Hurricanes and Yachts Don't Mix: What Do You Do

always ask

The owners never seem to agree when you say to run. So in the past I have just battened down the hatches where she sits. However we are now in Freeport Grand Bahama and have a small hurricane hole with three docks for us to hide. Freeport is very exposed and I would really rather not be here, but as long as the owner know that I've suggested we move, then I can't be responsible for the damage.
102ft feadship
74ft Sportsfish
65ft Schooner

I remember having a captain tell me about a hurricane that was heading our way and saying if we can't get the boat out of harms way we were going to tie up at a comericial port and ride out the storm.
I told him that I can't make money if I am dead. Boats can be fixed and repaired.
I had been through hurricanes in the past and wicked things take place that you can not expect. I will always vacate now after having experinced the last hurricane (only a cat 2) that I was stupid enough to brave out on dry land at that. The tornados are something ruthless..... you don't hear much about them.
I just hope to put a word out to others who may not have experienced hurricanes and might be thinking about risking there lives for jobs that come and go in this yachting industry, like that Captain who wanted to ride out that hurricane in port.

Not to make light of a serious subject, but while preparing for the storms 2 years ago, we came to this conclusion...

Spider-web it like a cocoon, clasp your hands, drop to your knees... and pray.

Did somebody say "tornados"? Let's see ... hurricane brings driving rain ... which means zero visibility ... which means you never see the tornado coming? Did I get that right?

beached Kelly

You are right
You will never see them but you sure will hear them coming
And that is pretty scary

Absolutely, plenty moving around during Wilma which in relative terms was fairly dry. (so better vis)

oh yes

watching, thats for sure.

Run like hell....

The long version is: How fast is your boat? Are you flexible as far as running?

Here in Ft. Lauderdale it seems to be a favorite last-minutte thing to run up the New River when the 'cane is due next day.

My boat is fat and slow like the owner so I don't go far when a 'cane is-a-coming. Instead I hide in a canal up the river, then spiderwed them lines.

During Wilma I had 13 dock lines going and a close relationship to the Lord.

Here is a pic:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/attachments/gallery/3/0/8/308dsc01348-med.jpg

(Unable to upload the pic to this page, a warning says the picture is too big...?)

hurricane stories

2 years ago I had a 51 Bertram docked in my back yard in 7 isles (off Las Olas) and she was well secured to a seemingly solid dock and sea wall. During one storm (forget which one we had 3) my friend and I were watching out the back window during the worst of it and all of a sudden the bow line just dropped into the canal, the wind at about 120mph then proceeded to peel every piling out of the canal floor whilst still securely attatched to the boat. We managed to run out and I got on board and fired her up before she took off but it was over an hour and a complete horror show being blown around the cannal before we got the boat and still attatched dock secured to two trees in the yard. It seems one of my cleats anchored into the cap on the sea wall pulled out and the wind did the rest. It could have been much worse as my canal is loaded with boats strung out from end to end. If I had it to do over I would definetly not risk it again. My insurance company has me file a hurricane plan with them in the event of storms, and I must follow that plan to maintain coverage. The next storm same year I did a runner for the Bahamas with some friends, having tracked the intended path of the storm and decided that the abaco's would be missed entirely. The morning of landfall of the storm we left out port everglades at 5:30am 2 hours ahead of landfall, but she changed track a tiny bit and we got hit on the chin with it half way to Lucaya. That was a fun trip the seas were building by the minute and by the time we pulled into Port Lucaya we were running in 15 footers and they were still building. So much for running. I think your ****ed if you do and ****ed if you don't

Hurricanes

Double up the lines, take down the canvas, and make sure the insurance is paid!

When Isabel hit here a bunch of people took boats inland to a marina up the James River and had them hauled out just to be safe. Those boats all ended up in a heap and most were dewstroyed when the storn surge came up the river and swamped that boatyard and washed them off of the jackstands. Most of the folks who left their yachts in the water fared much better especially those that were tied to floating docks.

Forgetting the insurance companies for a moment, consider how a bit of prior planning can allow you to "rough it elegantly" in the aftermath of a stiff blow.

Assume that the power will fail in your neighborhood including shorepower at the dock behind the house.

By keeping your fuel & water tanks topped off (and having an empty blackwater tank), you have an air conditioned place to live with hot meals, hot showers, and dry berths.

By rounding up some long industrial-type extension cords, you can be a hero to your neighbors by supplying power from your boat's genset.

By having enough charcoal/propane, you'll be ready to fire up the Weber to grill all those steaks from the powerless freezers from folks down the block.

Keep the icemaker running--you'll be very popular.

The Fantome was not docked but I would recommend anyone interested in hurricanes to read "The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome". Nine years on it is still a very telling tale.