East Coast Boaters need to prepare for Isaias
by Scott Croft 31 Jul 2020 22:54 UTC
Hurricane Isaias may impact East Coast boaters beginning as early as tomorrow © NOAA
Hurricane Isaias is forecast to run up the East Coast, likely bringing heavy rains, high winds and storm surge from South Florida to potentially as far north as New England through next week. While it's uncertain if the storm will reach a hurricane Category 1 status (sustained winds of 74 mph) Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is urging boaters to be prepared.
"It doesn't take a major hurricane to cause major damage to your boat," said BoatUS Vice President of Public Affairs Scott Croft. "Boats most often sink when they are tied up at the dock, with the owner away, so one of the most important things boaters can do now is to make sure their boats shed water." Croft says to clear deck scuppers, ensure hatches are tight, remove windage such as bimini tops are removed, and consider adding extra lines with chafe protection.
BoatUS offers free tools, tips and information at BoatUS.com/Hurricane-Prep to help put a hurricane plan in place that can help prevent boat damage. If time is tight, Croft says BoatUS's collection of hurricane-planning videos with simple projects you can do yourself, can help you start prepping.
Additional hurricane planning materials include a BoatUS Magazine Hurricane Preparation Guide with information on what to expect, where to keep a boat, and how to develop a hurricane plan; a Boater's Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes with details on what you can do to protect your boat in a slip, dock, canal, on a lift, in a dry-storage rack, mooring, or hurricane hole; and a Hurricane Preparation Worksheet to easily manage your boat's hurricane prep efforts and share with your marina owner/manager.
Boaters can monitor Isaias' track with the free BoatUS.com/App for iOS and Android devices. (After downloading, go to settings to enable "push notifications" for your region.)
The hurricane preparation information comes from the BoatUS Marine Insurance Catastrophe (CAT) Team, a leader in recreational boat hurricane preparedness with more than 30 years of post-hurricane boat salvage experience. For more, visit BoatUS.com/Hurricane-Prep.