Hurricane haul out plans

I'm in Jacksonville wanting to keep the boat here over the summer.

Insurance company say I would have to be hauled out in a named storm.

I'm looking for a marina I can contract with to haul my 40 footer in case of a hurricane. Nearest I could find after a brief internet search was Brunswick landing.

Anything closer?

Green Cove Springs would be closer and there are 2 yards that would be good hurricane holes. Arlington Marina and St John’s Boat Co may also be an option but they are within a few miles of river entrance and don’t offer the protection of Green Cove Springs.

What their hurricane haul out policy’s are, I don’t know. Please post what your research shows. You’re not alone in your insurance dilemma.

Larry M said:

Green Cove Springs would be closer and there are 2 yards that would be good hurricane holes. Arlington Marina and St John’s Boat Co may also be an option but they are within a few miles of river entrance and don’t offer the protection of Green Cove Springs.

What their hurricane haul out policy’s are, I don’t know. Please post what your research shows. You’re not alone in your insurance dilemma.

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Larry,

Markle Insurance wants a named storm haul out contract.

I called Green Cove Springs, that is a service they don't have. The closest I could find on the internet was in Brunswick, a day away from here. One of the requirements for this type of service is that they available space. So you have to leave empty space in your yard to accommodate the named storm haul outs.

John: Bummer. We were in Ortega Landing Marina, now Port 32, and our insurance company approved that Marina. I did get a letter from the Marina with the construction particulars (age, floating docks, with extra high concrete piles). It’s crazy since JAX use to be an insurance approved location.

We have friends in South Florida that paid $2k/year for a guaranteed haul out whether or not they use it for a named storm.

Larry M said:

John: Bummer. We were in Ortega Landing Marina, now Port 32, and our insurance company approved that Marina. I did get a letter from the Marina with the construction particulars (age, floating docks, with extra high concrete piles). It’s crazy since JAX use to be an insurance approved location.

We have friends in South Florida that paid $2k/year for a guaranteed haul out whether or not they use it for a named storm.

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Larry,

Still working on it, and will give a full report when done.

But do need to know at what wind speed those Ortega River bridges shut down. PM me if you know.

John

They shut bridges down here in NWFL at 40 MPH sustained.

rgano said:

They shut bridges down here in NWFL at 40 MPH sustained.

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It’s the same in Duval County/Jacksonville/NEFL. I think the only bridge you have worry about to Brunswick is the CSX railroad bridge in downtown JAX. It’s normally open but they may close it because of winds. Sister’s Creek new bridge is 65’.

Have you tried St. Mary's Boat Services? Just across the state border and a short distance up the St. Mary's River: Home

Thanks guys. I read about bridges in Florida on the web but it seemed to imply vehicular traffic. And further north on the ICW, some bridges won’t open if it’s blowing sustained winds over 20. I did call the Ortega River Bridge tender and was told 34 knots for greater than 2 minutes duration was their cutoff point. Sounds like you folks nailed it at 40 mph.

John: If you’re in Port 32 Marina in JAX, I’d plead your case to Markle about keeping the boat there. It’s new construction, floating docks and between two bridges on the Ortega River. Ask them about claims in the last 10 years? Zero I bet do to storm damage.

We've been to Brunswick from JAX over a couple of windy days. Having to cross the mouth of the Nassau River, St Marys River, St Andrew Sound/Satilla River and St Simons Sound/Brunswick River areas to get to Brunswick is pretty exposed.

IMHO the insurance company is making you jump through some unreasonable hoops.

So the Brunswick Landing Marina has a program that is full for the 2023 - 2024 season. The season starts July 1 and runs for a year. Due to the timing of the contracts they do not know now how many slots will open up for the 2024-2025 season. Given the distance from my desired homeport, the location is not ideal, but it is an option for a limited number of folks.

I "may not have mentioned" that I crashed my boat last May, making me a poor risk - mea culpa.

I view the "storm plan" I am asked to prepare as a way for the insurance company to determine if I was a guy who made a one time error (even a monkey will fall out of a tree is what I was told at Niemiec Marine), or am someone who hasn't a clue and am a floating disaster waiting to happen.

Not Port 32, but Lamb's: which to me is superior from a storm situation as it is on the other side of the CSX Bridge - so that much less trouble from wave height coming in from the St. John's, and slips are covered, so fewer sheets of rain.

But the insurance company is in the drivers seat, so if they want a haul out contract, I'll try to get one.