| Here at Tampabayfish.com we realize that protecting your fishing machine is of great concern to you. We also realize that for many of you who have boats, want to ensure that you can get back out on the water safely after a hurricane has passed, so we have put together a few tips to help you secure your ability to get back on the water and back into the fishing as soon as possible.
Main Point. Your life is worth more then your boat. Keep this in mind and make sure that you and your family has taken the proper precautions to ensure your own safety during a hurricane.
Planning. Planning is the key to making sure your boat is safe.
If you store your boat at a marina or in a dry storage check with the management to find their responsibilities during any threatening weather.
If your boat is at your own private dock or on a trailer then securing your boat is your responsibility. Doing your part will help in any insurance claim if you have to make one.
Evacuation is one possibility, but remember during an evacuation ground traffic has priority and draw bridges may not be lifted in the event an evacuation order is given. Contacting your dockmaster or other boat owners where your boat is docked may give you an idea of how to protect your boat. Test runs and charting courses for your boat evacuation is a good way to take up a sunny afternoon of boating PRIOR to threatening weather.
Important documents should be removed and stored in a safe place especially insurance documents.
The Elements. Basically your boat is susceptible to four elements. Wind, Rain, Debris and Water.
Wind. Wind from a hurricane can cause major damage by actually moving your boat or throwing your boat into docks or other objects.
Rain. Rain can cause flooding within your boat and the amount of rain produces has the possibility to overpower your bilges and fill your boat.
Debris. Flying debris or debris washing against your boat can cause major hull damage and can damage mooring lines.
Water. Rising Tides and crashing waves can cause a boat to be thrown against a dock or onto shore from an extreme high tide or extreme low tide.
Protection from wind. If your boat is stored outside and able to be removed from the water storage inside a strong building would be your best bet. If storage within a building is not possible, you should choose a location that is relatively flat and protected from the wind. Parking in between buildings is not the best idea because of the wind funneling between the buildings can cause stronger gusts. Once you've choosen an area look around and find the things that would blow around and possibly hit your boat and if you can take precautions to remove the items do so if the items are not yours attempt to contact the owner and find out if they are going to secure them.
If your boat cannot be removed from the water and you need to secure it to a dock the following is a good tie down method. If you have tie points on all four corners of the boat the following image shows tie down points.
(figure 1)
If you can only secure it on two sides the following image shows tie down points.
(figure 2)
If your boat is anchored off shore or away from a dock ensure that your moor point is secure and that you allow for enough slack in the mooring ropes to account for tidal storm surge and wave movement. When securing away from shore HULL tie points are strongest and cleats should be used to secure to anchors in the event an under water moor breaks free. An additional anchor or more may be needed and secured in the same location as the underwater moor in the event of an underwater moor breakage.
Tie Point Protection: Protect all tie points by identifying tie rub points on your mooring ropes and protecting them with a piece of garden hose cut length wise or wrapping the ropes with towels and duct tape or leather. Secondary tie lines may be needed as back ups with a more slack in the in the event the first lines break. Remember many boats have been recovered after being sunk with their cleats ripped free. Your cleats and your tie points can become your weakest link in securing your boat . Distribute the load between all cleats if possible and use hull anchor points to take the main weight and securing responsibility.
Hull Protection: Put out as many bumpers as you can around your boat. Remember your not just protecting your boat from the dock but from other boats or debris that may find its way to the side of your boat.
Boat Lifts: If your boat is on a lift. Do not raise it as far as you can out of the water unless you are sure that the wind will not cause a problem with it. When on a lift prepare your boat to be in the water in the event a storm surge overwhelms your lift. Ensure that mooring lines and bumpers are in place and ready for use and if possible make sure your boat is sea ready (gas, batteries, etc…)
Protection from rain. Rain can and will enter your boat in some fashion whether it is onto the deck and into the hull or through broken windows into cabins and storage areas. To protect the interior of your boat from rain remove or secure all loose items from the boat. Secure all hatches and openings and tape the seals and openings edges closed. Taping windows on a boat may assist in keeping glass from scattering throughout your boat and may strengthen the windows against wind. But remember if debris is outside and flying around it will not protect the window from breaking when hit by this debris.
