not go below Norfolk VA before Nov 1 because it was hurricane season, which meant the ins co disapproved. Seems to me if you come NORTH, you'd be getting out of the hurricane belt, and insurance would be cheaper.

sea_casper · Jun 8, 2011

agaliha said:
...and they were very helpful. They don't give out their exact underwriting quidelines (probably for competitive purposes), but they did have an underwriter call me and discuss my plans. Obviously, there is more risk associated with traveling in the Gulf during hurricane season, so the rate will be approximately 3 times what I pay for coverage here on an inland river. But that is a full year to full year comparison. If my trip lasts only six months, then they would charge me the higher rate only for that period. There is a slight increase in the rates for going to the
Bahamas, too. All of this seemed appropriate to me and they were VERY cordial and helpful. There was not a long wait on their customer service line and the underwriter called me back in a couple of hours. I was impressed.

Thanks for everyone's responses. Looks like I'm running out of excuses not to take my trip!

Agaliha

Check out NBOA Marine Insurance (National Boat Owners Association) out of Sarasota Florida, they insured my boat which I bought in Florida, last Sept.

Steve Kamp · Jun 9, 2011

Many policies for boats that homeport Chesapeake Bay and northward do limit southward travel prior to November 1 to ICW mile 0 (Portsmouth, Virginia) or a little further south, generally 35 N. (Oriental, North Carolina, more or less). For those of us who homeport south of 35 N, we pay close attention to advance forecasts, look for hide holes or sheltered ports, prep the boat to run away and/or stay in port, and pray.
If a southward trip is planned, a start date of around October 15 is generally a good time to go, although in 2007 we left New Bern on October 31 and got caught in Beaufort on November 1 by a TS that forecasts had shown would track a little further east than it did. We should have waited a few more days but by November we were looking at trying to beat the frosty season.

zeehag · Jun 9, 2011

ye can always self insure and sail anywhere ye want any time ye want--just dont break the boat....

dkdoyle · Jun 11, 2011

I live in florida and you can watch the storms coming off the coast of africa. Lots of time to get out of the way and lots of places to hide. In general i would suggest you get down the coast to Tampa area (historic safe spot). Pick your time based on weather and scoot around the bottom quickly so you don't get caught out in the larger danger zone.

zeehag · Jun 11, 2011

dkdoyle said:
I live in florida and you can watch the storms coming off the coast of africa. Lots of time to get out of the way and lots of places to hide. In general i would suggest you get down the coast to Tampa area (historic safe spot). Pick your time based on weather and scoot around the bottom quickly so you don't get caught out in the larger danger zone.

is when they form in carib that floridians have a lil less time to do the shuffle......... we have formation off coast of mexico---- guess where i am..LOL..... coast of mexico---i am safe tho-- have put into hurrycame hole for summer....when they form like adrian, we have about 5 days to a week warning....with seas growing, rip tides forming, and barometer dropping during the formation of the fun and games..is nice to have highs inland so as to push the storms to sea......

with manatee river and the good mud holding there, is it a safe place to weather out a hurrycame?? still has a bit of a stretch for fetch from gulf.....?????

dkdoyle · Jun 11, 2011

Yes manatee river is right next to tampa bay. It is more open to the gulf then tampa bay though. You can't get very far up river. You can go across florida via the okeechobee depending on your draft and mast height. The canal goes from ft. Meyers to stuart on the other coast. I would rather get caught there, inland, then in the open keys.