Storm Michael, what not to do!

The latest news say 3' in that area

3’ here would be over my dock. That will be interesting.

The news agencies tend to error on the side of caution(higher) when it comes to tidal surge.

Roger,

What not to do, indeed!

Looking at the hurricane "cone" today (Monday 10/08) Niceville is dead center in the cone. Your original plan was perfect - it is just awful that you broke your ankle. I am so sorry for you.

Another option, that will cost you a little less or close to a $10k haulout, but might make more sense:

1) If you can find one, hire a distance hauler to pull your boat and haul her by trailer west to Pensacola or thereabouts, on the day before the storm hits. (However, I understand that it is a long shot that you could find a hauler at this point.)

2) Have them stay overnight somewhere near Pensacola for the day Hurricane Michael is predicted to hit your area.

3) Have them haul your boat back the day after the storm.

Our go-to hauler down here in the Tampa Bay area is Tim Garcia, Vessel Transport, LLC. He is very experienced, brilliant, careful, and most importantly, insured. Even though it is doubtful at this late date that he is not all booked up, his phone number is 813-629-1463. He is in Riverview.

When I was in elementary school, we used to live up there right on Joe's Bayou. I love that area of the panhandle. (Isn't there a large boat ramp in Valparaiso that could handle a trawler?) All my fingers are crossed for you, hoping that Michael makes landfall east of Choctawhatchee Bay. That would spare your area the storm surge.

And just like BandB, I was quite astonished when late Sunday the storm status was upgraded from tropical storm to hurricane. This past Thurs/Fri/Sat the forecast was definitive that Michael would remain a tropical storm.

We are getting some of the storm's outer rain bands now in St. Petersburg. We may get a mild 3-footish storm surge on Wednesday. No big deal here.

Hoping for the best outcome for you, Roger. I simply can't imagine losing my ambulation just as a hurricane is predicted to hit my area.

Stay safe,
Pea

I am a bit north of Miami about 1000 ft of the ICW. When I bought this AT34, I put in 5 extra hand rails inside the boat. I put them in horizontally. It was like magic. Somehow I put them all in the right places. For Irma, I filled the water tank, emptied the sanitary tank. I am bow in so I moved the RIB around the and under the bow on one side. I pulled the plug and let it fill 3 inches of sea water, giving it enough weight to keep it in the water, during the blow. Backed the boat out a bit, centered it in the slips with breast lines and doubled up all lines and took in the water hose. I think I put out 2 extra fenders on the dock side too. Next, went inside, closed the doors and windows. We lost power so I went to bed rather than start the generator. I have 2 TVs, each on their own small inverter plus a larger inverter, couple solar panels too.
One boat sank, one large boat pulled its pilings and floated up against the rocks. Another boat rubbed up against some pilings and the bow against seawall.

I adjusted my bow and stern lines once or twice during the storm. Turns out, this marina is on the same electrical leg as the hospital at the end of the block. We got power back long before others.

Only once or twice did I think I was crazy to remain on board and then less than a minute, each time.

Yup, there were things I would do different but what I did was more than enough.

I have heard, some marinas want you off the hard for a hurricane.
All you can do is prepare your boat as best you can and either stay on board or leave the area.

The hurricane plan for this marina, Waterway - NE 207th street, Aventura FL, reads - shut off the water and turn off the power. Thankfully they dont. For Irma, they shut off the water and the weather shut off the electric for a couple of days.
More than once, I have asked the marina office to warn me when they are going to shut off the water. Alas, they dont.

OK here is the latest update for my situation. I spent several hours at the Orthopedic Surgeon yesterday. No surgery required. Also got rid of those crutches. At 65 I thought the crutches were going to kill me. I now have a walking boot and pain pills. Allows me to be able to walk slowly and now I watch where I'm going. Right now my area which all the way back in Boggy Bayou, well protected from the NW to NE is predicted to have winds up to 50 KTs. I can handle that in my own dock. My neighbor was kind enough to add all the additional lines for me. Now have about 14 lines to her webbed to about 10 pilings most. lines are 5/8 and 3/4. This afternoon I have really experienced boaters coming over and we will either put a couple of anchors out to stern which is south or if the storm moves west we can anchor her out with three large anchors. I now can get on the boat with a little help so have more options.
Thanks for all the kind words and ideas. Bless the folks that are impacted!

Puffin_NT32 said:

Up here in New England, most owners haul their boats when forecasts indicate a close or direct hit to their home port. Most insurance companies up here will not cover storm damage from any "named storm" if the boat is not hauled or moved to a proven "hurricane hole". Insurance coverage will pay for 50% of the cost to do a named storm related short haul. In over 40 years with a boat on a mooring in Rhode Island, I've hauled the boat for about 6 hurricanes. I'm always amazed when I see the videos of Southern boats sunk or thrown up on shore, leaving their boats in the water in the worse possible place... tied up to a floating dock slip.

