HOW TO SAVE YOUR BOAT IN A HURRICANE
IN THE CROSSHAIRS…
“There’s a hurricane coming! What do I do with my boat?”
There are several answers to that question, including “Maybe nothing.” But that’s only if you’re out at sea. The more common calamity happens when your boat is in a crowded harbor or marina, or hauled out on land. Then, there are lots of things you can to to protect your boat, unless of course you are in the crosshairs of a really big one. Even then, don’t rely on your insurance company. Get her ready yourself. Here are some suggestions, especially for multihulls.
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Jim,
I hope the 25 foot Searunner-414 never needs your hurricane advice but I appreciate the idea of flooding the bilge when in protected waters with about 100 gallons of water to increase resistance to wind forces!
John Ebert
Prior to launch of my Newick tri she survived hurricane force winds which blew over and damaged all other boats in the nearby yard. Fortunately I had the foresight to fasten her down to angled metal posts driven into the ground at all four corners & also fore & aft. I was fortunate as no hurricane was forecast & this was merely a precaution against winter gales. Research on the Jordan series drogue would suggest a boat afloat with the rig up would be better moored from astern
Great one again Jim. GREAT advice!
Between my Wharram 23, SC28, and SR34, I have been in well over 20 hurricanes, (about half direct hits), but never at sea, thank God!
I have friends in the Pacific who have, and since our friend who is over 70 years old, one legend Jeff Allen, (who circumnavigated), can stand at the helm for days apparently, he prefers surfing the waves at speed, in a diagonal angle going down the mountains.
Myself, being mortal, I would use a similar tactic but more slowly, with a drogue, and then Mariam could spell me at the helm.
I have used mangroves successfully, canals, marinas (worst option), anchored out in the open (not great), anchored in a narrow creek with a home made 3 anchor mooring System, in a Bayou, and private dockage, with a WIDE slip, and LOTS of room to other boats. This has worked very well! Hauling out is the only method I have never used, and if one is willing to stay with the boat, as I do, the other options are far better, IMO.
One storm eclipses the others. Hurricane Ivan in 2004, was a 4 or 5 longer than any other storm, and generated over 100’ measured waves in the Caribbean.
It hit us in Pensacola Fl. as a cat 3 but was a 4 about an hour earlier, and at landfall, was just 1 mph short of a 4.
Most folks evacuated! Almost everyone on the water did.
We were in Bayou Chico, and had private dockage. I had had my friend/dock owner put in my outer piling 20’ out from the boat, so I could center her in the middle, and reduce the angle on the lines.
In the night, with a 13 to 15’ surge, I sloshed and then swam the side stroke, holding a flashlight over my head, in winds gusting to over 150 mph., from the friend’s house up the hill a bit, 400’ to the boat.
I made 9 trips out into the storm to secure floating tables, my dinghy, etc, and mainly, went (swam) to the boats (ours and his monohull), to loosen lines on underwater cleats, and let the boats rise.
I had put 21 lines on Delphys, including two anchors, and even put an anchor on the boat that some fool had put out in the Bayou, just upwind of us, with a small, single hook.
I also had my Fortress 55 ready in a bag, with fender attached to both it and another on the rode bag, using a bow knot, which I could release with one hand. The idea was to secure whom ever was dragging down on me, but since this hit at night (as most have), I would never have seen it.
I have used this swimming out a BIG anchor technique in the past, and it works in in fairly protected water, up to maybe 100mph.
Ultimately the flood came really fast, and the house I was staying in got to over my arm pits! Outside, it was to my shoulders!
I left in the worst of it, almost hypothermic from 12 hours of being wet, and went to the ONLY modern stilt house in the neighborhood.
80% of the boats in Pensacola were destroyed, impaled on piling, in yards, or in a great pile of boats along with floating docks and all.
On our worst hit side of the Bayou, (and anchored out) with about 150 boats, only a handful made it.
The two on our dock survived unharmed, also the one I had re-anchored off of our dock was ok, and the friend’s SR34 was undamaged, except the windvane. His, we had anchored in the narrow, 4’ deep end, using my nifty technique of “three anchors to a swivel, tied to a float”… these connected to a bridle, running to the amas…
This allows one to anchor in VERY protected places, that are far too narrow for allowing a boat to swing.
Other than these, only a few more were still there the next day. ALL the rest, were WAY up in people’s yards, next to their houses, (along with docks that the boats drug out of the bottom), OR they were on top of and impaled on piling that still went under.
Moral being, EXCESS IS BEST! I had 21 lines on the boat, even one 1” double braid line chafed or popped.
Textile chafe gear is best. Tubing melts nylon.
The saying that “there is nothing you can do”, is just not true, if you love your boat soo much, and it is so irreplaceable (= uninsured), that you will do what it takes.
Where we are now is perfect, and the pilings WAY out, with very few boat missiles to drag down on us.
So, hopefully my younger man’s derring do days are over!
Jim, please forgive my plugging my own book on the pod cast where you mentioned your wonderful book, THE CASE FOR THE CRUISING TRIMARAN, but since this subject came up…
Folks,
besides the “Conversation with Jim Brown” and I about applying the KISS principal to more modern systems…
And, my several hour long audio/slide show “Multihull Cruising the Caribbean” which Joe Farinaccio and I did together…
I have a book out in E Book or Paperback (Amazon)…
“ANCHORING AND MOORING THE MODERN MULTIHULL”.
This covers a LOT about hurricane anchoring as Jim has been discussing, along with diagrams and photos of the three anchor hurricane swivel I made, windlass choices, swivels, bridle suggestions, ground tackle suggestions, etc.
It is based on thousands of nights spent on the hook, and free diving my ass off, in clear tropical water, which was always what cruising was about for me.
I spent a LOT of time anchored out.
Also consider that since my 3 boat’s construction and re-fits took about 22 years of my life, (of the last 43), and I could never afford insurance, I simply could not afford to loose my boat… AGAIN!
The first one was run down at anchor, 7 months after launching!
For folks who do NOT WANT to loose their boat, this is a good read.
All of the above are available at OUTRIG MEDIA.COM, or the paperback may only be available from Amazon. Not sure.
BTW…
The best book EVER written on trimarans and the entire rationale, without a doubt, is Jim Brown’s
“CASE FOR THE CRUISING TRIMARAN”! This book is why I always wanted and still cruise a Searunner 34.
As always Mark … GREAT info my friend!
I think this is one of the most practically useful podcasts you have ever put out. Well done. This piece should be spread far and wide.