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Boaters never lose sight of the 'big one' We may have to wait until Hurricane "X" shows up. But, let's face it -- hurricanes are a fact of life around here. Every year that goes by without a "big one" only makes boat owners more certain the "big one" is coming next year. Well, next year is now. Experience shows that boaters will not stop focusing on the weather until they have either safely hauled their boat to dry-dock or hurricane season, which ends in November, has passed. No hurricane has made landfall in the SouthCoast area since 1991 when Hurricane Bob turned boats in the water and onshore into matchsticks -- or, at the very least, insurance cases. There have been a few stray storms to hit the outer Cape and bring heavy winds and rain. But, let's face it, we have not seen "the big one" in more than 10 years. In 1985, when Hurricane Gloria struck in late September, nearly 100 boats and moorings were pulled ashore (some intact, more not) in Padanaram Harbor alone by the strong storm surge coupled with winds of more than 85 mph. A Category 2 storm, Gloria caused more than $900 million in damage up and down the U.S. East Coast. Bob, which struck our area on Aug. 19, 2001, spawned at least four tornadoes, one of which devastated parts of Marion. Believe it or not, boats on solid moorings were carried ashore and blown into the trees surrounding Sippican Harbor. Bob, officially a Category 2 storm (96-110 mph winds) but considered a Category 3 storm (111-130 mph) by many local weather observers, drove a storm surge of at least 15 feet into Buzzards Bay. In 1991, the night before the storm struck, I moved my sailboat to a spot well inside the hurricane dike with the help of a friend and fellow boater. At the anchorage where I keep my boat moored, more than half the boats were washed ashore, some of them slammed against the rocks into pieces no larger than a dollar bill. We found wreckage from one boat, which had been secured at its mooring on the morning of the storm, more than a quarter mile away. Many boats in south-facing harbors had to be removed from post-Bob locations by helicopter. So, if you own a boat and keep it somewhere along the South Coast, and a hurricane is headed our way, what do you do? In the seasons since 1991, many, many, many more boaters have discovered the benefits of hiding inside the New Bedford Hurricane Barrier, and space is at a premium "inside" whenever the barest threat of a storm arises. It might be wise to come up with an alternative plan, in case it gets too crowded inside the dike next time "the big one" threatens. Boat U.S. offers five tips for boaters to help them weather the storm. 1. Keep it high and dry. Boats stored ashore are far more likely to survive than boats in the water (although in Sippican Harbor in 1991, a number of boats stored ashore fell over like dominoes, one into the next one, when tornado-like winds hit during Hurricane Bob). After the boats in its outer harbor were devastated in 1983 by Hurricane Alicia, the Houston Yacht Club responded by devising a comprehensive hurricane plan that includes the evacuation of all vessels. At Martha's Vineyard Shipyard, the marina has put together a list of emergency employees to assist the regular staff with the rush removals. These marinas, and many others, recognize that the key to weathering the storm is preparation -- both by individual boat owners and marina personnel. Now is the time to review your marina's contract or boat club's rules for hurricane preparation and make sure you know the plan. 2. Ensure your marina and boat are ready. There is a huge difference in how marinas prepare for a major storm. How well your marina is currently organized can tell you a lot about how well your boat will fare in the slip or on a mooring during a storm. Boats in poorly maintained, unorganized and cluttered marinas usually fare the worst during hurricanes. Poorly sited marinas -- those in unprotected areas -- also face higher risks. When Hurricane Andrew decimated South Florida in 1992, most boats in the well-protected Coco Plum Marina survived. Marinas with floating docks and tall pilings also provide a safer solution than fixed docks, because you don't need to put out extra scope and the docks won't float away over the pilings. If you plan to leave your boat in the water, be sure you have everything you need to secure it well in advance. If your plan is to leave it at a slip, take inventory of your dock lines, chafe protection and other items such as fenders and duct tape. After Hurricane Fran hit in 1996, the Boat U.S. Catastrophe Response Team estimated that as many as half the damaged boats at marinas could have been saved by longer and thicker dock lines and adequate chafe protection -- the first items that sell out at marina stores when a hurricane warning is posted. 