Surviving a monster storm

[softdown]

Since the worst storms, cyclones and hurricanes, can change directions by 180 degrees, the more natural cover the sailor can find the better off they are.

Mangroves are great but may not be available. Also important to keep in mind that most damage is sustained from other boats that have broke loose from moorings and slips. Harbor safety may be misleading.

In addition, waves don't start breaking until the water is shallow. Like 30' -40' or so. Large enough waves can just flip and crush many small to medium sized boats.

Remember that the national weather services can easily get it wrong. For example: https://www.amazon.com/Ship-Storm-Ji...+and+the+storm

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by Delancey

... more worth watching in my opinion. Enjoy!

Very interesting, but some folks already know it all - you may be wasting your breath.

[robbievardon]

This video bares little comparison to my experience on Grand Cayman Island in 2004 when hurricane Ivan came across the Caribbean and stopped for 36 hours just offshore. Judging by the background views the wind is not cat 5 strength neither their boat or those in the background are moving or healing sufficiently. The post storm pics show boats pushed onto rocks and a few sunk at anchor. Their only good prep as far as I can see is the choice of the Mangroves canal. Their personal prep seems very casual, had their boat sunk they seem hardly prepared for a prolonged spell in the water and the onset of hyperthermia. Too relaxed allround and obviously not as scared as I was facing possible death

[DeepFrz]

There was a fellow on here a few years back who went up a mangrove creek in his cat in the same general area. The cat ended upside down in the mangroves and it took some time for him to salvage it. I don't remember exact details but it shows that you need to carefully select your spot and in storms of that magnitude be a little bit lucky. It wasn't just the mangroves that helped the OP but the hills around them and the timing of the worst part of the storm in regards to storm surge and tide.

[Zven]

If a monster storm is coming, should you really stay with the boat in the first place?
How about making best possible preparations and then get a nice comfortable hotel room... or, if there are none nearby, watch the storm from a bar, or from a cave, or whatever. Your life (and that of your family members) will always be important than the boat, no?

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by Zven

If a monster storm is coming, should you really stay with the boat in the first place?.....

There's a lot you can still do on board, when an anchor drags, or someone close gets in trouble. Both uninsured and singlehanded (and penniless) in those early days - maybe those are deciding factors, or maybe it's an age-related thing?

[wyb2]

Originally Posted by softdown

They didn't even use the seat belt on the older car. Could they get more biased? Less scientific?

Your assumption that the '59 had seat belts is a case in point of exactly what the video is trying to show - improved safety standards are easily overlooked.

Plus the narration states that it didn't have them.