Bow-in to Prep for Hurricane...?

Question to the east coast folks on here. I normally go stern-in, but I read this in a Boat U.S. hurricane prep brochure:

"you’ll want to arrange the bow toward open water or, lacking that, toward the least protected direction. This reduces windage. The exception is boats with swim platforms, especially swim platforms that are integral to the hull. These boats have been sunk when their platforms were bashed against a bulkhead. If your boat’s swim platform can’t be kept safely away from a bulkhead, secure the boat with its stern toward open water."

I do have a swim platform, but seems like if I double the bow lines (maybe the far one is out to a piling), plus have spring lines, these would prevent the stern from heading towards the dock in a stern-in situation.

I'd welcome opinions on the Boat U.S. paragraph above, and do some of you follow this rule... or not...?

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Planning for unstoppable forces meeting immovable objects is beyond people. The butterfly that landed on your swim platform may ultimately make more difference than which way the swim platform is directed.

You protect the swim platform from contact with the dock only to have a fuel barge blow through your boat and burn down the boat, marina and the small town on the other side.

Run Forrest, run.

Is your slip a floating dock or fixed pilings?
With a floating dock, I think it makes very little difference which way you're pointing. You become one with the floating dock through numerous dock lines. Either the floating dock stays in tacked or it doesn't.

With fixed pilings, the rise and fall of the tide requires additional play in dock lines. This additional play includes shock loading and line stress. When I was in a fixed piling marina with my charter boat, I always moved to a vacated larger slip so that the boat would have adequate space to move around without touching pilings or the back of the slip.

To me, part of picking a good marina involves having a protected basin where hurricane waves can't exceed a foot or two. While you're somewhat limited as to blocking the wind, I can't imagine being in a marina where waves can build over a mile of open water before bouncing your boat around in your slip. The two marinas I keep my trawler in, have very protected basins. While you have to be able to deal with the wind, the videos I've seen of boats sinking in their slips or breaking loose, seem to be more about battling large waves that either destroy the docks, pull out hardware or break dock lines.

Ted

I think the point they are trying to make, and doing a poor job of it, is that it's better to have the bow facing into prevailing weather rather than the stern. How much this is an issue totally depends on your location, fetch, and wind directions. And whether it's possible to reorient depends on your slip/marina's configuration. But it's something to consider since your bow will take weather better than your stern.


The part that I think is stupid is the whole swim step caution. The risk has nothing to do with swim steps, and everything to do with staying off the bulkhead. If you had no swim step, and the transom were bashing against the bulkhead, you would have just as much of a problem as if your molded swim step were bashing. Bashing is bashing.

twistedtree said:

The part that I think is stupid is the whole swim step caution. The risk has nothing to do with swim steps, and everything to do with staying off the bulkhead. If you had no swim step, and the transom were bashing against the bulkhead, you would have just as much of a problem as if your molded swim step were bashing. Bashing is bashing.

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I couldn't have said it better myself.

I've personally witnessed bows being bashed against the floats in a storm. That's not pretty either. And since the bow tends to pitch through a wider range than the stern, and is generally raked, chances of hitting are better than a swim platform. Even if the stem is well away the dock at the waterline during settled weather, if the wind is from astern, stretching the lines, and the bow is pitching, there's a very good chance it'll hit. With a swim platform, you can see just how much distance you'll be from the dock behind it.

Either way, hitting the dock or float repeatedly is a bad thing.

I can’t imagine having the stern of my boat pointed into the wind in a storm. The squarish stern would take a stupid amount of pounding and it’s very possible the cockpit and lazarette would fill with water and sink the boat.

That’s a ridiculous idea IMO.

Yep, stern exposed to a storm fetch is a terrible idea. Add to that seas slapping water into tailpipes (just investigated one of those from Flo).

If there is enough fetch to bring seas into your docking area, your boat needs to be somewhere else. It is that simple.

Location, location, location. OC's right.

Not to mention - do you want to be out there at the last minute, after a storm course change, unrigging, turning the boat, and rerigging to have bow to
orientation?

By having the stern in the dock, it can make climbing aboard a wildly pitching vessel loads easier.

They may be making the point (no pun intended).....


The bow smashing the bulkhead will have the most damage well above the waterline (of course depending on the height of the bulkhead).



Whereas the swim platform may punch though the transom which on larger boats is much weaker than the bow and will experience damage near the waterline.


I used to know the insurance adjuster/one of the heads of the BoatUS post storm investigators...if that article was reviewed by or had input from him...well... he saw a LOT of post storm sunk boats in his career. The warning may not be obvious on its face, but sometimes reality is like that.

Thanks for everyone's comments, I tend to agree and don't really want my transom facing out...
Just for reference, here is where I saw that Article:
https://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/assets/pdf/swhurr_prep_guide.pdf

When we bought our boat in Virginia a few years ago there was a hurrican predicted to hit the area. They had us move our boat out from under the covered dock and back it into a humongous slip. We put on about 700’ of dock lines in prep and then the hurricane drifted out to sea so I don’t have any idea if we did a good job or not. But the marina definitely wanted our bow out facing the longest fetch.

