Prepare Your Boat for Bad Weather

Boats are expensive items that many owners try to protect from damage from hurricanes, tropical storms, and other violent weather. If you know a serious storm is headed your way, you may be inclined to transport your boat and store it in a safe location. If that’s not an option, you’ll need to prepare your boat to weather the storm wherever it’s currently docked. As soon as you hear that bad weather is headed your way, start moving or preparing your boat for the weather. If you’re out on open water when bad weather hits, your top concern will be keeping the boat afloat and everyone aboard safe.

Steps

Handling a Boat during a Storm

1. Put on a personal flotation device at the first sign of bad weather. Every person onboard should put on a lifejacket or other personal flotation device as soon as you spot threatening clouds on the horizon. Bad weather can come up quickly when you’re on the open sea, and you need to be prepared. A lifejacket could keep you (or someone else onboard) from drowning if you’re thrown overboard.
   • As a rule of thumb, you should always have 1 lifejacket for each person on board whenever you’re on open water.
2. Turn on the boat’s navigational lights to make sure it’s visible. Even if a storm strikes in the middle of the afternoon, you still need to flip on the boat’s running lights. Rain, fog, high waves, and dark clouds can all lower visibility on open water, and having your boat’s lights on will ensure that other vessels can see you. Having the lights on can prevent a collision and will make it easier for Coast Guard ships to see your boat.
   • Before you leave port, it’s a smart idea to always check the lights and make sure they’re in good working condition.
3. Reduce your speed and angle the boat into the waves. If you’ve been cruising along at top speed, decrease your boat’s speed by about half. Make sure that you’re still making headway through the waves, though, or else you’ll be stagnant in the water. Don’t steer directly into the waves, but keep your vessel’s prow pointed at about a 45-degree angle into the oncoming waves.
   • Positioning your boat at a 45-degree angle will allow you to safely ride the waves without capsizing.
4. Close all of the hatches and doors on the vessel to keep water out. If the seas start getting rough, move throughout the boat and shut all of the windows, ports, and hatches that water could get in. It’s important to keep the interior of the boat as dry as possible to decrease the risk of the boat going under during a violent storm.
   • If you notice that your boat has begun to take on water during a heavy storm, turn on the bilge pumps to start pumping the water out of the vessel.
5. Disconnect the boat’s electrical equipment if there’s lightning. If you’re caught in a storm and see lightning flashes all around the boat, disconnect all of the electrical equipment that you don’t need to navigate. This will protect the equipment safe and protect it from being destroyed if lightning strikes the boat.
   • Keep your radio on, though, in case the storm becomes dangerous and you need to radio for help.
   • Also keep away from metal objects, especially a metal mast. If the mast is struck by lightning, anyone touching it could be electrocuted.
6. Ask passengers to sit below deck near the center of the vessel. If you’re running a tourist or fishing boat, you will likely have passengers on board who aren’t experienced navigators. For their own safety, ask them to go below deck and sit quietly in the center of the boat. This will help them keep calm, allow you to pilot the boat without interruption, and keep the passengers’ weight centered along the middle of the boat.
   • If your boat only has 1 level, ask the passengers to sit in the center of the deck. If possible, ask them to situate themselves in a straight line running from the bow to the stern.

Protecting a Docked Boat

1. Double the mooring lines and secure them to sturdy, high pilings. Bad weather can snap mooring lines in half, so double up to ensure your boat stays attached to the pilings where you’ve moored it. You may also want to use longer dock lines than usual to account for rising tides and storm surges. To make sure the boat won’t go anywhere, use at least 6 dock lines, 2 stern lines, and 2 bow lines. Talk to the people who manage the marina and make sure that your boat is tethered to strong, sturdy pilings.
   • For example, if you usually use 2 stern lines for your boat, you will want to use at least 4 to secure it to the stern pilings.
   • If you’re concerned that your dock lines themselves may be damaged, install chafe guards on the lines where they might rub against the boat and dock.
2. Install fenders on the boat to protect its sides from the pier. If bad weather hits your boat, it could be damaged by running up against the pier it’s moored to, the pilings that support the pier, or even other boats. To minimize damage from chafing, tie fenders to the rails of your boat on sides that face a pier or other boat. Most fenders have a string attached to their top and can simply be tied in place. Space them out so there’s about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} between each fender.
   • You can also tie your fenders to another secure part of your boat, like a lifeline stanchion, cleat, or padeye.
   • You can tie a fender to a lifeline stanchion using half hitches.
   • If you don’t have fenders, you can use tires as a cheap substitute. Lash tires to the sides of your boat at roughly {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} intervals to ensure it’s protected from damage.
3. Take down and stow your sails and ropes. Sails will be shredded by the strong winds of a hurricane or tropical storm. If your mainsail and headsail are still up before the storm, take them down and safely stow them below deck. Also remove all rigging from your masts. Stow this below deck as well.
   • If you have a boat with a removable engine (not sails), remove the motor cowlings from the boat. Store the cowlings either inside the boat or safely on land.
4. Remove items from the boat that can become debris during the storm. Anything that’s lying loose on the deck of the boat or tied to the railing could be torn off by the storm and could damage your boat or others nearby. Additionally, items tied to the rails (e.g., an anchor or floating buoy) will catch the wind and, in a heavy storm, could contribute to the wind ripping your boat off of its mooring lines. Store them below deck or take these items home with you.
   • The technical term used to describe these items is “windage.” You want to remove all windage from your boat so that these items don’t create drag.
   • If there are items on deck that cannot be removed, tether them down. If possible, space them out across the deck to ensure that the weight on the deck is distributed evenly.
5. Seal all openings on your boat with gaffer tape to keep them water-tight. Water can cause a great deal of damage if it gets into your boat’s interior during a storm. Prevent the possibility of water damage by sealing around the boat’s hatches and portholes with gaffer tape after you’ve securely closed them. While you’re sealing up openings, make sure to seal the exhaust holes and sea cocks.
   • If you don’t already have gaffer tape on hand, you can purchase some at a boating-supply store.
6. Charge the boat’s batteries to run bilge pumps during the storm. If your boat takes on water during an intense storm, you’ll want to run the bilge pumps to drain out the water. Running the bilge pumps requires battery power, so make sure they’re charged and ready to go 24 hours before bad weather hits. If you’re confident that the boat will take on water during a storm, you may want to leave the pumps running.
   • If you have spare or backup boat batteries, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to charge those as well.
7. Drain the fuel from the boat to prevent environmental damage. If the boat should sink or be seriously damaged in the storm, it will release its fuel supply into the surrounding water. To prevent this from happening—and to prevent the very unlikely occurrence of a boat fire—drain the fuel from your tank. Store it safely on land until the next time you plan to use your boat.
   • If your boat does release its fuel supply into a bay or marina, you—as the boat’s owner—will be responsible for any related clean-up costs and may be fined for violating the Clean Water Act.
   • Environmental damage costs are usually not covered in standard boat insurance policies.
8. Drop 1 or 2 anchors to ensure that your boat stays in place. Once everything on the boat is ready for the storm both above and below deck, drop an anchor onto the ground beneath your boat. To make sure the anchor is firmly set and your boat will shift as little as possible during the storm, ask the marina staff about the type of mud or earth below the marina. Find out which type of anchor will hold best in this material, and make sure that at least 1 of the anchors you drop is that type.
   • For example, if you’re mooring your boat in mud, a Danforth-style anchor will hold the boat in place best.

