Hurricane Information for Boaters
Preparing Your Boat For A Hurricane (Prepared for Burnt Store Marina and PPYC)
Up until
Charley, most boaters in Florida had no experience with major storms or
hurricanes. Many of the procedures owners have used for years to tie up their
boats were ok for fair weather but totally unsuited to serious winds. So we
should help each other with ideas and suggestions for protecting our own boats
and those of our neighbors. At my club up north, one member refused to take
precautions or suggestions. His boat broke loose in a hurricane, hit and sank
two other boats and then went ashore. Walk around any marina and look. Many
boats (even those taken care of by "professionals") are not prepared. They are
a threat to themselves and neighbors.
We are not talking just named storms. Any Florida afternoon thunderstorm can generate 60-70 mile an hour winds. It is difficult indeed to work on deck in 30 plus. So it pays to plan ahead. The following ideas are gleaned from the Coast Guard, other marine sources, and from people who have been there.
A Norwegian sea captain who learned his trade on sail ships and sea going tugs told me the following. His life and the life of his ship depended upon proper knot tying and using the proper knot in the proper place. He said: Knots have to meet four criteria:
1. They must hold.
2. They must be easy to untie.
3. The line must be adjustable under load which means you have to be able to untie the knot under load.
4. You should be able to do this at night.
Lines should be sized properly for their boats. West Marine or BoatUS catalogs specify proper line sizes for boats of various sizes.
Replace lines that have worn spots, barnacles, or mildew (which weaken the fibers).
Chafing gear is essential to protect lines. (In a 40 plus mph storm I chafed through a brand new, oversized bow line. Only a back-up bow line saved the boat.) You can buy special chafing gear from West or BoatUS, or use fire hose, garden hose, water hose, canvas etc. Chafing gear should be used anywhere lines contact a hard surface such as chocks, boat rails, pilings, nails, dock edges etc. Nails are commonly used in pilings to keep lines from slipping down. In a storm, with your boat dancing around, these nails will saw through your lines in no time.
Spring lines: You cannot protect a boat from damage without both bow and stern spring lines. Do NOT use one line for both bow and stern spring. Some boaters tie a loop in the middle of a line, secure the loop to a midships cleat and use this line for both bow and stern spring lines. Three problems here: 1: the line cannot be adjusted from the boat. 2. excessive chafe on the cleat. 3. If one end breaks you may lose both spring lines.
Double or triple lines. Where possible, increase the lead, i.e. distance between the cleat on your boat and the piling you tie to.
Fender boards: The best ten bucks you will ever spend. Much damage at Shell Point could have been prevented if fender boards had been used. Secure the fender boards to your boat. Use with plenty of fenders to distribute the load over the length of the board. (I use three fenders for a four foot board.).
Fenders: Do not count on them to keep your boat off the dock. In storms and rising tides, boats move around the slip and fenders will rarely be in the right spot. Normally fenders should be tied to the boat, but in storm conditions it is better to tie fenders to the dock. Your best bet is to tie bow and stern lines and spring lines so that your boat is held off the dock.
Do not use the dock cleats. They are not reliable. Many of the cleats at Shell Point are old and the fastenings, which you cannot see, are badly corroded. Tie directly to the post. If you must, wrap the line around a post a couple of times so that the post carries the load and then lead to a cleat.
Safety and good seamanship: Lines should be adjustable from both aboard the boat and the dock. You will need slack at both ends. Therefore spliced loops in lines should not be used for storm tie ups. If you do, you will not be able to adjust a line with a spliced loop. The level of water in a hurricane fluctuates up and down and you may have to adjust line length. (Spliced loops also rub on posts or cleats so chafing gear is a must wherever you use a loop.)
Knots that should NOT be used: Clove hitches are the darling of the Boy Scouts and popular advice to boaters but they meet none of the criteria listed above for good storm knots. No knowledgeable seaman uses a clove hitch to secure a boat to a dock. Clove hitches jam or can shake loose if the load is intermittent. They are difficult to adjust under load. Clove hitches have some good applications - just do not use them to tie up your boat. Bowlines are very good all around knots but they cannot be adjusted or untied under load. So do not use them in places you may want to adjust line length.
Proper knots for posts: An easy way to tie a line to a post is to wrap the line around the post twice. (Note, just wrap the line. Do not make the wraps into clove hitches.) Then tie two (three is better) half hitches to the standing part of the line. The wraps reduce chafe and make it easy to adjust line length under load.. This knot meets all of our criteria: it will not come untied accidentally; it can be untied and adjusted under load.
Lines: Secure near the top of pilings to allow for tidal surge. Also remember that hurricanes can suck the water out of the marina. So it takes some thought to prepare for both contingencies. Put some kind of preventer at the top of pilings to a) keep lines from coming off when the water rises and b) keep the line from sliding down the post.
Boat cleats. On some boats, cleats may be through bolted but lack proper backing plates. Your builder should be ashamed. Do not count on these cleats in bad weather. It is good insurance to refasten and back up these cleats. In the meantime, distribute the loads among as many cleats as possible.
Awnings, biminis, dodgers, sails and roller furling sails. Take them off. If you leave canvas up, you are asking for damage to your boat and its neighbors. Do not count on roller furling sails to stay furled. In a storm, the wind will get under an edge and unfurl the sail. Every year marinas have preventable damage because boat owners do not remove sails and other canvas. Reduce windage any way you can to save equipment and reduce the strain on lines.
Secure halyards well away from the mast. Run main halyards to a rail and secure. Run headsail halyards forward to the pulpit or rail and secure. Banging halyards will make you very unpopular with your neighbors and will destroy the finish on your spars.
Booms: Remove, lay on deck and secure.
Batteries: Be sure they are fully charged. Shore power will be off and your batteries will be needed for bilge pumps.
Bilge pumps: Hurricane winds will drive rain into your bilges. An astonishing amount of water comes in through openings in masts that are stepped on the keel. Check all pumps (including the manual pump gathering dust in a locker) to make sure they work properly. Clean the screens and the bilge area around the pump so debris can not clog the pump.
Water entry: Check and secure all hatches and port holes. Remove dorades and vents etc.
Fuel tanks: Top off.
Checklist for hurricane preparation: Make one for your boat. It greatly simplifies the job. Don't forget to include equipment you want to remove from the boat for safe keeping, i.e. insurance papers, documentation, radios, etc.
Boats on dock lifts: These boats are particularly vulnerable. Storm surge and high tide will float these boats. Be sure they are well secured so they can not blow off the lifts or float away.
Remember: Working on your boat, moving it or securing gear is difficult in 30-40 MPH winds. In 50 plus it becomes impossible. Planning and taking action ahead of time is essential.
Any questions or suggestions, contact: Barrie Smith, 5907 Lucina. 433-3703. BarrieJanet@shellpoint.net
For more detailed discussion, visit the Hurricane Resource Center at BoatUS by clicking here.
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