Hurricane tips for boaters
IT LOOKS like our luck is about to run out.
It’s been a couple of decades since the New York area has been hit with a hurricane. If the latest track (Thursday afternoon) is accurate, the storm should hit the city sometime Sunday afternoon.
Even if it drifts east or west, boaters from New Jersey to Montauk need to be preparing for Irene or about where they will put their boats.
Some important things you should be working on, especially if you can’t get the boat on land:
Check your cleats for adequate strength — replace weak back plates and bolts with aluminum back plates and stainless steel bolts.
Take an inventory, preferably by video, of the interior, exterior, and the items in your boat. Keep it in a safe place in case you need to file an insurance claim.
Find a sheltered “hurricane hole” if you plan to anchor your boat out, and make a plan to get there quickly and safely.
If you have a trailored boat, obviously the best place to store it is in a garage, or other sturdy structure.
If you’re driving the boat inland or storing it in a sturdy structure is not an option, plan to anchor the trailer into the ground. One way is by driving steel rebar into the ground and connecting them to the trailer with heavy duty tie straps. Some experts recommend tying your boat trailer to a sturdy tree, but hurricane-force winds can bring even the mightiest trees down. Anchor your boat trailer to the ground well away from trees, power lines, or other objects that can fall on it.
Be sure to place blocks inside of the trailer wheels between the frame and the axle, and let air out of the tires.
Use heavy ties to strap the boat down to the trailer. If your boat has an outboard motor, you can set the drain plug and partially fill the boat with fresh water to add extra weight. Do not fill the boat with water if you have an inboard motor. Instead, be certain that the drain plug is removed.
Remove everything! Seriously, everything. Otherwise the wind will tear it to shreds, or the wind-driven rain will severely damage it. Remove all canvas, plastic, electronics, deck gear, antennas, and any loose objects. If you have an outboard engine, remove it along with your batteries, and store both in a dry, secure place.
Use duct tape to make all openings as watertight as possible. Wind-driven rain will enter the boat through any crack or crevice. Use plastic and duct-tape to cover fixed instruments.
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is urging boaters to take steps now to prepare and has some online help with their Hurricane Resource Center designed specifically for boaters at BoatUS.com/hurricanes.
Good luck!