Hurricane season is back. This means everyone needs to start preparing before one is predicted to strike their area; especially people who live on the coast. While hurricanes are known to get weaker after moving over the cooler waters of the ocean shelf and making landfall, seaside homes and towns will still get the brunt of the storm’s power. Boat owners will want to make sure their vessels survive the cyclone. But, that may take more than just storing anything removable and tying extra lines. Here is some advice on boat hurricane preparation and what not to do.

Don’t Keep Your Boat at Older Marinas

The last thing you want for your boat in the event of a hurricane is for the entire dock to be unsafe. Older marinas are not necessarily sturdier, and “long-lasting” does not guarantee they are ready to withstand a storm. More secure structures are a fact of life in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1992; after this unprecedented disaster, new building codes for stronger construction were enforced all over South Florida. Post-Andrew harbors are significantly stronger than their predecessors, and we recommend you choose one of them as your vessel’s refuge.

Don’t Keep Your Ship at Sea If You Can Avoid It

If you and your marina of choice have the capability, you should try to get it onto land and out of the water, where it is generally more at risk of damage and sinking. You will want to choose a spot behind a bulkhead that can stave off some of the wind and most of the waves. Moreover, you should make sure that the jack stands you use to lift the boat are chained together and on solid ground. If you do not - or cannot - bring your boat ashore, you can still get it away from the ocean. You can do this by finding a “hurricane hole.”These are areas where natural barriers and breakwaters provide some cover for boats, and they may be located inland.

Don’t Depend on One Anchor or One Line

If you must keep your ship in the water for whatever reason, there is one trick you can use for better boat hurricane preparation, and you can employ it in a variety of ways. One is dropping two anchors at an equal distance from each other and your boat, creating a right angle. The heavier of the two anchors should be placed where the fastest winds will hit. Another way is having two anchors in the same rode, heaviest in front. Both of these methods should keep the ship from getting dragged around too much. Note that this may work better in some areas than others: try to find a spot with muddy ground underwater so the anchors can really stick.

Boat Hurricane Preparation is Not Easy, But It’s Necessary

Boat hurricane preparation is not always as simple as securing your house. However, for those who invested much time, money, and love in their ship, it is worth doing whatever is necessary. The Advantaged Yacht Charters is all about the boating life, and we understand how much people can appreciate their vessels and what they need to do to keep them floating. Visit our website today for more information and check out our selection of luxury yachts for rental and sale.