Barely a week into hurricane season with 3 storms already: Is your boat ready for the 4th?
by Scott Croft 10 Jun 2020 00:25 NZST
70kt storm hits Ricasoli Breakwater Lighthouse in Valletta, Malta. February 24, 2019 © Kurt Arrigo
Tropical Storm Cristobal swept over the Louisiana Coast on Sunday bringing the tally of named storms in the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season so far to three - with two of them occurring before the official June 1 start of the season. While it's impossible to predict where the next major storm will strike, the forecast is for an above-average season with 16 named storms, and rest assured, recreational boats will again be in harm's way.
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) says Cristobal was a wake-up call for boaters to be ready, and offers free tools, tips and information at BoatUS.com/Hurricanes to help put a hurricane plan in place that can prevent damage to their boats.
These free materials include a BoatUS Magazine Hurricane Preparation Guide with information on what to expect, where to keep a boat, how to find and fix potential breaking points, develop a hurricane plan, and more; A Boater's Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes for details on what you can do to protect your boat in a slip, dock, canal, on a lift, in a dry-storage rack, mooring, anchor or hurricane hole; and a Hurricane Preparation Worksheet to easily manage your boat's hurricane prep efforts and share with your marina owner/manager.
Additionally, a sampling of hurricane plans for marinas or yacht clubs that can be adapted for your facility is available for easy download, as are a new series of hurricane-planning videos with simple projects you can do yourself such as how to set lines for a boat that will remain in the water.
For the next inevitable storm, boat owners can track the storm with the free BoatUS.com/App for iOS and Android devices. (After downloading, go to settings to enable "push notifications" for your region.)
The hurricane preparation information comes from the BoatUS Marine Insurance Catastrophe (CAT) Team, a leader in recreational boat hurricane preparedness with more than 30 years of post-hurricane boat salvage experience. For more, visit BoatUS.com/Hurricanes.