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I’ve lived in New England all my life. Had many boats and been through a few hurricanes while on a mooring and at a dock. Been paid for damage at least once. Never heard of Yacht insurance that won’t cover a boat in the water for a named storm? What am I missing? Some will pay 1/2 for a haul.

Rogerh said:

OK here is the latest update for my situation. I spent several hours at the Orthopedic Surgeon yesterday. No surgery required. Also got rid of those crutches. At 65 I thought the crutches were going to kill me. I now have a walking boot and pain pills. Allows me to be able to walk slowly and now I watch where I'm going. R

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Crutches can be worse than the injury. I went through them decades ago with torn ligaments. Got to where I could even go at almost a running speed down the hall with them, but woe be to anyone who happened to be coming around the corner as they had no brakes and I couldn't steer, only straight line at that speed.

There's something inherently wrong in their design and the concept as our underarms were not built to support our entire weight on some sticks rammed up under them.

Last person I knew with a broken foot got some sort of one legged scooter she put the bad foot on and used the good foot and zoomed around the office. I fully expected her to do an Arte Johnson tricycle fall but she was quite proficient at getting around.

I was at the slip and looking at the posts sticking up above water level 10 feet and thinking about hurricane storm surge. That amount of water is unfathomable. I wondered if our marina would survive such a storm.
All the talk about doubling up lines to prep to shelter in place wont make any difference if that big surge happened. You can't just add lines, you have to allow the boat to float up with the surge. I imagine some boats will pull out the pilings, or break something.

My current policy (Seatow’s Sea Insure) doesn’t make any specific restrictions on hauling or moving a boat for named storms. There is “Hurricane Protection Coverage” that will pay up to $500 per occurrence to haul or move a boat for a hurricane. Prior policies that I had, specifically with Travelers, had the “haul or move” clause for named storms.

For 47 years, I was on a mooring at the Watch Hill Boat Yard, with its wide open West fetch to the Long Island Sound. Over that period, I saw many boats break loose from their moorings and washed ashore or sunk in the cove. That’s my Island Packet that broke loose in Hurricane Bob (1991). Double mooring pendants were sheared, and she came ashore just missing the bulkhead, with surprisingly no damage. It was the only hurricane that I DID NOT haul the boat. Lesson learned.

For Super Storm Sandy, all boats were hauled at WHBY. With the storm surge, we came a couple of inches of boats floating off their jackstands. A couple of small center consoles were stored in the shed and a few came off their trailers.

A few years ago, I moved about 5 miles up the River to a slip in downtown Westerly, a fresh water marina that can be described as a “Hurricane hole”. For Sandy, no boats were hauled and any open slips where filled with boats seeking shelter. Only down side is the one hour run to open water. To “jleanard’s” comment on Mystic, any marina North of the railroad bridge is far enough up the River, and the Bridge itself serves as a pretty good hurricane barrier.

Here’s another storm anecdote. In 2006, my first year with Puffin NT32, we had an October low pressure system blow through with 2 days of wind with gust to 60 knots+. The boat in front of me, a 40 foot Hunter Legend sheared off its’ pendants and came down on my boat. The Legend’s anchor put a hole in my boat at the anchor guard, came down the port side scratching the accent strip, taking out a salon window, and getting impaled on my transom. The Yard unhooked the Legend and attached the sailboat to my 2 stern cleats, and we rode out the storm on my mooring, a 500 pound DorMor with my own pair of poly nylon 1” pendants. A couple of other boats broke loose and ended up on the rocks at the end of the Cove. Lesson learned here, boat yard changed all pendants the following year from single 3-strand to double 3/4” - 1” poly nylon with chaffing. Travelers paid for the damage, then cancelled my policy the next year.

[QUOTETo “jleanard’s” comment on Mystic, any marina North of the railroad bridge is far enough up the River, and the Bridge itself serves as a pretty good hurricane barrier.
][/QUOTE]

Just for the record I am at a marina south of the RR bridge at Gwenmor.

I have an acquaintance that has an old 34 Mainship (sistership to my "ex") and thought he'd ride out Sandy on his mooring in Noank. He figured if the boat broke loose he'd be aboard to save it.

Well less that 1/2 hour into it he got deathly seasick and was lying on the salon floor puking his guts out. Luckily for him he did not drown in it, he survived the sofa rolling over him 2 times, objects flying around the boat, and he survived the dehydration.

His comments afterward..."Id do it again next time".

I guess you can't fix some things.

14 lines and 2 anchors?
Is your boat an aircraft carrier?
Sounds like a bit of over kill. LOL
You are staying on board for the hurricane?
The storm surge was about 3-4ft.

In my mind, I counted the number of lines I set out for Irma, LOL, I think I had a couple more lines than you. I did not put out anchors.
You are using over size lines too?
You are staying on board for all the excitement ?

The Carolinas are likely to be hit again with flooding as well as Michael continues it's northern route.

