WHAT MOST OWNERS OVERLOOK:
CHAFE KILLS LINES BEFORE STRENGTH EVER GETS TESTED.
Every point where a line runs through a chock or cleat needs protection — tape, rags, rubber hose, or leather. A brand-new line with no chafe protection can part in hours. A worn line with proper protection can hold all night.
LOW WATER DAMAGES BOATS TOO, NOT JUST SURGE.
If a storm tracks to your south, storm surge isn’t the threat — extreme low water is. Lines set taut for “worst case high water” leave no slack when the water drops instead, and that’s when cleats tear out. Prep for both directions, not just one.
IF IT CAN CATCH WIND, IT COMES OFF — NOT DOWN.
Radar arches, outriggers, rocket launchers, flybridge enclosures, flags. Folding down a bimini or wrapping a few turns around a furled sail isn’t prep. Anything that acts as a sail needs to come off the boat entirely.
CLOGGED DECK DRAINS ADD WEIGHT YOUR BOAT WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO CARRY.
Scuppers and drains need to be clear before the storm arrives, not discovered clogged during it.
AN EPIRB LEFT ABOARD A BOAT IN THE WATER CAN TRIGGER A FALSE DISTRESS CALL.
After every major storm, EPIRBs left on unattended vessels go off and get treated as real emergencies — pulling resources from people who actually need them. If your boat’s staying in the water, the EPIRB comes off.
YOUR PREP IS ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR NEIGHBOR’S.
A poorly secured boat two slips down can drag, snap your lines, and put a hole in your hull before the storm even peaks. Know what’s tied up around you.
IF ANY OF THIS RAISES A QUESTION
ABOUT YOUR BOAT:
Our in-house electrical, rigging, and canvas teams are at all four yards year-round — for haul-outs, rigging work, canvas removal, or anything else on this list. No subcontractors, just our own specialists.
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