Here’s another question. We are in FL in a protected marina 5 miles up the St. Lucie river. I have a choice to be side tied to a floating dock or in a slip at the same dock. Or tied to a fixed dock, or out in the mooring field. The moorings are on helix anchors screwed 15 feet into the bottom. On the mooring the bow will always point into the wind. Your thoughts please.

I’d rather be in a slip on a floating dock.

Last questions first. I'd always choose floating over fixed and I'd always choose inside a slip over side tie.

Now to the first question. Seems on the surface a bit strange to protect the swim platform while sinking the boat. Now psneeld may have a point, that it's something observed by them. However, even so, I think that you need to look at your situation and your marina. You anchor bow into the wind when you anchor. Your boat just takes wind and waves better on the bow. However, you need to have the boat tied in such a way as to protect it from colliding against docks on all sides and add whatever additional protection you can. I'd have stern in but I'd also protect the stern and swim step in every way I could with protection on the dock, swim step fenders, whatever is called for.

Mainly, you need to look at your boat as tied and positioned and assess the risk. If you see a way of reducing the risk, then do so. It may be that $200 extra saves a $100,000 boat. Also, look at the dock and examine it's ties to piles and shore and if it doesn't seem adequate talk to the marina, preferably well before any hurricanes. Find out what they add prior to hurricanes.

And don't forget batteries and bilge pumps. Have maximum battery power and use it all for your bilge pumps.

I was on board my boat during Irma in FL. The bow was facing the predominant wind a wave direction. Everything was fine until a sailboat dragged its anchor and ended up grinding away at my topsides for 11 hours. Take away - you can’t cover all the possibilities in such a storm event and once something happens there is very little you can do about it due to the forces involved. Have insurance and be safe. ( unfortunately the bast@#d who’s boat hit me didn’t have insurance). I hope I will will never be in that situation again where I have to prep for a hurricane with short notice.

Sangraal said:

I was on board my boat during Irma in FL. The bow was facing the predominant wind a wave direction. Everything was fine until a sailboat dragged its anchor and ended up grinding away at my topsides for 11 hours. Take away - you can’t cover all the possibilities in such a storm event and once something happens there is very little you can do about it due to the forces involved. Have insurance and be safe. ( unfortunately the bast@#d who’s boat hit me didn’t have insurance). I hope I will will never be in that situation again where I have to prep for a hurricane with short notice.

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Anchored boats were the cause of much damage. Sailboats also have far more problems at marinas than powerboats as the wind and rocking aren't handled well.

I would think that based on their past experience your marina would have a preference as to how your boat is positioned and tied within your slip. When there is weather expected I always check with my marina to be sure they are comfortable with my lines and such. They are happy to give advise.

The best way to survive a hurricane is to avoid the hurricane area. Being in the right place at the right time is serendipitous. Putting yourself in the right place at the right time is genius.

Next best is preparation. This is worth a read again this year:

How to create an instant hurricane mooring


It's give and take, not unstoppable and immovable.

"On the mooring the bow will always point into the wind."

IF you think the mooring was installed with the right equipment , that would be my choice.

The loads on the boat would be lower , and by using padded chain where the mooring lead comes aboard , chafe will be less of a problem.

A 10- 15 ft storm surge would not have the problem of most floating docks , too short pilings , and 50 boats depart together in a big raft up.

I would carry out my biggest anchor and dig it in as an emergency backup in the expected wind direction.
This might allow the mooring to be eased enough to allow dragging boats to drift on by.

The best solution is to go way!!! inland and store the boat in a hurricane rated building , but that takes time and Big bucks.

Here is the guy down the street,
LaBelle, Florida - River Forest Yachting Center

riverforestyc.com/index.php/locations/labelle-florida

Comodave said:

When we bought our boat in Virginia a few years ago there was a hurrican predicted to hit the area. They had us move our boat out from under the covered dock and back it into a humongous slip. We put on about 700’ of dock lines in prep and then the hurricane drifted out to sea so I don’t have any idea if we did a good job or not. But the marina definitely wanted our bow out facing the longest fetch.

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To expand on what I wrote earlier about oversized slips, the larger slips required most of the dock lines to be close to twice as long. When using multiple lines or larger diameter lines, the extra length ensures the reduced stress of shock loading. The short snap of shock loading is what pulls the hardware out, breaks the dock lines, or damages the pilings. The boat is certainly going to move around, but when it reaches the end of a direction, the stopping is much more gradual. Also, when you move to a significantly larger slip, generally the pilings are bigger in diameter and taller, the dock is more stout, and the dock cleats are bigger with larger fasteners. The bigger cleats allow for more or larger dock lines. Because the lines have to be longer in a bigger slip, being able to handle larger tidal changes becomes easier without the increased risk of rubbing against pilings. There really is nothing but positives in being in a larger slip during a storm.

