Caribbean Hurricane Haul Out

[Sawbonz]

Originally Posted by BigNut

Our insurance has no demand to haul out IF we watch the weather and move. However our deductible doubles for a named storm. If we haul, our mast has to come down, or else it doubles again! See below.

As we live aboard, the option to get out of Dodge seems better, especially as we are in ABC’s for the duration of the season.

Here’s the wording in our policy:

NAMED TROPICAL STORM PLAN REQUIREMENTS:


• Hauled and secured on low jack stands and blocked with the vessel lashed directly to the ground using a minimum of six (6) straps of appropriate size, material, and strength attached at load bearing securing points on board the vessel; and

• The vessel interior and stowage lockers shall be secured and locked to prevent theft and vandalism; and

• All loose or removable items, components, parts, and equipment, including but not limited to personal effects, sails, cushions, canvas, and covers must be removed and properly secured to prevent damage or loss.

• As an alternative to securing the vessel as indicated in requirements above, the insured vessel may be moved in order to avoid the effects of the NTS and prevent damage or loss, provided the vessel is moved within a time, manner, and direction reasonably calculated to avoid the NTS based on the projected timing and path of the NTS and provided the projected path of the NTS is monitored by the insured at all times.

A separate Named Tropical Storm Deductible of USD **** applies. The NTS deductible stated will be doubled the mast is NOT un-stepped and secured.


HTH

Very helpful, BigNut. One thing that concerns me about my broker is that it seems that she expects me to develop my own plan that will then be submitted to carriers. Yours seems dictated by the carrier. Was it? Being a first time for us to do this I am having trouble getting my head around what to do and would much prefer being given direction instead of guessing.

[Sawbonz]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Absolutely. But the times I've seen it is when you are under long term contract in the water at their marina. Are you looking for a contract where you pull in and they then haul you on a day or two notice? Maybe but I would think that you will have to pay a long time in advance to have that privilege.

Possibly. I am so new to the process that I am looking for any options and this is one the broker said may be necessary.

[Sawbonz]

Originally Posted by flyingfin

Sounds like a poor plan, sitting in the Caribbean summer heat, watchin the Weather Channel and waiting to cast off and run south. Thinking back over the last few hurricane seasons, you could be leaving every other week! I would think the best plan would be to spend your summers in Chesapeake, Cape Cod or Maine (or all three) and enjoy your new vessel.

Yes, but to be in St Lucia to start the World ARC in January 2020 it would be a long haul from the Northeast. Worth considering though. We are currently spending the summer in an RV in Maine, about to head back home to Florida.

[Sawbonz]

Oh, except that the US is not a “rabies free country” and to take our two furry friends with us on the ARC and visit many countries they have to either be in a rabies free country or on board the yacht for 6 months before entry. :/

[Sawbonz]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

If you want to stay in the water, Trinidad and Tobago are both out of the zone for cruising.

I have them on my list to call, but I am not sure the statement above is still true. Our broker says everything near the Caribbean is a crapshoot right now, including the ABC’s. It reminds me of the homeowner’s insurance market after Andrew in Miami (all of Florida really). It took years for all of that to calm down and required the State of Florida to set up their own insurance company so that people didn’t have to abandon houses and move.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Sawbonz

Very helpful, BigNut. One thing that concerns me about my broker is that it seems that she expects me to develop my own plan that will then be submitted to carriers. Yours seems dictated by the carrier. Was it? Being a first time for us to do this I am having trouble getting my head around what to do and would much prefer being given direction instead of guessing.

I suggest you contact your agent regarding Trinidad. Ours required a storm plan but waived most other requirements for being out of the hurricane zone. Masts are up. We too can formulate our storm plan for the carrier to accept. Chaguaramas, Trinidad is about 8 degrees North and as I noted above, the NOAA 150 year data says minuscule possibility of a named storm. We submitted the NOAA image with our storm plan along with photos of the yard and optional tie downs. Plan says the yard will attrach the tie downs if a named storm is predicted. We remove all sails and loose items from the deck. Most boats get a Trinidad type vented shrink wrap (removed by the yard for a named storm). A hatch mounted AC can be installed on deck to make the interior comfortable and to reduce humidity. It’s quite nice. We lived on the hard here quite nicely. Power Boat even supplied walk up steps instead of a ladder for live aboards. Budget Marine is just outside the fence behind us.

Fence is 8 feet with razor wire. Guarded gate 24 hours and regular patrols. Most people don’t lock. On site you will find a grocery, restaurant, showers, toilets, chandelier, wood shop, boaters work shop, small hotel, the Roti Hut, water and power.

Tours we took:
Humming birds
Scarlet ibis roost
Pan yard (steel drums)
Taste of Trinidad (street food bus tour all over the island)
Boiling mud pots, natural asphalt mine, water falls
Rain forest
Bike rides to the beach and Bamboo Cathedral (park and monkeys)
Bike to the WWII US installations, former sub pens and mountain top radar.