3. Find the right 'hole.' If want to move your vessel to a hurricane hole -- a river or harbor that offers better protection than your home port -- it is important to remember that the storm surge may be 10 feet high or greater (in Hurricane Bob, some harbors reported a 16-to-18-foot storm surge). Seawalls and jetties that might otherwise protect your boat could be under water. One other consideration: Plan to move your boat as soon as a warning is posted. Otherwise, you may find the best spots are already taken or that, in our area, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has ordered the dike gates closed. 4. Check your insurance policy. An up-to-date insurance policy can mean success or failure in quickly returning the vessel to its pre-storm condition. Does your policy include all of your recently installed electronics or other upgrades? Boat U.S. also offers "Hurricane Haul Out" coverage that pays half of all costs associated with a pre-storm haul out -- up to $500 -- for only $25 a year. 5. Relocate trailerable boats as far as possible above the anticipated storm surge area, and tie them down. Boats on storage racks, davits and lifts should be put on trailers and taken inland. 6. Read up. For more information on hurricane protection, Boat U.S. publishes a free brochure, "Hurricane Warning: A Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes," which includes a free Hurricane Planning Worksheet that takes boaters step-by-step through storm preparation procedures. For both of these free valuable tools and for other information on hurricanes, visit http://www.BoatUS.com or call 800-283-2883. p.s. There is no Hurricane "X." If you want to find out more about how the National Weather Service comes up with names for storms each year, try http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml. WHALER'S RACE The 71st annual New Bedford Yacht Club Whaler's Race takes off at 8 a.m. next Saturday, Sept. 6. The traditional 105-mile race to Block Island began in 1932. The race begins and ends in Padanaram and includes mark roundings at Cuttyhunk, Noman's, Block Island and the Buzzards Bay Tower. With favorable winds and a hearty crew, most boats can finish inside of 24 hours. Last year's winners include: Frank Vining Smith Trophy, spinnaker class, Dreamcatcher, Stephen Kylander; R. Eugene Ashley Memorial Trophy, non-spinnaker class, Sea Hawk, Fred Kern; Narada Challenge Cup, double-handed class, Spirit, Dimitri Antoniadis. SHIFTY WINDS GREET 100-MILE RACERS Last weekend's Mattapoisett Yacht Club 100-Mile Race drew five competitors over two days from start to finish. It took 16 hours and 48 minutes for the first boat to cross the finish line after completing the course twice around. And, the winds were shifty. According to first place finisher (on corrected time) Paul Silva, winds varied from north at the start to northwest to southwest near the Buzzards Bay Tower, then back to northwest. It even blew out of the northeast for a time, Silva said. Silva, whose Sadler 34 Lung Ta was the only boat in the race not carrying a spinnaker, felt the finishing time for the first boat over the line was "pretty fast." His boat was the last boat to complete the hundred miles, finishing in 16 hours, 48 minutes and 48 seconds. "The other boats thought we were wise not to fly a chute," said Silva, given the wind shifts and their relatively high velocity (more than 25 knots). Silva raced the MYC 100-Mile with his brother Bob and some of the crew from Mike Dahill's boat Undine, which competes in the MYC Wednesday night series. First over the line was Bob Warren in his Dufour 38 In Deep, in 15 hours, five minutes and four seconds. Dreamcatcher, a Swan 48 from the Blue Water Sailing Club, finished 10 minutes later at 15:15:06. Then, there was a lull of more than an hour until Wesley McMichael's J-29 Ballyhoo crossed the line at 16:24:02. The MYC's Tom Muldoon followed at 16:45:41. Silva's Lung Ta brought up the rear. Warren has captained In Deep to first or second place in several different racing events this summer, including winning his class in the Memorial Day Figawi Race. On corrected time, Warren finished second in the 100-Mile Race. In third place was Dreamcatcher. Here are the results, corrected with handicap times: 1. Lung Ta, Paul Silva, MYC, 11:43:48; 2. In Deep, Bob Warren, MYC, 11:50:04; 3. Dreamcatcher, Steve Kylander, Blue Water Sailing Club, 13:03:06; 4. Ballyhoo, Wesley McMichael, Beverly Yacht Club, 13:14:02; 5. Revelation, Tom Muldoon, MYC, 13:25:41. Barbara Veneri is a columnist for the Standard-Times. You can contact her by e-mail at bveneri@hotmail.com. This story appeared on Page E7 of The Standard-Times on August 31, 2003.
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