Videos of the damage Hurricane Fiona is bringing to Bermuda is saturated with shots of boats being destroyed. Similar shots show damage to vessels along Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic shorelines. And with potential Hurricane Ian forecast to come dangerously close to our region – if not a direct hit – bring to mind our own boats.
If you have a solid game plan for securing your boat, good on you. Get ready to use it. If not, educate and supply yourself real quick. Like your home and car, you’ve got too much money invested in your boat to ignore it.
Obviously, the best thing you can do before a pending hurricane is secure the house, grab or get on the boat, and get the hell out of Dodge. But that’s not a reality for most.
Our own Rene Evans was eyeing the storms the other day and shared some insight: If you have a boat that you can trailer, get it out of the water, find a location near a sturdy building and secure it for all you’re worth. Even if it’s methodically covered, make sure the drain plug is out. A boat full of water will crush a trailer.
If you have access to a storage facility like ours at Lynnhaven Marine that’s rated for a Category 2 Hurricane, use it by all means. If you can’t take your larger, moored-at-a-marina boat to a safer place, things are more complicated.
“Make sure there’s nothing loose on the boat and double up on your lines,” Evans said. “You’re probably going to need several sets of line to handle the rise and fall of tides and storm surges. And by all means, make sure your insurance is up to date and covers everything.”
If you have to leave your boat where it is, it’s a really good idea to check on it as much as you can during the storm.
Then there is the harsh reality of hurricane season we’ve all seen on news footage. “If a storm wants your boat, it’s going to take it,” Evans said.
Your home and family are the most important things and your hurricane plan for them is essential. But if you have a boat, make the time to take care of that investment as well.
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