Thread: Storm alert
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Old 07-03-2014, 06:57 AM   #32
psneeld
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City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timjet View Post
What would you do if you're on an extended cruise on the ICW far from home and a hurricane is approaching? I'm not sure asking the locals where the best hurricane holes are is going to help. You can almost bank on the fact that the best places are going to be taken. Most marinas will have no room either.
Actually...for Sandy...the best Hurricane hole south of Atlantic City on the coast was empty...I was the only "transient" with thousands of feet of bulkhead available....

Only a fraction of boaters know how to properly deal with something like a hurricane. Many of them own trailerable boats or larger boats that can get a long distance out of the way quickly.

Then there's the pull it and store it on land...but if you are a transient...by the time you get to many marinas..you might be so far down the list as to not make it out of the water in time. Also...too many marinas right along the coast really aren't set up for much more than very mild Cat Is or tropical storms. The boat spacing with no tie downs is a recipe for disaster that the insurance companies are really only beginning to address with them.

Me...I would go to Google earth and see what's available in the timeframe I have. Move too early and the storm never comes your way and it's a waste of time. Move too late and bad things can happen. The trick is to be able to get some place in 24 or so hours and have enough time to set up and yes the "well known" or "classic" holes are all taken in places known for hurricane strikes. Places like NJ, Georgia or the Chesapeake just don't see enough so it does depend where you are.

I look for places that will allow me to float higher (at least 10 feet), yet be set below terrain or tall immovable objects and have any open fetch (of probable wind directions) of no more than 1/10 mile or so.

If none of those areas are available within 50 miles or so for my 6 knot boat...I would start moving more than 24 hrs out in the direction of lesser probable hit until I had at least 2 decent areas to get to in the final 24 hrs.
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