TS/Hurricane Prep at the dock

[montenido]

Hi all,

I know this topic has been beaten to death, but I can't seem to find a short list of things to do BEFORE the nasty weather and winds hit. My boat is in a marina in La Paz, Mexico, about 900 miles away. I am planning to go down there soon, and there are currently two possible sources of storm weather way to the south.

When I get there, depending on current and predicted weather,
what all should I do?

Here is my current plan:

Remove all sails and canvas, stowing below.
Remove and stow solar panels.
Stow dinghy on foredeck.
Remove all rail-mounted hardware and equipment.
Put out additional dock lines and chafing gear.

What to do with halyards? Remove and leave messengers in their place? Secure them in place?

Thanks, all suggestions are welcome.

Cheers, Bill

[Cheechako]

Sounds like you have it pretty well covered. This is your plan if a storm is coming? or you are leaving the boat unattended? Do you have a method to keep the bilgepump battery charged? I would probably just leave the halyards in a manner so they don't bang on the mast. But I don't see LaPaz as a hurricane hot spot. Most the Baja hurricanes I've heard of are not particularly strong, and weaker by the time they cross Baja to the inside where LaPaz is located. Sure is nothing wrong with planning conservatively though.
Is your boat situated such that wind waves etc will be hitting the stern? If so, I would consider a valve to shut the exhaust hose off. You need a way to ensure the Bilge Pump Battery stays up... even several days of downpour could sink the boat at the dock, or enough to do a lot of damage.

[DeepFrz]

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&...69837884,d.b2U

[avb3]

Originally Posted by montenido

Hi all,
.............................

What to do with halyards? Remove and leave messengers in their place? Secure them in place?

Thanks, all suggestions are welcome.

Cheers, Bill

Removing halyards is not so much because of winds, but UV damage. I remove mine as well as all other lines and put in messengers where needed.

[Cheechako]

another option is to attach a messenger to the shackle on the halyard and pull the halyard into the mast. Coil the excess at the bottom and bag it.

[JPA Cate]

Montenido,

If the marina allows it, if you are in a single finger berth, I'd recommend putting out a kedge to help hold you off the dock if you're leaving the boat to fend for itself, and big fenders, for the boat to lie against. Obviously, you'll want them for both sides if it is a double finger berth.

Ann