My thoughts go out to all the folks that are in the path of Michael. The forecasts seem to be for increasing winds and significant storm surge along the Gulf. So easy for me out here in the upper left-hand corner to forget about my fellow Americans in the SW.

Greetings,
One person's analysis/prediction: https://twitter.com/RyanMaue

sdowney717 said:

I was at the slip and looking at the posts sticking up above water level 10 feet and thinking about hurricane storm surge. That amount of water is unfathomable. I wondered if our marina would survive such a storm.
All the talk about doubling up lines to prep to shelter in place wont make any difference if that big surge happened. You can't just add lines, you have to allow the boat to float up with the surge. I imagine some boats will pull out the pilings, or break something.

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This storm is a little too close for comfort so I'm trying to stay quiet. The good news is the storm surge should spread out over the relatively flat ground. The bad news is the same. It will spread out in remote places where many people would never anticipate flooding.

People forget that damage from wind increases exponentially with the wind velocity. This is a very dangerous storm.

Today I saw electric crews headed east toward the storm area. Help is on the way.

Boat said:

This storm is a little too close for comfort so I'm trying to stay quiet. The good news is the storm surge should spread out over the relatively flat ground. The bad news is the same. It will spread out in remote places where many people would never anticipate flooding.

People forget that damage from wind increases exponentially with the wind velocity. This is a very dangerous storm.

Today I saw electric crews headed east toward the storm area. Help is on the way.

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On news tonight, they predict a cat 4 hit. Eventually the storm will sort of impact us here in SE Virginia. I need to fold up my bimini top. We will be getting 4 to 6 inches of rain and winds of 50 mph as it exits the coast, so widespread power outages. I need to get some gas for the gennie.

Arte Johnson tricycle??? That put me in the Wayback Machine.

sbu22 said:

Arte Johnson tricycle??? That put me in the Wayback Machine.

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We love watching old shows like laugh in which were long before our time and find them still funny. Reminds me, haven't run across Groucho lately, maybe RTF knows where some of his shows are playing.

In my advanced age, I've become much more attentive on placing feet, particularly on stairs, curbs, and speed bumps. Heaven help me if I needed to move to/from a flybridge in a hurry.

0825: news report, up to 12 ft storm surge.
Hmmmm, stay on board and adjust the lines or leave the boat and have the lines pull the boat under.

I've decided to shift my annual lift from spring to around Labor day after Florence this year, going through this fire drill every year is getting old. Space is at a premium, and you have to make the call three days out as the yard has preps to make. Will drop it once the weather breaks.In the spring I can roll when I want.

Greetings,
Mr. BB. Reost #51. Sorry. Not an appropriate thread for a suitable response.

Micheal gets worse! As it's hitting landfall, 145 mph and increasing.

I feel for all the folks in it's path, won't be easy. Be safe first, and protect your toys second.

As for boats, I'm in the camp of not trying to out run a storm. First, boats are super slow and second, storms can change direction... just too much risk unless you have a slam dunk plan.

Hauling could be the best, but often hard to on land high enough and fighting the crowd to get in line and pay the big bucks. I'll take a good hole or cove where I could set out very long springs to a solid foundation... also hard to find. Marinas have their risk unless really well built.

No perfect solution.

Seevee said:

Micheal gets worse! As it's hitting landfall, 145 mph and increasing.

I feel for all the folks in it's path, won't be easy. Be safe first, and protect your toys second.

As for boats, I'm in the camp of not trying to out run a storm. First, boats are super slow and second, storms can change direction... just too much risk unless you have a slam dunk plan.

Hauling could be the best, but often hard to on land high enough and fighting the crowd to get in line and pay the big bucks. I'll take a good hole or cove where I could set out very long springs to a solid foundation... also hard to find. Marinas have their risk unless really well built.

No perfect solution.

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Agreed! I am watching the storm surge in St. Petersburg closely and reflecting on what would do if my boat was berthed somewhere in the Florida pan handle--very difficult situation. I watched Irma and others before change paths and folks forget the size of a hurricane. At 6 knots, I am not going far unless I am able to leave many days in advance--family, work obligations, and the house make this challenging.



My best wishes to everyone in Michael's path.

Weather channel live online, I am watching without any logins.
Just said steady winds exceeding 150 mph and may increase some more.
https://weather.com/tv/the-weather-channel-live/video/watch-the-weather-channel-live

sdowney717 said:

Weather channel live online, I am watching without any logins.
Just said steady winds exceeding 150 mph and may increase some more.
https://weather.com/tv/the-weather-channel-live/video/watch-the-weather-channel-live

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For anyone without Weather Channel since they are on so few streaming services, you can watch them on firstonetv.net also.

These photos and videos are the only images I have seen from when the storm hit the panhandle. Local media stations here in St. Petersburg have been showing these:



https://www.instagram.com/talarico.tessa/?hl=en