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Old 07-15-2019, 02:11 PM   #21
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Bimini and Hurricanes

Here on the east coast of Florida, if we're threatened by a hurricane we remove EVERYTHING that is moveable, including the entire bimini enclosure, the dinghy, electronics, boat hooks, etc, and store them inside or take them home to the garage. We also lower the mast and secure it in the boom crutch. Then double up all lines, remove the electric lines and store them, and take the exterior covers off the windows. There's nothing left to blow around.

Why take a chance? We do this no matter the forecast wind speeds - if it's a hurricane, it's a hurricane!

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Those of you with full canvas enclosures, do you remove them ahead of a tropical storm/minimal hurricane or leave them up?
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Old 07-15-2019, 02:20 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by BobMc View Post
Here on the east coast of Florida, if we're threatened by a hurricane we remove EVERYTHING that is moveable, including the entire bimini enclosure, the dinghy, electronics, boat hooks, etc, and store them inside or take them home to the garage. We also lower the mast and secure it in the boom crutch. Then double up all lines, remove the electric lines and store them, and take the exterior covers off the windows. There's nothing left to blow around.



Why take a chance? We do this no matter the forecast wind speeds - if it's a hurricane, it's a hurricane!


We are in Southwest Florida and follow this process too. Out thought is if we prepare hopefully we will not need it. Rather do that than wish we had done more.

John
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Old 07-15-2019, 02:29 PM   #23
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If I know we are going to get hit by a hurricane.

I remove all canvas covers, and anything loose.
Leave the docks and other boats.
Go to 50' of water without other boats around.
Set three anchors with 300' of 1/2" chain, and chain bridals.
Baton down all hatches, doors, and port holes.
Install storm shields on all glass.
Setup a storm watch, and get ready to ride it out.
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Old 07-15-2019, 04:15 PM   #24
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I left the enclosure up during the winter on our previous boat in the PNW. We had freezing rain then temperature in the teens. We had a wind storm and 5 clear plastic panels cracked.
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Old 07-15-2019, 08:39 PM   #25
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I always followed the advice you have been given about removing it for storms when i had a high profile trawler. However as you look at the avatar of my Mainship at the left you can see a sort of mixed bag of canvas with an extended cover over the cockpit using bimini-style bows and canvas. Additional "canvas" is the enclosure (mostly clear vinyl with canvas strips around the edges which drapes down from the aft end of the hardtop. Additionally there are vinyl windows sewn into surrounding canvas adjacent to the pilot and co-pilot stations.

Anytime the boat is not away from home pier, the aft cover is stowed with the bows folded to the aft end of the hardtop and a boot zippered over the canvas. The enclosure canvas and side windows are never removed, not even during category five Hurricane Michael.

With the boat in a narrow canal shielded a bit by surrounding homes, Michael did the following damage. Pulled one side of the stowed bow out of its swiveling deck socket and twisted the whole rig around on the other side of the boat where the set screw allowed for the rotation but not extraction of the bow. The large enclosure curtain across the aft end of the enclosure had its two zippers pulled loose.

Repairs were simply swiveling the folded bimini around and resetting the bimini bow into its socket and resetting the set screws in better fashion, and resewing the two zippers. Only other damage was a tree falling on the boat's hardtop pushing the boat down in the water a few inches while cracking the rooftop air conditioner's cover.

So how did you fare over there with your Barry?
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Old 07-15-2019, 08:48 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fgarriso View Post
If I know we are going to get hit by a hurricane.

I remove all canvas covers, and anything loose.
Leave the docks and other boats.
Go to 50' of water without other boats around.
Set three anchors with 300' of 1/2" chain, and chain bridals.
Baton down all hatches, doors, and port holes.
Install storm shields on all glass.
Setup a storm watch, and get ready to ride it out.
On topic: We, too, remove the canvas and window panels. (Good opportunity to re-waterproof them before they go back up.)

Off topic: I'd love to know how you setup your three anchors. We'll be in the Caribbean this whole hurricane season, and although the plan is to head for Grenada in we're threatened, Plan B would be to anchor somewhere. (And why 50' depth?)
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Old 07-16-2019, 07:25 AM   #27
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Originally Posted by syjos View Post
I left the enclosure up during the winter on our previous boat in the PNW. We had freezing rain then temperature in the teens. We had a wind storm and 5 clear plastic panels cracked.

How old were the panels?

Ours stay up 24/7 in winter, haven't ever had a panel crack from weather -- that I know of.

This last year we had a small crack in one of our side forward panels -- .040" Regalite -- but that was after being up 24/7 for about 9 years (except for that one hurricane where a direct hit was predicted and when we took it all down briefly). And I'm not sure weather had anything to do with that crack...

-Chris
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Old 07-16-2019, 10:14 AM   #28
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How old were the panels?

Ours stay up 24/7 in winter, haven't ever had a panel crack from weather -- that I know of.

This last year we had a small crack in one of our side forward panels -- .040" Regalite -- but that was after being up 24/7 for about 9 years (except for that one hurricane where a direct hit was predicted and when we took it all down briefly). And I'm not sure weather had anything to do with that crack...

-Chris
Panels ranged in age from 1 to 5 years. I don't recall age of specific panels. I was replacing a couple panel per year on that boat.
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Old 07-16-2019, 11:58 AM   #29
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I must have had much better luck, then. We only just now replaced the 9- or 10-year-old clears in our 5 forward panels... and that was really more because two of the front three Makrolon panels had begun to cloud and yellow. Sort of just did the two side Regalite panels as a "what the heck, why not?" move.

