Stuart C Clotworthy AMS ACMS
Naval Architect & Marine Surveyor
Tel. +1 (954) 937-7862
www.sccmarine.design
Some useful tips if your boat is stuck on the lift through a hurricane:
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Keep your lift well maintained. Regularly check your posts, beams, bunks and wires for signs of undue wear.
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Remove ALL canvas (and frames), whip aerials and other items that may come loose.
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Close and secure all hatches, lockers lids and other openings. Use duct tape to seal and secure. TIP - REMOVE all tape ASAP after the hurricane, this will prevent it marking or leaving residue. Leaving the tape on for even just a couple of days will cause you a lot of hard work.
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Remove the drain plug(s) if possible. DON'T FORGET TO PUT THEM BACK!!
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Set your boat as high on the lift as possible. Remember that the water may rise much higher than normal.
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Use good quality ratchet straps to secure your boat to the lift. Use padding to prevent chafing, the wider the strap the better.
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Put fenders between the boat and the posts if possible, secure tightly at both ends, do not let them swing.
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Tie off the lift frame (or wires) to the posts to prevent ANY movement. If you allow the boat to swing on the wires, it will most likely loosen or damage the posts.
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If possible, tie off the boat to land, that way if it does go bad your boat is not a danger to other boats that may be close by.
There is no guarantee that your boat will survive, but good preparation is better than none.
WARNING: If, in the middle of the storm, you see it starting to go bad, DO NOT attempt to fix it. You, versus 8000 lbs of boat and 100 mph wind, will never end well.
My own boat, in Freeport, Grand Bahama, getting ready for Hurricane Matthew, 2016.
No damage suffered, Cat 4 right over the top.