Liveaboard's Storm Preparation

[Hudson Force]

I know all boat owner's hope to prepare their best for tropical storms, but for us and many liveaboards, we're protecting all we have in one unit. When we prepared for Irene we continued, like fourteen previous tropical storms, to get ready for the worst. Most of our hard work is putting everything below. So here's the game! Can you find all the differences between these two photos? The first is prepped for Irene and the second is after returning the boat to normal.......



The amount that fits in our aft cabin amazes us.
Roller-furling genoa, main sail, mizzen sail, two full size bicycles, two kayaks, dinghy oars-airpump-anchor, two bags of 3 PFDs each, man-overboard life sling, eight bimini side panels w/two covers, GPS mount, two 12" diameter glass net floats, five cockpit cushions, cockpit rugs and pillows, boat hooks, pole net, and two buckets......and enough room remaining to access the bilge and bilge pump. Of our fourteen tropical storm preps while living aboard eleven were around fifty mph winds or less for us, like Irene. Two were barely catergory ones with gusts to about eighty and one was a category three. I realize that the winds reach a point, that my judgement seems to be around eighty mph, when anyone aboard is unable to function on deck to perform activities to aide the vessel. I hope I can be wise enough to be ashore at those times. I know some have been discouraged with the intensity forcasts and feel that this amount of preparation is not worthwhile, but we will continue to "overprepare" and seek the best locations well before the storm's arrival. We did hold back with removing the bimini top, but that was an easy removal had it become necessary.

[Cats Eye]

We spent 10 years in the Caribbean. Because my husband and I both had full time jobs, we could not run for hurricane season. We became pros at Bimini removal, sail wrapping, over all deck cleaning. I did sometime think that is was sooo much work for usually nothing - till we where on the boat (safely tucked into mangroves) for a hurricane. The winds hit 100 miles per hour. I could not go on deck. We might have caused more damage to the boat leaving stuff up and on deck. It is a lot of work and it turns my stomach just thinking about it but in the long run it was worth it.
On an almost funny note - My husband retired and we sailed up to Maine for the summer. We figured FINALLY a summer without any hurricane worries. NOT. When I rene came we found ourselves taking down biminis and clearing the deck. I guess it never ends!!

[zeehag]

in mazatlan, isnt just named storms packing high winds--they call em tormentas for a reason.....i keep my boat tarped and i keep my headsail on and furled with 3-4 wraps of the sheets, and i place my tarps under the boom with one over, as a tent. i also have one over my cockpit and one over the companionway slider. has made a great difference in amount of water i catch inside the hull...and i dont get blown over. i place many lines on boat--heavy spring lines fore and aft with bow and stern lines to keep her from too much movement- i dont like jerky motion--causes damage. the smooth in a circle motion at the dock is good--no chafe no muss no fuss.
my spring lines are 3/4 in 3 strand and 1 1/4 in snot braid. works well and no problem. i tie down everything on deck and keep kayaks on dock. when i leave for anchoring, there wont be big winds anymore so all is well.
our rain is always sideways, as in hurrycames...is fun here in rainy season--great practice for big stuff.....tormentas have winds to over 100mph.....