Hurricane Isabel: Somewhere between SC and NJ

[VIEXILE]

You guys have about 4 or 5 days to get busy. You''ve GOT to see the GOES satellite photos of this hurricane. Category 5, gusts to 200 or better. Bahamas look o.k., FL looks o.k., but I see a Bermuda High that looks like it might push the thing right into the South Carolina coastline. Again, check out www.crownweather.com, let the thing fully load, and view some of the graphics. 5 or 6 computer models place it between southern SC and as far north as Portland, Maine when it makes landfall. Get busy. KW

[kokopelli9]

Thanks,Viexile. I was in Homestead Florida when Andrew came through and then got hit again in central NC with Hurricane ran 7 years ago. People at my marina are already starting to prepare and make decisions.
I agree with you...we need to get busy and get ready...Mother Nature doesn''t like to be ignored or taken lightly.

[tarmand]

Sailnet''s latest article on the topic tells me to anchor in my marina''s basin. OK, sure, that''ll happen.

So in all seriousness, in or out of the water? My insurance will pay all but a small deductable to have the boat pulled (marina says they''ll put ten jackstands under the boat if pulled) What d''ya think?

[aggiemom39]

I really don''t think sitting out of the water in the marina is going to be any better than being in the water at the marina. If you can get your boat FAR away from the storm and she is easily transported its a different story. Here on the Texas Gulf Coast, which has dodged a few mild storms this season, we try to prep our boats as best we can, keep up the insurance and realize that if the storm is stronger than a Category 3, your boat has a strong likelihood of being lost. But the important thing is not to risk your life for the boat, so be careful, and good luck.

[tsenator]

aggie,

Well maybe yes and maybe no. Studies have shown that "on average" there is less damge to boats that are hauled. ( http://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/brochure.asp) But if the Hurricane goes close to your location AND it coincides with high tide....then every one tied up to the docks in the marina is screwed ..... A lot of the marinas I see only have pilings that are maybe only 4-5 feet above the dock at high tide...........If we get a storm surge of anything over 5-6 feet at the same time as high tide....Were SCREWED....

The docks along with the boats will just float away into each other-- It has happened often enough in the worst areas..not to mention that when the surge subsides the boats regularly get impaled on the pilings...take a look at these photos...

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/archive/andrew.asp#2

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/archive/hugo.asp#3


here is another site with pics and info

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/hurricane/default.asp

[aggiemom39]

Just curious--how do the marinas up there view hurricane prep? Down here on the Gulf Coast where we get hammered fairly frequently the marinas have a pretty good education program going. Yearly seminars on prep, brochures in the offices and monthly reminders sent out to us about being prepared before hand (ie buy your supplies for prep at the beginning of the season so you aren''t fighting crowds at West Marine or Lowes, making sure your insurance is in order etc.) We pretty much have part of the prep done each time we leave the boat--seacocks closed, batteries checked, ships papers off extra lines securing her etc. We realize that NOTHING can really save her if its a bad storm with a bad tidal surge. You just have to have insurance and some good luck. We also have to realize that while we are worried about our (second home) boats, others are having to worry about their primary residences, nursing homes are having to deal with keeping their disabled residents safe and hospitals have to keep their critical patients alive while facing power outages and staffing and supply shortages. She looks like a bad storm, and here''s hoping that everyone comes out safely.