Ted

The other thing worth mentioning, is that twisted nylon dock lines stretch more than braided lines. The storm lines for my charter boat are one size larger and are set to draw taunt before the standard lines. Being of twisted nylon, they stretch more reducing the shock loading. Ideally when the storm lines are mostly stretched, the other line has also become taunt for the full strength of both lines. There's really more to rigging storm lines than just adding more lines to what you normally use.

Ted

In my considerable experience with hurricanes, marinas, unless far inland, are bad juju in hurricanes (like trailer parks in tornadoes- yes you can theoretically survive there, but why?)

The biggest factor here instead of wind in the past has been storm surge. For example, in our marina, once the storm surge hits about seven or eight feet (depending on tide) water from the Gulf of Mexico is coming over the marina bulkhead. At that point, how you tied your boat, which way it's pointing, whether you left your canvas up or not, all becomes moot.Your boat is going to be destroyed.

After Katrina, in Mississippi, I don't know of a single boat that survived in a marina that was closer than five miles to the sound(there may been a few, but I didn't see them). It wasn't the wind that did it so much as the storm surge that exceeded twenty feet (and even more in some places, we got twenty three feet at our house, a mile from the coast).

One friend's boat, ( five miles up a river) went straight up and pulled out eight piling sunk 16 feet down, then drifted off and was destroyed (the pilings were still roped to it when found).

Those of us who like our boats, go way up the rivers and bayous and tie off to sturdy trees. Our current plan (last used in Hurricane Nate) is tied off with four two hundred foot nylon lines, that give us plenty of room for, and stretch, for rising with the surge.

So that's the thing. The surge, in my experience that must be taken into account when prepping for hurricanes.

I agree with everyone that bow into the waves is the way to go.


One consideration that the author is taking into account may be the hull-deck joints just above the waterline at the stern on many newer fiberglass express cruisers, fishing boats and some of the more budget priced sailboats. It is probably easier to pull these parts from a mold and simplifies assembly but I don't care for it. Take a look around next walk down your dock and see how many boats are made with the hull and deck joint meeting at the back of an integrated swim platform not that far above the waterline. Hopefully they are well constructed and sealed but I've seen many cheap, high volume production boats with very suspect fastening and caulking. But the bottom line is that selecting a well protected slip and adequately tying the boat up should keep the boat off the dock anyway, enough wave action against a fixed object will hole almost any hull.

Good thoughts by all. One issue is that almost everyone agrees about bow into the wind and surge.... BUT, this assumes you know ahead of time what direction that will be. Not all of us are living there or even within a couple hours drive of our boats. As we've seen in recent year hurricanes, they can hit all over the east coast so obviously if the eye of the storm is north or south of you it will change what direction you prep for. If you're far away i guess you just do the best you can with lines and other prep.

The answer "it's the best that I can do".... should be the phrase in hurticne plans that insurance companies charge astronomical premiums for.

cardude01 said:

I can’t imagine having the stern of my boat pointed into the wind in a storm. The squarish stern would take a stupid amount of pounding and it’s very possible the cockpit and lazarette would fill with water and sink the boat.

That’s a ridiculous idea IMO.

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A sistership Cape Dory 28 at our marina failed to follow this advice, despite much urging by those of us here to turn her around or move to a more protected slip. . She went down in the last hurricane.....

This is a somewhat academic (and silly article).

1) The slip or dock has a fixed orientation. You only have two directions to choose from, which are opposed by 180 degrees.

2) It will be difficult to predict the wind direction of a hurricane. It would depend on whether it passes North, South, East, or west of you.

3) The wind direction will shift 180 degrees as it passes. Whether it clocks from North to South, South to North, East to West or West to the east will be determined by where it passes you.

If you're going to potentially take enough weather to swamp your stern, you chose a bad location to begin with. Damaged from pilings and other boats, or dock failures are a far greater and more realistic threat.

We were docked in New Bern, NC when Florence pushed 11' of surge up the Neuse River. Fortunately we were tied and chained to the floating docks.
As for your question - we had our bow facing out the of slip because we felt we could best tied it to the dock facing that way. With hurricane Florence and tropical storm Michael (that also came over us in New Bern, NC) the winds come from one direction for a while and then you get the other side of the storm. There were boats in the marina that got their sterns beat up on pilings and the docks, but there were just as many who got their bows beat into the dock. The biggest problem we saw was too small and too few lines.
Run your lines as far from the connection points on the boat as possible, protect against chafe and let the boat float.
In Brunswick, I would expect your are on floating docks with the large tides there. Dock the way you are most comfortable and then secure it well.
Good luck

All this hurricane tie up talk reminds me how much I’m dreading the upcoming storm season.

I was down on Longboat Key putting extra lines on the boat when Michael passed by us maybe 200 miles offshore. If that storm would have turned in and hit us my extra lines would have been laughed at, and I’m not sure where I would have escaped to.

I wasn’t even down there to do storm prep but just some boat work, but that storm spun up so quickly it surprised me. My new plan is to make sure I’m well out of the way of any potential storm track this year. Maybe I can pay some of the liveaboards there to add my extra storm lines this year if needed.