Marina evacuation - Forced anchor for hurricane

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Dave H.

[PapaLulu]

Originally Posted by billknny

One of the reason some marinas need boats to leave is that they are going to be pulling all their floating docks out of the water. A smart move. I have no idea what Florida law says, but I know marinas in Port Canaveral insist that boats leave or haul if the weather is bad enough.



Don't listen too closely to the sea lawyers here claiming that the best thing to do is to leave your boat even if told to leave because if the marina does anything to it it is now their liability. If your signed contract says that you DO agree to remove it in case of a hurricane, and you do not, the liability issues are not nearly so clear cut. If the marina claims your boat damaged their docks, now who has the liability????



What would your insurance company think about you leaving the boat in an abandoned marina? Every marina contract I have had allows the marina to move my boat if they need to, without liability.



Finally, talk to your insurance company. Our company does not pay for a storm haulouts, because they, rightly, say that hauling is not always the best thing to do.

As an owner of a slip in Port Canaveral, it’s actually the Port Authority that requires marinas to evacuate the boats. I believe the location of the submarine base, the cruise ships in the basin, as well as the USAFB and Kennedy Space Center’s reliance on the lock make it a security interest to keep the Port clear of damaged boats. Other ports with similar security interests may have similar authorities. I concur it’s a good idea to read the policy. During Hurricane Matthew our marina issued a mandatory evacuation order. One slip owner refused and is now being forced to sell his slip (actually a long-term lease). A pretty good deal if someone wants a Port Canaveral slip.

[Berrey]

I am on the Alabama gulf coast. We are in a marina up the ICW about 4 miles east of Mobile Bay and 5 < 6 miles from the pass into the Gulf we are almost 3 miles north of the beach. It is in a hole with concrete sea walls floating docks and it is one of the only marinas that will allow you to leave your boat. I have Boat US insurance and they approve of staying in this marina as a safe Hurricane plan. Many others take their boats and anchor and tie off to trees in small inlets in the ICW. Some go up the Bon Secour and Fish rivers and anchor and tie off to trees.

[Trimaran Ken]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

If they move it, it will be their responsibility! ?

Not likely. Any marina with a halfway decent lawyer would have a contract that allows them to move your boat to protect the marina and other boats.

[Trimaran Ken]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I grew up in a harbor where the individuals owned their moorings. Is that a thing of the past in the US.

I own my own mooring in MA. The town Harbormaster specifies where you can put it, and I pay the town about $130/year to have my mooring.

[SUNCAT365]

Originally Posted by WindLove

Some people have told me that a marina can make you leave their marina if there is a hurricane. Can they do that? Even if I have a long term contract? Where would I even go?

If a hurricane is coming a haulout won't be a possibility. If I have insurance, won't the insurance cover any damage my boat causes to the marina?

I'm in the lower Chesapeake and am hoping the current string of storms will miss me. But it is making me think.

I see some people saying this isn't legal is come places, including Florida. Maybe true. I don't know. I do know two municipal marinas with this policy as well a couple private one's. I also know that in these specific marinas it's for your own good. You'll get totaled in a real storm if you stay there, and you'; take the docks with you.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Trimaran Ken

I own my own mooring in MA. The town Harbormaster specifies where you can put it, and I pay the town about $130/year to have my mooring.

Thanks! That may be worth while for people to look into in their area. $130/yr. and the cost of a big anchor and chain is probably cheaper than losing a boat.
Going through a Harbormaster makes sense, it probably eliminates the derelict boats or at least they know who to send the bill to..

[johnny666]

I live in Hong Kong where we just suffered through a major typhoon.
Many boats wrecked.
Most boats in marina berths suffered some damage, some major although most survived.
If you have good anchorage or a secure swing mooring you are better off there.
My SO44 escaped without a scratch although it must have been pretty wild out there as everything inside the boat was flung around and when you consider nothing like that has happened even in 35 kt blows with the boat seriously heeled over it really must have been crazy.
Virtually every boat that left headsails on furlers (even if wrapped) was damaged, some wrecked.
You MUST remove all sails, biminis, etc.
DO NOT just stow them !!!!!
Any rope that has more than a 2cm loose end, will break free and destroy itself.
Good preparation is king.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by johnny666

I live in Hong Kong where we just suffered through a major typhoon.
Many boats wrecked.
Most boats in marina berths suffered some damage, some major although most survived.
If you have good anchorage or a secure swing mooring you are better off there.
My SO44 escaped without a scratch although it must have been pretty wild out there as everything inside the boat was flung around and when you consider nothing like that has happened even in 35 kt blows with the boat seriously heeled over it really must have been crazy.
Virtually every boat that left headsails on furlers (even if wrapped) was damaged, some wrecked.
You MUST remove all sails, biminis, etc.
DO NOT just stow them !!!!!
Any rope that has more than a 2cm loose end, will break free and destroy itself.
Good preparation is king.

Sounds like you lucked out. Were you on anchor(s) or a mooring? A few details would be interesting.

[johnny666]

I was on a permanent swing mooring.
6 tonne block of cement in a very sheltered bay.

[hellosailor]

Cadence-
"How many people read a contract when put in front of them. It is usually sign on the dotted line."
Well, that can actually be a good thing, not reading it. A contract is supposed to be a negotiated agreement with knowledge on both sides. If you don't read it...depending on the state and the attorney, it becomes "uninformed consent" or an "adhesion contract" or they can find other ways to say "Your honor, that's no contract, my client was just ordered to sign here and pay up".
Although, I still find you can order up two good thugs with bats for about 40% less than the cost of one good contract lawyer. Including the cost of clean new bats.

johnny-
I hope your boat weighs a lot less than your mooring. Concrete holds a lot of water, so the effective weight of submerged concrete is not so good. Plenty of places in New England have even used granite blocks as moorings--and it turns out granite is porous enough that multi-ton blocks of it have dragged in storms as well. If it isn't buried IN the bottom? It can and will drag. FWIW.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Cadence-
"How many people read a contract when put in front of them. It is usually sign on the dotted line."
Well, that can actually be a good thing, not reading it. A contract is supposed to be a negotiated agreement with knowledge on both sides. If you don't read it...depending on the state and the attorney, it becomes "uninformed consent" or an "adhesion contract" or they can find other ways to say "Your honor, that's no contract, my client was just ordered to sign here and pay up".
Although, I still find you can order up two good thugs with bats for about 40% less than the cost of one good contract lawyer. Including the cost of clean new bats.

johnny-
I hope your boat weighs a lot less than your mooring. Concrete holds a lot of water, so the effective weight of submerged concrete is not so good. Plenty of places in New England have even used granite blocks as moorings--and it turns out granite is porous enough that multi-ton blocks of it have dragged in storms as well. If it isn't buried IN the bottom? It can and will drag. FWIW.

Citing dry weight of a cement slab? it is only as heavy as the difference between it's weight and the weight of the water it displaces. I'm with you unless it is buried it is not a very effective mooring anchor.

[Caliber40]

Are you making this up? Seriously.....even if it’s true who’s going to enforce it!