Lift or Floating During Hurricane

[Capnal]

Hello all. We are moving our boat (32 Island Gypsy Europa) to a new location where we will have a 30K capacity lift, located in a floating dock marina.
The question is which is safer during a cat 2 or lower tropical event; in the water tied to the floating dock or up in lift tied to 8 pilings.We are located on Terry Cove, Orange Beach, AL which is connected directly to the gulf.

 

[caltexflanc]

Hello all. We are moving our boat (32 Island Gypsy Europa) to a new location where we will have a 30K capacity lift, located in a floating dock marina.
The question is which is safer during a cat 2 or lower tropical event; in the water tied to the floating dock or up in lift tied to 8 pilings.We are located on Terry Cove, Orange Beach, AL which is connected directly to the gulf.

As the marina what they think. Storm surge estimate maps are available for various categories of storm and they know how high up they can get you and how well they can secure the boat.

http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=d9ed7904dbec441a9c4dd7b277935fad&entry=1

 

[Capnal]

"The marina" consists of individual slips which are deeded to the individual condo unit owners, so no marina organization, per se.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. C. Mr. c was on the right track but in lieu of any "marina" as such you may be best to ask locals for their opinions... Just took a look at google maps. Orange beach marina is in the area. Surely someone there would offer an opinion based on their historical knowledge of storms that have hit the area in the past.

 

[Benthic2]

Isn't that right where Michael came ashore last week ? All of your neighbors can tell you how high the water got, and which approach they took and if they'd do the same thing next time.

 

[DavidM]

Florence probably produced surge at Mexico Beach of up to 15 feet. A cat 2 storm might go to 8+ feet. If the floating docks have piles up to 10’ you may be ok. I was in NC when Irene came through with a 9’ surge and boats moored at River Dunes which had about 11’ piles came out ok in their floating docks.

But when the water goes over the fd piles, it is a catastrophe.

It is doubtful that a boat lift will get it up anywhere near 8’ above msl. The best I have seen is about 6’.

David

 

[Benthic2]

That's a good point...if the water rises too high in your lift, you will damage the topside of the boat as its bouyancy forces it up against the upper cross members of your lift and the wave action would just shred the boat.....that would get really ugly.

 

[Ski in NC]

Here in NC on the coast a cat 2 (Fran, 1997), the surge in my creek came up to 10' above normal high tide. Florence last month was a cat 1 and water came up 7' above normal high tide.

Many variables in what the water level will do. Storm strength, speed, eye location, tide, wind direction and waterway geography.

Most lifts don't go high enough, or are structurally robust enough to hold a boat in storm conditions.

I've investigated a few lift failures and a dropped boat can be ugly.

 

[caltexflanc]

"The marina" consists of individual slips which are deeded to the individual condo unit owners, so no marina organization, per se.

OK, I misread the OP, I thought it was a lift that took you up on the hard.
So again, I refer you to the NOAA maps, which have proved to be pretty accurate. You can place your bets from that. Personally and barring further due diligence, I'd rather be on the lift which would cut down on a lot of the battering.

But some storms the answer may well be "neither" of the two choices.