If possible covering all interior sections of the boats cabin with plastic and securing it against leaks and steady rain. Secure the inside of the boat as if it were going to be exposed to outside elements will help protect it in the event windows or hatches do fail.
Bilges: If your batteries are charged and your boats drainage system is in tact your boats should be able to remove water from itself to maintain its buoyancy. If batteries fail and your bilges fail there is not much else you could have done to prepare for this event.
Protection from debris. Debris can be anything that the wind can get a hold of and throw. When preparing for a hurricane look around the immediate area and remove anything that you feel the wind can move and hurl towards your boat also remove all loose items from your own boat to protect other boats around you.
Trees near your boat can be a major item that the wind can use to cause damage to your boat. Storing your boat near trees is not the best idea but if you cannot avoid it here are some things to consider. Keep your boat as far as possible from nearby trees. In the event they fall. If trees happen to be all around your boat attempt to shield your boat as much as possible and strategically park the boat so that trees that can be affected by the wind fall away from your boat. Remember that as the hurricane passes by the winds will shift and possibly change by up to 180 degrees. Take this into consideration when parking your boat.
Protection from water. Rising or falling water levels can cause damage to your boat in unpredictable ways. First if your boat is tied too tight waves and rising tides can cause cleats to be torn off and your boat set free. Or it could hold your boat down and actually sink it if an extreme storm surge were to overtake the area. Tying to a dock too loose could cause the boat to rise over or on top of a submerged dock causing damage to the hull once the water subsides.
Lift storage can be safe if your lift is a well built sturdy lift. Your boat is protected from waves and from sinking but if your lift is not high enough and your boat is overtaken by a storm surge or if your boat is on a covered lift and storm surge causes your boat to be pushed through the roof it may not be the wisest of places to keep your boat during a hurricane. Paying attention to the predicted Storm surge and to the direction of the hurricane winds can help you make a decision while planning for the protection of your boat.
Open water mooring can be dangerous in these scenarios because of the amount of force put on the moor when wind and waves combine. Make sure that moors have been inspected for their security and if you have never inspected your moor or have just moved your boat to a new moor find out how it is anchored and how long ago the moor was put into place. Many factors can come into play when it comes to the strength of your moor. Extra anchors put in place around your boat can aid in securing your boat and its drift. For extra anchors make sure the bottom you are anchoring in is a good anchoring bottom something that an anchor can dig into or catch onto. Anchors should be placed at a distance of 3-4 times the depth of the water to ensure proper hold.
Additionally once a hurricane has hit and passed if your moor held it should be re-inspected to find out if it is still strong enough to hold your boat in the event another storm or hurricane threatens.
Capsizing or Sinking
In the event your boat is capsized, swamped or damaged enough to sink. Ensure you video the damage when you arrive at the boat and if possible recover the boat from the water as soon as is safely possible. Contacting your insurance company to have an adjuster come as soon as possible is your best bet. If your insurance company cannot make it to you in a reasonable amount of time ask them if you can video tape the damage and remove the boat and attempt to SAVE the engines by having them pickled by a professional mechanic. If you remove the boat from the water and have the engines tended to quickly enough you may be able to save the engines which typically are the most expensive to replace. If this is not possible or they tell you they cannot let you remove the boat ensure that you make a note of WHO you talked to and let them know that you are attempting to salvage the boat to the best of your ability. This may aid any further issues with an insurance claim later on.
Hopefully with these few tips and any knowledge you have gained over the years your boat will ride out the most devastating of storms. Tampabayfish wants you to remember that fishing isn't fishing without a fisherman…..Be Safe, Be Smart and Plan Ahead. Your Boat can be replaced YOU can't. |
