Best place to store your boat during a hurricane

[Adamf24]

This is a question for my fellow Florida boaters mostly =)

What is the safest way to store a boat when a hurricane is coming? Obviously in the water is the worst in terms of boat safety, but how does outside dry rack storage hold up? That's how I have my boat right now and I wonder if I should just get it on the trailer and store it on land (although I'm not sure how much better that will be either).

Whats your opinion, and do you have any hurricane stories regarding your boat?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Best place to store your boat during a hurricane

Best place to store in a hurricane??? Somewhere in Iowa.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Doesn't Iowa have tornadoes? Here in VT we get very little (if any) real hurricane action..... now if you want to talk ice storms and blizzards

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Best place to store your boat during a hurricane

I always looked at those tall dry racks and thought how they would hold up to those kinds of winds.
If it were mine it would be on the trailer heading inland as fast as i could go.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Best place to store your boat during a hurricane

Here is a link from BoatUS website...

When Hurricane Charlie came through a few years ago, it was forecasted to hit Tampa..So hundreds and hundreds of boat owners took their boats out of rack storage and took them south to Port Charlotte and here in Fort. Myers...

The cane hooked at the last minute and yep..Hit Port Charlotte directly..

http://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/brochure.asp

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Best place to store your boat during a hurricane

On the trailer tucked up next to the house. Mine and the neighbors were fine through four storms a couple years ago.

That is if it's trailerable. If not inshore in a cove with a couple hooks down.

I saw a big storage shed in south florida collapse a few years back in a storm it was a big mess.

 

[arks]

Re: Best place to store your boat during a hurricane

I agree- if it's trailerable, by all means take it well inland and tie the whole works down securely, right to the ground if possible. I've heard that some places have installed concrete-imbedded eyes just for that purpose.
A non-trailerable boat- Hauling and blocking has been shown to NOT be an effective strategy because boats are often knocked off the blocks or float away during storm surge.
If left in a marina you'll ALWAYS have a few idiots who won't properly secure their boats and, of course, they'll break loose and damage dozens of well-secured vessels.
IMO the best chance of minimizing damage (with a non-trailerable boat) is taking it to a hurricane hole and tieing or anchoring it as well as possible, then GET OFF the boat before the storm hits. That's my plan if one come aknockin' here in the Chesapeake.....I've made up a 3-anchor bridle consisting of a HEAVY steel disc rigged with 3-50' lengths of 1" line, swivels, and heavy anchors. The fourth line will go to the 2 large cleats on the bow. My plan is to set everything in my selected location well before the winds pick up. I'll take pictures before leaving to prove to my insurance company that I took precautions in case a claim is needed.

 

[dvan1901]

Re: Best place to store your boat during a hurricane

It's my understanding that they "safest" place for a boat (non-trailerable) during a hurricane is properly tied and anchored to a mooring ball, not necessarily a doch, but a mooring ball.

 

[capt sam]

Re: Best place to store your boat during a hurricane

all my boats have been traileable, they've all gone thru the storms next to the house, all have been fine even though Wilma really some damage here.