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Old 07-16-2019, 08:19 PM   #30
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We were expecting a direct hit from Irma opening we prepped for Irma, we took down the Bimini and duct taped the frames together and lashed them down. I then went around and taped every opening and crack closed with duct tape. We prepped for 2 days.


Thank god we never got a direct hit, but i learnt a lot doing this.
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Old 07-16-2019, 08:30 PM   #31
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We were expecting a direct hit from Irma opening we prepped for Irma, we took down the Bimini and duct taped the frames together and lashed them down. I then went around and taped every opening and crack closed with duct tape.
I hate most duct tape, cleaning up the adhesive is almost worse than whatever damage it might have prevented.
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Old 07-16-2019, 08:31 PM   #32
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Our GB36CL is berthed at Cape Fear Marina in Wilmington, NC. When Florence approached last fall, we removed all canvas from the FB, removed coverings from the windows, and removed canvas from the rear hatch. Glad we did. No damage except blown rain in through the cracks around the rear hatch soiled some linen. We feel very fortunate.
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Old 07-16-2019, 08:52 PM   #33
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yes we cleaned the glue off for a few days but we were dry inside. Figured a good trade off under the circumstances
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Old 07-17-2019, 11:27 AM   #34
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It depends on the max wind speeds. Many, many boats with canvas easily travel at 25-30 MPH. (Express Cruisers, Sport Fish). They do so for years without the need to take the canvas down.

High winds, like a Cat 1? Take them down.
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Old 07-18-2019, 01:08 PM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaBreeze View Post
I fold my two bimini's up and boot them when thunderstorms are approaching. For tropical storms and Nor'easters I would remove the canvas and lash the frame. For a hurricane I would seriously consider removing the frame. You would be surprised at the windage even a frame will add during extreme winds.
HI, We HAD an Albin 43 before Hurricane Michael, which was a Cat 5 Hurricane, but was forecast to be a Cat 3. The aft bimini cross frame neatly swung forward and mated with the well-braced forward crossbeam, essentially making a braced single crossbeam when wrapped with the bimini fabric which was securely tied. I had rolled the bimini upon the cross frame, put a Sunbrella cover I made over the rolled-up bimini and wrapped 1/4" rope multiple times around it. After Hurricane Michael, the entire bimini was just as I had prepared it for the storm. Unfortunately, the Celestial pulled 3 50' pilings, set 25' into the bottom, out and she went on her last journey, only to be destroyed after hitting some pilings about 1/4 mile away. Yes, the wind in a Cat 5 hurricane is unimaginable.
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Old 07-18-2019, 02:15 PM   #36
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Unfortunately, the Celestial pulled 3 50' pilings, set 25' into the bottom, out and she went on her last journey, only to be destroyed after hitting some pilings about 1/4 mile away. Yes, the wind in a Cat 5 hurricane is unimaginable.
Yowza, pulled 3 of the pilings! Did the pilings stay with the boat until it wrecked on the others?
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Old 07-18-2019, 02:24 PM   #37
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I would remove all fabric if a hurricane is coming. But dont worry about thunderstorms or windy days.
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Old 07-18-2019, 08:00 PM   #38
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WK -As I said earlier, the Celestial pulled three 10" minimum diameter (I think) 50' pilings out - both stern pilings and one bow piling. I should say that one stern piling broke off just under the surface of the water, the other stern piling and a bow piling pulled out. One piling (not the one that broke off) slingshot up and into the boat. The end was sticking out about 4' past the aft rail. I don't know which piling it was. I think the top of that piling penetrated the boat's bow below the waterline. I don't know what happened to the other two. The remaining bow piling is now cocked about 45 degrees from vertical and the breast piling is standing upright. All pilings had doubled 3/4" nylon rope on them except for one bow piling which was tripled. The breast line was an older line, but all the other lines were new. All lines had good chafe protection. Albin 43's have a very solid double Samson post setup. It apparently held up. I took some pictures when the boat was being removed by a crane on a barge. It was not a pretty sight. I tried to attach one, but I really don't know how to.
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Old 07-18-2019, 08:22 PM   #39
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It was not a pretty sight. I tried to attach one, but I really don't know how to.
To attach a picture, use the [Go Advanced] button in the quick reply area. That'll take you to an entry form with more options, including a [Manage Attachments] button. You can use that to attach pictures.

It's a little tricky, as the Manage Attachments button brings up a separate window. In that you have to select [Choose File] to attach something and then use the [Upload] button to send them. Once sent you then use the [Submit Reply] button to get the whole thing posted.
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Old 07-18-2019, 08:43 PM   #40
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WK -As I said earlier, the Celestial pulled three 10" minimum diameter (I think) 50' pilings out - both stern pilings and one bow piling. I should say that one stern piling broke off just under the surface of the water, the other stern piling and a bow piling pulled out. One piling (not the one that broke off) slingshot up and into the boat. The end was sticking out about 4' past the aft rail. I don't know which piling it was. I think the top of that piling penetrated the boat's bow below the waterline. I don't know what happened to the other two. The remaining bow piling is now cocked about 45 degrees from vertical and the breast piling is standing upright. All pilings had doubled 3/4" nylon rope on them except for one bow piling which was tripled. The breast line was an older line, but all the other lines were new. All lines had good chafe protection. Albin 43's have a very solid double Samson post setup. It apparently held up. I took some pictures when the boat was being removed by a crane on a barge. It was not a pretty sight. I tried to attach one, but I really don't know how to.
When everything settles down...... when you put in permanent dock lines, wrap a chain loop around the piling. Get line with thimbles and run the chain through the thimbles. Drop the chains and lines down the pilings.
Many times folks tie the lines high on the pilings which allows the pilings to flex and strain the upper pilings, bending and and loosening the grip of the pilings and pull out.
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