HURRICANES - Securing your boat ....

[Guest]

Anyone got any good advice how to secure a trailerable 22'0" power boat for a hurricane?

I am considering taking it off the trailer, hammering in a load of long spikes and lashing a cats cradle or ropes to the boat. I also plan to position it as close to a big building to interrupt direct the wind flow.

Any other helpful tips.

PS hurricanes here hit at over 120mph and several have been over 140mph (224kmh).

 

[Guest]

Don't have much prior experience of this matter. But I'd make sure that the roof of the large building is firmly attached to the walls, and that the walls are firmly attached to the earth. I've only visited the Carib a few times but I reckon there are some dodgy builders out there.

By the way, seeing you're n the Carib would you like to acquire a secondhand C-Map NT of Trinidad-Guadeloupe....? I have one spare. oh I'll shut up before the others complain about me selling stuff again. Anyway you'd better wait see if you still have a plotter after that breeze has calmed down.

Seriously, good luck, hope you dont get too much damage, let us know the outcome.

 

[Guest]

dig a hole, put the earth round the edge as an embankment and provide an earth ramp to the leaward to back the trailor down. Like a hull down tank position.+

 

[Guest]

The UK hurricane at the end of the 80's upended a load of boats at my then marina on the river Medway, and left a ten metre plus Cleopatra in a tree. Marina staff got the army in to chop down the tree and rescue the boat, which was unscathed. My 21 foot Winner used to get a battering on the trailer at the marina in winter in any case, we used to take all the covers/ bimini off, and knock angle-iron stakes into the ground to lash the trailer and boat down with ratchet straps. . Didn't stop the boat being hit by rolling debris, sailboat dinghies, oil drums and what-not. Remove or secure the achor and chain if it lives in a locker - the chains swing about and knock the hull about judging by the scrapes on the side of the Winner. If it's trailerable can you move it inland? Maybe put it in a container? Or dig a hole for it..... Check your insurance now!

Best Sue

 

[Guest]

Slight problems with that suggestion is that there is no leeward in a hurricane - except at any one point.

If the hurricane is passing North of you, the winds start coming from the North then shifting gradually coming from the West and finally from the South.

If the hurricane is passing directly over you, the winds start coming from the North then ther is flat calm as the eye passes over you then the winds abruptly start at the top hurricane speed coming from the South.

If the hurricane is passing South of you, the winds start coming from the North then shifting gradually coming from the EAST and finally from the South.

Hurricanes are not too predictable to track well in advance to allow proper location of the ramp Easterly or Westerly depending on track of hurricane. I could bulldoze a bank up at the ramp and remove it later.

Not all hurricanes have heavy rains but if it does the boat will fill up, float, sink or combination.

PRAY for us that we do not get hit by hurricanes.

THANKS & CHEERS

PS can you send an underground car park - then again it might get filled with water.

 

[Guest]

I'll do a swap. You come over here to England. We get no huricanes.

And I'll move over to the West Indies and risk the Huricanes.

Haydn

 

[Guest]

Re: Swap

Interesting idea.

Are you sure you get no hurricanes? A Hurricane is a circular system with winds upwards of 75mph. Wasn't the "storm" that took out a large number of trees in +/-1987 a hurricane and haven't you had weather systems with winds upwards of 75mph since?

Anyway I'm not sure I fancy the Foot and Mouth or Personal Income Tax status or VAT- we don't have any of those here - so far! We do unfortunately have Import Duties - oouch!

Cheers

 

[Guest]

Re: Swap

Doug, thanks for that I do stand corrected on the circulation of winds in a tropical storm, I suppose that when one is in a hole one should stop digging.