While summer is the start of warmth and sun, you can’t have sunshine without a little rain. Summertime is also the beginning of hurricane season, and there’s nothing more nerve-racking than getting caught in the middle of a storm unprepared.
It may be easy to forget about your property’s outer limits in the midst of preparing your home for inclement weather. Fortunately, this guide can teach you how to keep boats and docks safe during the hurricane season so that your assets suffer minimal damage and loss.
Inspect Your Boat Dock
Your boat dock may not be able to withstand rough and high waters, so you want to inspect the structure and promptly address repairs. Consider contacting a professional to help with piling inspections to ensure they’re in good condition.
Set Multiple Anchors
You would typically anchor your dock during its initial assembly, but your efforts don’t stop there! It would be wise to anchor your boat to prevent swinging during periods of high winds.
You can set two anchors in a linear formation and connect them with a chain or in multiple directions to reduce the size of the waves.
Know Your Coverage
You want to ensure that your boat dock has insurance coverage. It always helps to be familiar with insurance stipulations.
The more understanding you have in regard to your coverage, the fewer surprises you can expect after the storm clears and the dust settles.
Prepare Your Boat
Start by establishing an inventory of things you keep on your watercraft. List contact numbers, including your insurance company’s contact information, and copies of your policy. Afterward, turn off the boat’s electrical system and remove the battery.
Consider removing all detachable accessories, like sails, radios, canvases, and cushions, to prevent damage. Also, you’ll want to wrap protective covering around boat lines to prevent chafing against the watercraft. Lastly, seal off windows and doors, and shut off fuel lines.
While there’s no way to protect your boat completely from hurricanes, it helps to start on the right foot. There may not be much you can do to prevent a hurricane from occurring in your area; however, you can keep your boat and dock safe during the storm season.