In addition there are weekly group trips to the shopping malls, theater, farmer market. I also managed to join with people at the yacht club for club races.

Trinidad is one of our favorite places. We were having such a good time last year we hated to leave.

http://powerboats.co.tt Look up Power Boat’s web site.

Below shows Roxy on the hard. Chain anchors are buried below.

[DMCantor]

Our insurance (Geico) is happy wherever we are in the Caribbean as long as we are on the boat. They want us to haul if we leave the boat for more than a nominal period. Any of the boatyards in the southern Caribbean will unstep the mast on request but hardly anybody chooses to bear the expense. We spent many months on Bonaire, and loved it there. No huriccane worries there!

[sailcrazy]

Another alternative would be to sail to Puerto Rico and then stay there for the season. The marina that we have used for the last 4 years, Puerto Del Rey, just south of Fajardo on the east coast, is a very large marina. Aside from all the things you could do/visit in PR, the marina offers a plan where they will haul you and put you on their hard stand area(7/24 guards, surround locked chain link fence, etc) when a serious storm/hurricane is inbound, but... if there is no storm you stay in your slip (and live aboard)-or come and go as you see fit (explore the Spanish Virgins, USVIs,etc). We've put our boat on the hard there over the past 4 hurricane seasons-including last years 2 hurricanes-with no problems nor damage. The marina is very well run; they know what they're doing! The only down side is the marina is a couple of miles out of town, and there is no public transportation. Aside from the bar+rest+chandlery+ work out room+laundry+store+other facilities available onsite, having as car can make a big difference....and there are plenty of rental car agencies in San Juan where you can rent for long term at a reasonable price. That gets you closer to the area you want to get to, gives you something to do during the summer as you live aboard, and gives you the haul-out at a recognized and well-run marina if it's needed. FWIW

[sailcrazy]

Oh...and I forgot to mention....there is no requirement to unstep your mast! Most folks remove their sails, dodger, bimini, and other soft things from the exterior when they haul. But there is no requirement to do so. And, by the way, they have 4 travel-lifts of various sizes, with 3 separate ways, and there are several cats on the hard each year. Boats on the hard are side-by-side, and strapped to massive buried concrete beams-no sand screws needed or used!!!

[wolfesmy]

We're in the same boat so to speak but with a different challenge and looking for some insight.
Our boat is currently in Georgetown Bahamas and our next seasons plan is to tour Turks, Haiti, Dominican (Caribean Sea side) and Puerto Rico.
We are looking for a haul out facility either in Dominican or Puerto Rico for Hurricane season.
Due to our schedule restrictions we need the boat on the hard by mid April. Time line is to short to get to Trini as we want to see more than just whiz by the islands.
Any insight into suitable facilities in these areas would be helpful.

Thanks

[Fast Tack]

Whats the name of the maina in Freeport and are all the boats tied down ?

Thanks

[BigNut]

Originally Posted by Sawbonz

Yours seems dictated by the carrier. Was it?

Yes, we had heard about the need to have a plan, it was our first time also, but then received this. As I said, YMMV, it seems others have not needed to take the mast down, but I have been told that the targets are moving.

[Sawbonz]

Originally Posted by BigNut

Yes, we had heard about the need to have a plan, it was our first time also, but then received this. As I said, YMMV, it seems others have not needed to take the mast down, but I have been told that the targets are moving.

Exactly my problem! Especially as we will be living on the boat with two dogs.

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by Fast Tack

Whats the name of the maina in Freeport and are all the boats tied down ?

Thanks

Bradford Marine and no they all are not. But it is required by my carrier and strongly suggested by Bradford. It's $150 per tie down.

[Oceansailor]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

We are hauled for the season at Power Boat in Chaguaramas, Trinidad. They are nice folks, safe yard, good tradesmen available. The yard has tie downs but you will not need them. Masts are not taken down. 150 years of named storm tracks says highly unlikely. This is our second season in the yard. Street food outside the yard is good and very inexpensive. OCC port captain, Jessie James is in the yard and runs a really great tour business. I bike to the rain forest every morning to see the birds and monkeys. Peaks is the yard next door also with good facilities. Several chandleries and supply shops nearby. We have great community with other boaters in the yards. Both places can handle your cat. If you want to stay in the water, Trinidad and Tobago are both out of the zone for cruising.

For 49 years they said the same on Grenada.

Then Ivan Cat 5 parked over the island for 8 hours in 2004 and proved them wrong. Not many boats was standing after Ivan.

Tie downs are a good thing even in Trinidad;-) even if the last hurricane was in the 1933.

It does not have to be a hurricane to create a problem. Already a tropical storm is enough to create a mess. The hurricane terms are enforced as soon it is a name given storm. Check with the insurance company.

Trinidad is a wonderful place. Nice people and excellent infrastructure for yachting.