JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With Tropical Storm Elsa looming in the Atlantic, News4Jax turned to experts for tips on how to properly secure boats ahead of a storm.
Matt Brennan is the dockmaster at Lamb’s Yacht Center -- a boat service and storage marina located on the Ortega River. He says that after Hurricane Irma left boats sunken in the St. Johns River and caused some boats to drift and crash, the service center got extra busy.
“Quite a few people,” he said. “We were getting continuous phone calls after the storm.”
Experts say the wisest thing to do is start prepping your boat 72 hours before the storm arrives.
If your boat is parked at a fixed dock, make sure to use multiple lines to secure your boat but also make sure the lines are not too tight because you have to consider the change in water elevation.
“You got to have a little give. On a fixed dock, we can’t have tight lines. That’s when it really starts torquing on the dock,” Brennan said.
But what about floating docks?
“Typically on a floating dock, you do tie them a little tighter,” Brennan said.
That will allow the boat to elevate with the dock when water rises without damaging the boat. It’s also a good idea to use extra lines to secure your boat during a powerful storm.
Experts say you’ll know when your boat is fully prepared for an oncoming storm when the lines securing your boat resemble a spiderweb pattern.
“We like to double up on bow, spring and stern lines -- double everything. When it starts to look like a spiderweb, that’s when you know you’ve done pretty good,” Brennan said.
Brennan says the best option is simply taking your boat out of the water.
“There are quite a few facilities that can pull it, use tie-downs on land and secure your boat on land,” Brennan said.
There are also facilities that offer what’s called dry storage. It’s like a parking garage for boats.
Brennan says the one mistake many boat owners make when they decide to leave their boat in the water during a major storm is not have chafe guards on the lines.
Chafe guards keep the lines from wearing down and eventually tearing.