Miami - Strategy for Sailboat

[SecondBase]

It is 9 am on Tuesday morning. You have all seen the spaghetti diagrams.

https://www.cyclocane.com/irma-spaghetti-models/

Decision time and I need some suggestions.

Best approach for a sailboat at 7 knots?

- Stay on the dock
- Run north
- Hide in mangrove

I recognize I may be kissing the boat goodbye.

[Tetepare]

BoatUS typically recommends hauling and securing w/ screw anchors. Can you get above a 20' storm surge?

Call your insurance company and see what they'll cover to be pro-active. If a haul and truck inshore for a week costs less than a scrap boat, they may split the expense with you.

[grandpasteve]

Why is hauling-out not an option?

[neilpride]

Best bet is to strap ground the boat in a boatyard with the mast down....

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by grandpasteve

Why is hauling-out not an option?

Concern is being strapped to low ground during storm surge. Is there any estimate for surge height?

[Snore]

My hurricane plan.

1- make sure insurance is paid.
2- try to arrange haul out, but only if the screw the boat down.
3- if hauled remove sails and deck canvas, nothing should be on deck.
3a- if 2 does not happen, double lines, remove sails and all deck canvas. Close seacocks, remove bottle of Jack from fridge. Some put a plug in their exhaust ( I don't).

4- make sure insurance is paid.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by SecondBase

Concern is being strapped to low ground during storm surge. Is there any estimate for surge height?

Not Florida (yet), but FWIW:

“... HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
STORM SURGE: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and large
breaking waves will raise water levels by as much as 7 to 11 feet
above normal tide levels along the coasts of the extreme northern
Leeward Islands within the hurricane warning area near and to the
north of the center of Irma. Near the coast, the surge will be
accompanied by large and destructive waves.

The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause
normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters
moving inland from the shoreline. The water is expected to reach
the following heights above ground if the peak surge occurs at the
time of high tide...

British and U.S. Virgin Islands except St. Croix...7 to 11 ft
Northern coast of Puerto Rico...2 to 4 ft
Southern coast of Puerto Rico and St. Croix...1 to 2 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of
onshore winds, where the surge will be accompanied by large and
destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative
timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over
short distances ...”

Sept. 5/17 (8:00AM) ➥ Hurricane Irma Public Advisory

[pete33458]

If you have not made other plans already in Miami (my boat was there for 7 years), I don't want to discourage you but you're in a hell of a situation. Running north is not an option with this storm, many of the predictive tracks run right up the east coast and it WILL overtake you, probably at the worst possible location (Hatteras). The mangroves are an option (note: tying directly to the mangroves is illegal...), but you won't be the only one with that idea, and you can't go any further than the first tied-off boat you come to. You could also try to go up the Miami River, which is probably the best hurricane hole in Miami, no storm surge, wind severely broken by buildings, etc. However, it will be you and several thousand of your best friends all looking for somewhere to tie up. Ft Lauderdale has some nice backwaters as well, but it will be the same problem. I'm not trying to lecture you (really), but the time for making this plan was 6 months ago.

Your best bet, in my opinion, is to try to find a haul out / strap down facility that can accommodate you. It won't be easy now. Otherwise, I don't know where you are, but if you're at a dock, lots of lines and spare tires, strip everything from the deck and rigging, and hope for the best. I wish you the best. Pete

[CarlF]

About the only good thing about hurricane is that the worst winds are concentrated in a fairly small area. If you are unlucky enough to face 150mph winds, there isn't much to do except check your insurance. But the odds are good that the hurricane won't make a direct hit on you and you'll see something less. So focus on surviving a 100 mph storm. This means:

Not being on a dock exposed to ocean waves or a long wind fetch.

Not being on a dock that comes off its pilings in the surge or where your boat gets holed by the top of a piling.

Not being hit by another boat that breaks loose or drags

Not being ashore in a row of boats that tip over off their poppets like dominos


Often, anchoring far enough inland to not have ocean waves with several anchors and lots of chafe gear - and away from other boats - is a great strategy. Almost anywhere on the ICW can work. On an anchor with a lot of scope, you don't care if there's 10 feet of surge.

While you try to figure it out, go buy some stuff today before it's gone. I'd get another big anchor. Always a good thing to have in the bilge. And whether for the anchor or more dock lines - a few hundred feet of 3/4" nylon. Get more chafe gear too. Flexible PVC water hose. Leather. blue jeans. firehose. tubular nylon webbing.

[emcmia]

As my home and boat are on the Miami River (since early 1990s), I concur with those suggesting/recommending taking your boat up this river to avoid surges and high winds. There are many locations to secure your boat, especially at some vacant commercial docks and bulkheads; with permission, you may be able to just raft up with others. However, be advised that you can't just dock at a private residence without their permission, as your lines will be cut and your boat cast off. That being said, you may find some homeowners receptive to a short term dock rental.
I am already seeing boats come by on their way up river, so don't procrastinate.
Good luck.

[Scout 30]

You all probably know this but it's important to get ALL of the sails off the boat, especially roller furling sails.

[pete33458]

Originally Posted by CarlF

While you try to figure it out, go buy some stuff today before it's gone.

EVERYTHING is ALREADY gone!!! You can't even buy a bottle of water!

[emcmia]

As an alternative to the Miami River, you might consider Maul Lake. It's about 1/2 mile square and not too deep (about 10 ft) in North Miami Beach/Sunny Isles, approximately 1.5 miles north of Haulover Inlet, just west of the ICW and south of Williams Island. Due to the proximity of high-rise condos, it's well protected from both surges and high winds. [If you look at a street map, the entrance channel runs E-W from the ICW around 175th Street; Biscayne Blvd is on the west side and 163rd Street is on the south side.]
If your transiting north from Miami, remember: air draft clearance at the Julia Tuttle (I-195) Bridge is only 55 ft (and about 60 ft through the span on the west side of the channel).

[moctrams]

Best way is to get someone with a backhoe and dig a hole. A marina in southern Maryland does that.

[SecondBase]

Thank You all & especially GordMay for surge info !! Please keep it coming !!