After the hurricane thoughts....

[oscarvan]

Getting closer to retirement, and Hattie ownership. reading a lot, thinking a lot. Running my line of thinking by you all....

If I can do 12-14 knots and have a few days warning I can get 300-500 miles out of the way of a hurricane.... Better than any amount of lines, floating, fixed or otherwise dock, hauling (if there's a lift available) or any secret hurricane hole....

How many of you have a plan to move the boat out of the way if necessary?

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Run, Forest, Run

 

[Boatsb]

.more like walk forest walk

 

[jim rosenthal]

Sounds expensive to move your boat like that. A haulout would cost you less and be easier to do.

 

[Briankinley2004]

I know people who go that route. I would be nervous about another one coming behind. Seems like alot of times they come in sets. I remember Katrina hit the East side of our state and wasn't just a couple weeks later Rita hit the other side.

 

[Briankinley2004]

Sounds expensive to move your boat like that. A haulout would cost you less and be easier to do.

Jim I have a question concerning the haul out. We dont do that where I am from. Most people run "up da bayou" out of the surge. The ones I saw on the web cam link posted here earlier last week appeared to be on blocks with the keel being maybe 3' off the ground. What happens when you get a 10-20 ft surge. It seems to me they would float off the blocks and bang around. I guess if the surge is only a few feet it would be ok but we have seen 20' surges before.

 

[Walter P]

Brian,

You have a valid concern.... About 6 years ago Super Storm "Sandy" hit NJ and some parts of the state
got 13 to 14 ft of surge and lifted many boats and carried them away to destruction. Quite a few of my
friends lost their boats because of that. Most others that were well secured in their slips survived except
for some that were on floating docks and the entire dock system floated away. My club marina got over
13 ft of surge and survived by only inches from all of our docks floating away. We did not lose a single
boat and since we were well prepared our boats got very little damage. My 1982 48 Hatteras MY looked
like it was a bug caught in a giant "spider web but even then I snapped a couple of 3/4" lines. They
actually melted from the severe pulling and contraction.

There are many stories of storm preparation experience but all you can hope for it do the best you can
and trust that your boat will survive

Walt

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Moved Aslan 80 miles to lock controlled marina. About $1,700 (420 gallons, groceries and $300 dockage). I ran hard by choice. Could have cut fuel by 2/3 running slow. I think the 3-500 mile example is unlikey. You just don’t have a good idea of where a storm will land until it closes in. Usually a smaller move will get you out of harm’s way, at least around here.

 

[Pascal]

Every storm is different and some location may make it difficult to run. For instance a storm coming along the coast will make it hard to run anywhere. Luckily these are rare and in most cases you can move just 100/150 miles and be safe.

In many places, hauling out isnt an option. First as others have mentioned thousands of boats have been damaged or destroyed by storm surge and toppled off their stands. Second, in mamy places there arent enough yards. Here in miami, if you want to haul out for a storm it will cost you $120 a foot payable at the start of the hurricane seaon.

At two to three days before landfall, you usually have a reasonable idea of where landfall will be. In case of florence, ever since monday the bullseye was on Wrightsville beach. Tuesday, the forecast shifted a little to the south but quickly moved back.

Last year for irma, On tuesday it looked like the storm was going to hit south east florida and i started making plans to move the boat i run to the west coast (Mine was a sitting duck awaiting the repower). On wednesday, it became clear the NHC forecast was starting to shift west. By 11am advisory on thrusday, it was clear that the storm was going to run up the west coast and i decided to go east to the bahamas. Left thrusday night and got to eleuthera friday afternoon running 20kts. With a slower boat, i would have left earlier on thursday and it would have worked too. The storm hit FL late saturday and into sunday... never got more than 25kts in eleuthera

The other problem with that plan is that for many folks taking care of a home, a business etc... places the boat lower on the list of priority so leaving town may not be an option but if you can leave, it is ofetn th best option.

