Preparing for a Storm

After 30 years on the water and more than a few storms in my rearview mirror, the difference between a boat that comes through clean and one that doesn't usually comes down to preparation in the hours before the storm arrives — not the size of the storm itself.

Start with your lines. Double up your mooring lines and add spring lines fore and aft if you aren't already running them — springs are what keep your boat from surging forward and back against the dock and they're the first thing most owners skip. Use chafe gear anywhere a line contacts the boat, a cleat, or a dock edge. Check it. Chafe happens faster than you think and a line that parts at 2am in 50 knots is a bad situation.

Remove or secure everything on deck. Bimini tops, canvas, cushions, fishing gear, anything that can catch wind or become a projectile goes below or gets lashed down hard. Close and dog every hatch, port, and window. If you have any doubt about a seal, address it now.

Take anything irreplaceable off the boat — ship's papers, valuables, anything you'd be upset to lose to water intrusion. For fixed electronics, make sure everything is powered down, protected where possible, and that you have photos and serial numbers documented for insurance purposes if you don't already.

If your marina has storm protocols, follow them and stay in communication with the dock master. They've seen what happens to boats whose owners don't check in.

If time and conditions allow and it's realistic to do so, moving the boat out of the storm's projected path entirely is always the best option. A boat that isn't in the storm's way doesn't need to survive it.

Position matters. If you have any ability to move the boat away from pilings, finger piers, or neighboring boats, do it. Most storm damage isn't from the water — it's from contact with something nearby.

Stay on top of weather updates and don't second-guess evacuation orders if they come. When it's over, walk the boat stem to stern before you do anything else — hull, lines, through-hulls, bilge, and any place water could have found its way in.

The boats that come through storms best aren't always the biggest or newest. They're the ones that were ready.