Preparing your boat for High Winds
When high winds are threatening - and threatening they are in the Americas this week, with no less than three potential hurricanes threatening the shores - it pays to do everything you can to ensure that your boat is safe
'Good preparation can help minimise damage'
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BoatU.S. says high winds, heavy rain, and rising water levels from the first of these, Hanna, have the potential to cause widespread damage as it crosses the Chesapeake Bay sometime this Saturday, then moves up the Atlantic coast to Long Island Sound and New England on Sunday.
Here is BoatUS's suggested list of preparations - applicable for any threatening bad weather:
? Scuppers: With any boat, in the water or stored ashore, ensure that cockpit and deck scuppers are free of debris so rain can drain easily.
? Extra lines: Boats in slips should have extra lines and fenders.
? Windage: Remove biminis, sails, and dodgersto reduce windage and line strain.
? Haul-out: Need help hauling out your boat? Ask your insurance company if they have a program to help pay for the cost of a storm related haul-out.
? Small boats: If possible, small open boats and boats with low freeboard should be taken out of the water and put on trailers.
? Boatlifts: Vessels stored on boatlifts are especially vulnerable to the combined effect of wind, rain and surge. When drain plugs are left in, rain adds considerable weight and many lifts are known to have collapsed. If the drain plug is left out, the boat can be flooded by storm surge. The best solution is to take the boat out of the water and store it ashore on a trailer. An alternative is to move the boat to a well-protected slip if one is available.
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) has some free online 'tools' available at the BoatU.S. 'Hurricane Resource Center' at www.BoatUS.com/Hurricanesincluding downloadable storm planning materials and checklists for what to do before and after a hurricane strikes.
by BoatUS/Sail-World 
Balaclava, VIC
