This is a very informative and timely article discussing boat insurance coverages and ways to protect you boat in the event of a named storm. Hopefully you won’t have to test this out but it is good to know your options before the storm.
The Latest Trend in Boat Hurricane Preparation: Tie Her Down. BoatUS Finds Less Damage To Boats Stored, Tied Down Ashore
By Mel Fabrikant Friday, June 01, 2012, 02:58 PM EDT
With Hurricane season officially beginning June 1, forecasters are predicting a ”near normal” year of storm activity, which means there’s a good chance that tropical storms will strike the US coastline. However, BoatUS has found a new tactic for preparing for incoming storms — using tie downs with boats stored ashore — that has proven to significantly lessen the impact of storm damage.
“We’ve known for a long time that the most effective storm preparation tactic a boat owner can do is to remove the boat from the water and store her ashore in a location above the anticipated storm surge,” said BoatUS Director of Damage Avoidance Bob Adriance. “That’s why we created the Hurricane Haul-out Coverage overage included in all our boat insurance policies that helps defray the cost to remove a boat from the water.”
“But over the last few years, we’ve now learned that if you add tie-downs on both sides of a boat that are secured to deck cleats and either embedded in the concrete pad or deeply screwed into the earth with helical anchors, you can almost eliminate storm damage from all but the most severe storms. Of course, you also have to include other measures, such as reducing windage by removing roller-furled sails and biminis, and ensuring that jack-stands rest on a firm surface, but if you want the least damage and want to get back on the water after a storm as quickly as possible, pulling the boat from the water and firmly tying her down are a winning plan,” added Adriance.
BoatUS also offers free online help with the web’s most complete Hurricane Resource Center designed specifically for boaters, clubs and marinas at www.BoatUS.com/Hurricanes . It includes detailed storm-tracking information as well as the no-cost, downloadable Boater’s Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes.
All BoatUS boat policies include “Named Storm Haul-out Reimbursement.” When a boat is in the path of a NOAA-named storm (within the five-day “cone”), a boater is eligible to be reimbursed for 50% of the cost of labor, up to $1,000, to have the boat professionally hauled, prepared and tied-down, or moved to a safe location. With BoatUS, a hurricane haul-out “claim” does not penalize a policyholder.
Learn more about how we may be able to help with your boat claim
