Storm prep

This is our first year keeping our boat at a marina off the Chesapeake. Am now watching Joaquin with interest. Am headed down to the boat tomorrow to add some extra lines and chafe gear and put out a few more fenders. Other than that is there something that I should be doing ?

Remove all your canvas and everything that on the outside that's movable like life-rings, cushions, etc. We have also folded down or removed antennas in the past.

Empty out your dock box and make sure it has drain holes in it so it won't float away. Power may be out for an extended time. I plan on emptying my fridge and turning it off so I don't kill my batteries. I live close to my marina, so I can wait until the Friday forecast to take action. Still no watches or warnings posted for the Chesapeake Bay.

Greetings,
Mr. 13. In addition to the above, check bilge pump operation making sure your bilge doesn't have anything that will block or stop the pump (s) and/or float switch. Check all your window/port/deck drain holes to make sure they're not plugged. Allow enough slack in your lines to account for a storm surge if NOT floating docks.

You might also want to lower your antennae so that someone who didn't remove their canvas and let Joaquin do it for them doesn't become your problem.


Spell check via iPhone.

You got great advice above.
I would add:
Take some pre-storm photos if you can. Both current state and how things look after you have prepped.

jleonard said:

You got great advice above.
I would add:
Take some pre-storm photos if you can. Both current state and how things look after you have prepped.

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You know, this is great advice for just about any boating project. Take pictures of "before" you take something apart, then again at some midpoint. This has saved me from CRS innumerable times. Should be in the "Tips and Tricks" thread! Also helps when you are off to the hardware or marine store to take pics and bring 'em with you on camera or phone for when you walk up the guy and say "I need to connect this doohicky here through some whatchmacallits to this thingamagig I have on my boat... and I need an extra thingamagig while I'm at it"

Larry M said:

Remove all your canvas and everything that on the outside that's movable like life-rings, cushions, etc. We have also folded down or removed antennas in the past.

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Floating or fixed dock? See if you can get some more space twixt you and dock, "centering" the boat in the slip. Fenders won't help much if things get wild.

EDIT: Wow, this inspired me to my first serious look at the forecasts. It looks prudent to prepare for the worst. I'd strongly advise consulting the marina and other boaters within on advice, and find out if you can stay there and how they want people to secure their boats. Based on my experiences here in NC, I would look into having the boat hauled if it can be brought several feet above sea level and blocked and secured correctly.

jleonard said:

Take some pre-storm photos if you can. Both current state and how things look after you have prepped.

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While your at it take some pics of your neighbours setup in case they are not too attentive. I'm glad I don't have to deal with what you have ahead but it would certainly be a time I would be vocal about slack asses around me.

Hawgwash said:

While your at it take some pics of your neighbours setup in case they are not too attentive. I'm glad I don't have to deal with what you have ahead but it would certainly be a time I would be vocal about slack asses around me.

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We certainly have those at our marina as everybody does. However our marina will go around and add lines, etc. if we get into the warning zone. They also put out everyone's anchors to try to hold the marina together. Seems like every 5/6 years or so we have to go thru that drill.

I just got back from doing my storm prep. I think Tortuga is ready for whatever mother nature has in store for us.

I would add calling the insurance company to make sure your policy is fully paid up and in good standing.

jleonard said:

You got great advice above.
I would add:
Take some pre-storm photos if you can. Both current state and how things look after you have prepped.

Click to expand...

Marlinmike said:

I would add calling the insurance company to make sure your policy is fully paid up and in good standing.

Click to expand...

And just hope there is not that really fine print which makes an exclusion for named storms.

Marlinmike said:

I would add calling the insurance company to make sure your policy is fully paid up and in good standing.

Click to expand...

Good idea. Some insurance companies will pay for or spilt the cost of a haul-out under some conditions. Something to ask while you have them on the phone.

Determine what you need to do and how long it takes you. Then follow forecasts and allow yourself extra time. At this point in a hurricane's progress, a lot changes day to day. Today you're in a hurricane alert area, which ironically we are as well, while our home in Fort Lauderdale is not.

Someone asked floating vs. fixed. I'd also ask regarding the floating how high above the water level are the supports/posts. Good, current state of the art, floating does very well assuming it doesn't rise above the posts.

Brought the charter boat around from Ocean City to Deale Island in Chesapeake Bay yesterday. She's up on blocks now for the winter. Will have last of the storm prep finished tomorrow.

Number of years ago hurricane Irene came early in the summer and caught me in Ocean City. If the boat is going to stay in the water for the hurricane, one of the best things you can do is move to a bigger slip. Put the 35' charter boat in 70' slip. Here are the advantages:
Pilings are taller and stronger.
Spring and other dock lines can be much longer to allow for tidal surge.
The larger storm lines being longer still have stretch because of added length.
No issues with rubbing pilings because of the extra width of the slip.

Took a little longer to rig lines and then get off the boat as it sat in the middle of the slip. It actually looked kind of silly with the dock lines going way up in the air. Worked out well and was unaffected by the 4' tidal surge high tide.

Ted

Beautiful evening in Beaufort NC. Calm before the storm ?

Not sure where on the Chesapeake you are but if you not on floating docks, you may want to move to one. On past storms I have taken my boat up the Patapsco to Baltimore as most of the marinas have floating docks. Also a great place to party while you wait out the storm! Good luck.

We are up at Anchorage Marina so we do have floating docks, just hope the surge isn't bad.

Headed down tomorrow to take down the bimini and double up lines...
Tides here have been abnormally high lately but the boat has been riding fine...