Hurricane staying aboard

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by boatman61

'Hurricane Holes' are a myth.. much like 'Blue Water' boats..

Indeed. Much good advice here, including Phil’s trenchant observation.

[Nicholson58]

We toughed out a hurricane in Newport two years ago. 175feet of chain and Rocna 121# in 11 feet of protected area and we still dragged.

You do not want to do this.

The best course is to be somewhere else. If you live aboard you should have enough warning to get 50 to 75 Miles or more away from the path.

We now keep our boat in Trinidad each hurricane season. Nearly zero chance suits us well.

[Triumphant]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Personally, I think its very foolish to willing stay aboard a boat in the path of a hurricane. There is very little you can physically do in major hurricane conditions anyway...except pray not to die. No boat is worth risking my life for...are you willing to die for yours?

+1

We went through a Cat 2 in the inner hurricane hole in Cariacou and stayed on board, the next time, if we cannot avoid it then, IF there safe places to go we would ashore

[thomm225]

After you've been through a few hurricanes, you'll know a boat it one of the worst places to be.

In 2004 when hurricane Ivan came thru Pensacola, there were lots of boats parked in the local hurricane hole where we used to drink beer and watch them from our apartment...….during Cat 1/2 storms

Ivan was a Cat 3/4 storm though. When the surge came thru I think it was around 12'-18' (at 2-3am) depending on where you were exactly, the navy floating docks were lifted over their pilings.

The docks and the boats still attached came thru the hurricane hole and took out every boat except one

first link is the boats that came off the navy dock before it …..left

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F..._Pensacola.jpg

second is the other side of Bayou Grande where the docks took out all the boats . I used to live about 400 yards from this spot and kept my beach cats tied just above high water but had moved 3 years earlier

Hurricane Ivan destroys sailboats in Pensacola Florida | Mark Wallheiser


Hurricane Ivan: https://www.google.com/search?q=pens...w=1280&bih=641

There were lots or tornadoes within Ian also. Some homes were turned into a pile of wood or just gone totally

We had no power for about two weeks. Thank God it was September and not July.

Katrina passed 180 miles below Pensacola the following year and the water level was as high as a Cat 1 going thru so I knew then that whoever got hit by Katrina was in trouble. Katrina's surge was 26' and it was a Cat 5 when it was below us

[Blue Crab]

The pythons have changed my mind about going up the Shark R in the glades.

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

The pythons have changed my mind about going up the Shark R in the glades.

Good food source though 😁. Seriously I know a few boats that went there for Irma and their boats were good when they got back to them.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Good food source though 😁. Seriously I know a few boats that went there for Irma and their boats were good when they got back to them.

Thanks cap. I've made so much fun out of the pythons that I've scared myself.

[Nicholson58]

Salty Dawg rally went to Antigua last November. Barbuda, short distance away, was leveled. Antigua was nearly untouched. As I noted above, pay attention to the storm track if you must be in the area. Move the boat away from the track. Every mile away is money in your pocket and drastically improves your probabilities.

[Nicholson58]

Why we stay in Trinidad for hurricane season. Everything in the squiggly zone is a target. Our agent wanted us to move the boat to north of the Florida Georgia border or they would drop us. We dropped them. Saved $1000.00

[danielamartindm]

I've lived through my share of hurricanes, and there's a lot you can do to protect your vessel by reducing its windage, adding spider lines, tying to mangroves, choosing a location with little fetch, etc. But let's be honest. Even vessels on the hard get totaled on the wrong side of a Category 4 or 5.

[TigerPaws]

I am at Union Island right now, it is a great hole to hide in and a quick sail south to Trinidad if it becomes necessary.

I have weathered some pretty powerful storms but I make a run for it at the first sign of a Hurricane. Something I do every morning and every evening is to check the latest Sat Images and reports. I have become pretty adept at judging for myself if I need to be concerned and if a weather system begins to look nasy I make a run for it if necessary.

Normally I set 3 anchors but if I do not like the way the weather is looking I will set more, if I am hooked up to a mooring I usually know which sites are good and which are not.

Weather is not something you play with, mother nature always wins.

[TigerPaws]

The Devil whispered in my ear:

"You are not strong enough to withstand the coming storm"

Today I whispered in the Devil's ear

"I am The Storm"

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by TigerPaws

The Devil whispered in my ear:

"You are not strong enough to withstand the coming storm"

Today I whispered in the Devil's ear

"I am The Storm"

Whisper that to the next Cat 5 you encounter...

[TigerPaws]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Whisper that to the next Cat 5 you encounter...

Right, if I even suspect a Cat 1 I make a high speed run south.

Never underestimate Mother Nature

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by TigerPaws

Right, if I even suspect a Cat 1 I make a high speed run south.

Never underestimate Mother Nature

Yeah, Ive sailed in up to Cat 1 conditions (65, gusting 85kts)...that was quite enough for me...dont ever care to do that again...and certainly nothing stronger.

I was offshore in that case and had no option but to deal with it, but if at anchor...Im on the next flight outta town!