Moving Your Boat to Dry Land

1. Move your boat inland to protect it from the weather if possible. If there’s an incoming hurricane or tropical storm, the best way to protect your boat is to move it safely inland. Several factors go into the decision to move a boat inland. If you have (or can borrow or rent) a vehicle to move your boat with, plan to move it inland. Moving the boat will ensure that it’s protected from the incoming wind and water.
   • On the other hand, if your boat is very large and cannot be moved, or if the incoming weather is only supposed to be a minor squall, you’re better off leaving the boat moored.
2. Lash your boat to the trailer tightly and shrink-wrap it for transport. Shrink wrapping the boat will ensure it’s not damaged by wind as you drive down the highway. If it’s on a trailer with internal wheel wells, place a tire or a fender between the boat’s frame and each wheel well to prevent hull damage.
   • If you have a lightweight boat, consult your boat’s manufacturer about filling the boat part way with water to weigh it down.
3. Transport your boat a safe distance inland to avoid tidal surge. Check the weather forecast to find out how far the storm surge is expected to come inland and how far from the sea the winds are going to be dangerously strong. Plan to move your boat far enough inland to protect it from the surge and winds. Bringing it at least {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} inland is a safe bet.
   • Always use a proper towing vehicle when you’re moving the boat inland.
4. Store your vessel at a mooring field if one is near your marina. Mooring fields are an ideal location to bring your boat during heavy weather. At the mooring yard, your boat will be kept in a steel cradle to prevent it from falling over in heavy winds. Keeping your boat securely in a mooring yard will help prevent damage from docks, pilings and other boats during the storm.
   • If you’re not sure if there’s a field near you, ask the manager at your marina. They can recommend a mooring field; or, better, there may be a mooring field that already works closely with the marina.
   • If you’re not located anywhere near a mooring field, heck with family and friends to see if they own property where you could store your boat.
5. Lash your boat securely in place if you can’t access a mooring field. In this scenario, place your boat on the ground. Use sturdy nylon ropes or heavy lines to tie your boat down to fixed objects (e.g., tree trunks). If no sturdy objects are nearby, tie the ropes to screw anchors placed in the ground. Secure your boat in all 4 directions if possible to prevent it from being blown around by the wind.
   • Remember that trees are often blown down during hurricanes and might not be safe anchor points.
6. Place a tight winter cover over your boat to prevent wind damage. If you’re expecting stiff winds in the inland location where you’re storing your boat, cover it with a winter cover to deflect the wind and prevent the boat from being damaged. If possible, use a shrink-wrapped cover so that the wind can’t blow the cover off the boat.
   • You can purchase a variety of winter boat covers from a marina shop or boating-supply store. Be aware that, while shrink wrapping is the highest-quality cover, it’s also the most expensive.

Tips

• If you’re out on a lake when bad weather strikes and can’t return to the dock, take shelter by steering the boat towards an inlet or river. This may provide some protection from the winds and rain.
• If you will be out of town during part, or all, of the hurricane season, make plans with a good friend to take care of your boat. Or, if it’s docked at a marina, ask the marina staff to take care of the boat for you should bad weather strike.

Warnings

• Conditions at sea can be extremely hazardous and most recreational vessels are not strong enough to survive a storm at sea. You should not seek refuge on open water.
• Do not stay aboard an anchored or docked boat during severe weather. Storm conditions can deteriorate rapidly and become life-threatening. Winds can exceed {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} in hurricanes, and staying onboard your boat will offer you little to no protection.

References

See also

• Replace Your Mercruiser Spark Plug Wires
• Buoy an Anchor
• Paint the Bottom of a Boat
• Tack in a Dinghy
• Find a Private Boating Class
• Turn a Seaeagle 370 Into a Self Bailing Class III+ Whitewater Boat
• Use a Sextant
• Boat Green
• Christen a Boat
• Make a Solar‐Powered Boat

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