 

[carolinacoast]

I know of one family that minimizes risk well. They keep their boat in Wrightsville Beach, and leave for the Chesapeake by July 1, and don't return until mid October, based on what is still active. After years of doing this they have boating friends, presumably, in both places.
I know their stress level must be lower, and perhaps insurance.
That is a long way from Florida though.

 

[captainwjm]

Not all of us can be as confident as Pascal about the storm's path. I was here in Islamorada as Irma approached. Initially, my thought was to run to the west coast. Then as the storm grew and the path began to show a westward move, I thought about running up the east coast. By Tuesday, the storm was so big, and the cone still large enough to encompass all of south Florida, we decided to hunker down, and leave. Evacuation for residents, like us, became mandatory on Wednesday. We left on Thursday as the predicted path showed a possible direct hit. We were lucky to survive with no damage except some rub rail rash due to the worst effects of the storm hitting the ocean side of Plantation Key. So staying put worked for us.

Similarly, in '16, we were coming down the east coast as Matthew threatened south Florida. We decided to hold up in New Smyrna Beach to wait out the storm. But then the predicted path changed to have Matthew move up the coast with landfall predicted anywhere from Cape Canaveral to Jacksonville, or even further into Georgia and South Carolina. As would happen with Irma, nowhere to run with any certainty. We evacuated just ahead of the storm glancing off the coast at Daytona and thankfully suffered only minor damage.

The lesson, at least for me, is that I should have the boat [we're live-aboards] ready to run if the forecast is solid enough, and there is a place more secure for me to get to within time. But eventhough the boat is my home, I'll not take the risk that the storm won't confound the weatherman if I can't be damned sure that going is safer than leaving.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Good thoughts from Pascal and Bill, et al.

Florence was the third year in a row I've singlehanded Aslan to safe harbor. My wife looks after the horses and farm, upstate. Each year, the trip has gotten a little more stressful as I age. That is somewhat offset by the repetitious nature of the trip. So the potentials are prioritized, and we've worked out the balancing act. But I could use a copilot.

Aslan is always on go during the season. I work hard over the winter to make it so and limit planned work to a couple of down days during the season. When it's time to go, I just stock perishables and go. Can't even describe the condition and preparedness of the majority of the boats at my marina. There's a lot of swagger up until the day before one hits.

And having a place to go is essential. Obviously, there is no 100% safe harbor. So, all I can do is shorten the odds as much as I can. Where I have holed-up (Windmill Harbor) will take a strong Cat 1 at high tide. I know this because I was onboard when Matthew hit us. While I safely rode out Matthew, marinas around me were heavily damaged or destroyed. Harbor Town, for example, took almost a year to get back up and running full speed.


The marina is the blue dot, and it's (and me) on the NE edge of Matthew's eye.


Harbor Town after Matthew.

Irma had less wind, but more surge. We took a record (Savannah) 12-1/2', and I think the marina could take possibly take up to 14.


That's 12' of surge from Irma. Looks like I've got at least two more feet on the outboard piles. The lock that mitigated the surge was overtopped by about 2' when this picture was taken.

I guess it just comes down to the Eastwood Principle. "But being this is a 44 Magnum (hurricane), the most powerful handgun (force of nature) in the world and would blow your head (and boat) clean off, you've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?"

 

[Scott Mather]

When someone askes why we have a 52’ hatteras on Lake Erie, you just have to reference these conversations and it looks like an even better idea. Trying to think of the last time we had to abandon our marina because of a storm.

 

[Boatsb]

You abandon the marina every year about the end of this month. Wait for it to freeze over and the thaw in the spring.

 

[Pascal]

When someone askes why we have a 52’ hatteras on Lake Erie, you just have to reference these conversations and it looks like an even better idea. Trying to think of the last time we had to abandon our marina because of a storm.

But when you re a day worth of running from this... who cares about an occasional storm!

 

[Rich60175]

But when you re a day worth of running from this... who cares about an occasional storm!

Can't wait to be able to boat here.. Absolutely gorgeous. I'll never see that on Lake Mich.