Hurricane season: 2 year planned trip to the bahamas and the carib, where do we hide?

[aimlesswanderer]

I have very little experience on the east coast, one 2 month trip to the Bahamas, mainly Abacos.
My earlier thread asked several questions, cost, best boat, best multi hull (amazed how many recommend mono hull vs. multi)
One responded with a great question, back to me. I had made it clear I was pretty new to this, BUT... the point was by the responder to my thread, "what's your plan for summer, storm season?"
very good question
What do we do, where do people go, leave the area, back to FL? drydock?
hold up and cross the fingers? We met liveaboard people in the Abacos, green turtle cay and hope island, they seemed to be living aboard year round, unless I missed a part of a conversation while enjoying a rum drink, its been known to happen
lots of negative feedback to the multi hull, and all good points
expensive to buy
expensive to operate? (that one confused me, are they that much more?)
you have to rent 2 slips, or get an end spot, makes sense I guess
and the puzzler reply "what do you plan to do in the summer, man"
well, anyone got an answer?

[zeehag]

i am spending summer in pairadice onmy boat and hunkering down when a blowstorm comes thru, if it does. but i am not on an island in the sea..LOL--i am in mexico in mazatlan, in a hurrycame spozedly safe spot. on purpose.

[Khagan1227]

With the number of hurricanes on the rise, the storms stronger, etc, and having seen what Hugo did to Charleston and surrounding area, I would NOT feel safe sitting in the Bahamas. As MarkJ reported in a post on another thread, don't believe the people who tell you a huricane hasn't hit here in XX years, most are full of poo.

You have about two weeks to get to Halifax and make an Atlantic crossing to go visit your cousins across the pond. I'm sure Boatman wouldn't mind some company, as long as they bring his favorite drink with him.

[DaveOnCudjoe]

You can always find a lee somewhere to hide with good holding ground. If you have a multi with shallow draft you can get in close where there are less people to drag into you or across your rode and have better protection from the shore. Dave

[s/v Moondancer]

Having owned boats in Miami during two cat1-2 hurricanes and watched over 100 boats blown ashore, sunk or severely damaged I now get out of the hurricane zone...In the last 3 yrs we have gone to Halifax, Trinidad and Cartagena.

Anyone that thinks they are safe, on the water, in the Bahamas or the northern Caribbean is just plain wrong.

When a cat 2-4 hits one of those crowded anchorages or marinas there will be lots of boat lost.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by Khagan1227

With the number of hurricanes on the rise, the storms stronger, etc, and having seen what Hugo did to Charleston and surrounding area, I would NOT feel safe sitting in the Bahamas. As MarkJ reported in a post on another thread, don't believe the people who tell you a huricane hasn't hit here in XX years, most are full of poo.

So are those claiming, "With the number of hurricanes on the rise, the storms stronger, etc,"

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

When a cat 2-4 hits one of those crowded anchorages or marinas there will be lots of boat lost.

It's been my observation that the majority of boats damaged during storms is due to complete apathy on the part of the owner. I wish I had a dollar everytime I heard someone say, "It's insured".

I've prepared numerous boats for numerous storms in Florida the last 10 years. One cat 3 storm actually hit us. The local wind instruments quit at 122mph. I claim that due to good preparation, I only lost the anemometer because the wind twisted it in it's mount, and one gelcoat scratch from flying debris.

Yes, one must put together a plan at the beginning of the season and execute the plan when you're in the "cone", but riding out a storm isn't necessarily the end of your boat.

[Sand crab]

FYI The southern Caribbean/north coast of South America is basically hurricane free. Here is a video from Phil Berman of the Multihull Company talking about speed and weather routing.
Catamarans for Sale
So if you are on a faster boat you can just sail out of the way. And that means having a multihull for the most part. If you are planning a 2 year trip I would doubt you would be spending that much time at a marina. Just drop the hook. Marinas are for liveabords who are MOL stationary and out of town owners and weekend warriors and rich people. Sure if you live in the states and have a job and all that then you pretty much have to use one. If you are actually cruising you won't go there that much.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

FYI The southern Caribbean/north coast of South America is basically hurricane free. Here is a video from Phil Berman of the Multihull Company talking about speed and weather routing.
Catamarans for Sale
So if you are on a faster boat you can just sail out of the way. And that means having a multihull for the most part. If you are planning a 2 year trip I would doubt you would be spending that much time at a marina. Just drop the hook. Marinas are for liveabords who are MOL stationary and out of town owners and weekend warriors and rich people. Sure if you live in the states and have a job and all that then you pretty much have to use one. If you are actually cruising you won't go there that much.

If you really believe that, you might want to read one of several threads that touch on the myth of "outrunning" bad weather:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ion-22604.html

[zeehag]

if ye kow a weekin dvance bout a storm and run for a week at approx 100-120 miles per DAY, how far out of hurrycame locations do ye think ye will get??? realistically-- NOT. soooooooooooooooo----plan ahead and find a hurrycame hole and stay there for a while-- this is allover by nov 1-ish, so,isnt that long...OR-- go there NOW and keep yourself out of troubles.....

[Sand crab]

Sneuman, I just read that thread. Thanks for the link. I'm not sure your point but that discussion seems to be about 50/50 with the standout being the really fast mono being able to avoid bad weather due to speed which confirms Phil Bermans point. Please note that the OP here is talking about hurricanes not localized inclement weather and because most hurricanes follow a somewhat predictable path I believe you could get out of the way with a couple of days advance warning. Sometimes the s**t hits the fan and they don't follow the track or form right on top of you. But I think that is the exception and not the rule. Notice that I am using the term "get out of the way" rather than "outrunning". If you were in a fast boat like Catana, Outremer, Seawind, Dolphin, etc that are capable of 200 mile days then that boat would be safer due to being faster. Most charter cats, not so much. BOB

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Sneuman, I just read that thread. Thanks for the link. I'm not sure your point but that discussion seems to be about 50/50 with the standout being the really fast mono being able to avoid bad weather due to speed which confirms Phil Bermans point. Please note that the OP here is talking about hurricanes not localized inclement weather and because most hurricanes follow a somewhat predictable path I believe you could get out of the way with a couple of days advance warning. Sometimes the s**t hits the fan and they don't follow the track or form right on top of you. But I think that is the exception and not the rule. Notice that I am using the term "get out of the way" rather than "outrunning". If you were in a fast boat like Catana, Outremer, Seawind, Dolphin, etc that are capable of 200 mile days then that boat would be safer due to being faster. Most charter cats, not so much. BOB

yes, I see your point.

[Sand crab]

Aimless, here is last years hurricane tracks. As you can see if you can get down to northern South America than you would be safe. Sneuman et all, I wasn't dissing monos. There are plenty of fast ones out there capable of high average speeds as well. I'm just not that familiar with them.

[capttman]

I run back To Florida..The only reason is I go off in the summer but if you are on your boat there is always somewhere to hide or go south below the 10

[Rockette]

Geez... people here are dead on. There were still boats on shore here from our water invasion from Hurricane Ivan in 2004, all the way up until 2009 when a developer finally cleared them out.

South America would be your best bet for the Atlantic hurricane season.