LEHIGH ACRES FGCU softball team helps Habitat for Humanity build three homes The Florida Gulf Coast University softball team helped Habitat for Humanity build three homes Saturday.
ESTERO Home Base Golf Tournament helps SWFL Veterans Veterans hit the green at the Copperleaf Golf Course on Saturday. This was part of the Home Base golf tournament.
FORT MYERS At least one person dead after propane truck collides with golf cart Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that has left one person dead and another injured Saturday morning.
Scattered storms ahead for your Saturday plans The Weather Authority is tracking weekend temperatures in the low to mid-90s this weekend with a chance for scattered storms this afternoon.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 3 Thunderstorms tried to put a stop to week three of high school football on Friday Night, but gridiron action prevailed.
Man accused of plotting murder-for-hire denied bond A man suspected of being involved with a murder-for-hire plot will stay behind bars. Ryan Toranzo had his renewed motion to set bond denied today in Collier County Court.
LABELLE Two dead after crash on State Road 80 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, there was a crash on State Road 80 that has left at least one person dead Friday evening.
DeSoto County looks to recruit more teachers While it can sometimes be easy to fill a classroom with students, it is not so easy for teachers. Schools across the nation and locally in Southwest Florida are still dealing with the challenges of teacher shortages. With class back in session, so is teacher recruiting for DeSoto County schools. The assistant superintendent, Jake Reynolds, […]
IMMOKALEE ROAD Push for change after deadly crash on Immokalee Rd. We’re told the woman was driving with two kids in the car when a semi ran a red light and hit her Thursday morning.
FORT MYERS BEACH Mobi-Mats deployed on Fort Myers Beach A walkway to paradise! Brand new and blue, the Mobi-Mat is making things easier for Fort Myers Beachgoers.
NAPLES Women of Steel business conference inspiring and empowering women Focused, hardworking, empowered. These women have made a name for themselves as Women of Steel.
NAPLES Beloved Collier County bus driver retires after 20 years After 20 years of getting kids to school safely, a beloved Collier County bus driver is retiring.
Wade Wilson has new death row mugshot Convicted double-killer Wade Wilson has a new death row mugshot.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Sizzle Dining is back in SWFL It’s Sizzle Season! Local restaurants are ready to welcome new faces by offering exclusive menu deals to attract new customers.
LEHIGH ACRES FGCU softball team helps Habitat for Humanity build three homes The Florida Gulf Coast University softball team helped Habitat for Humanity build three homes Saturday.
ESTERO Home Base Golf Tournament helps SWFL Veterans Veterans hit the green at the Copperleaf Golf Course on Saturday. This was part of the Home Base golf tournament.
FORT MYERS At least one person dead after propane truck collides with golf cart Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that has left one person dead and another injured Saturday morning.
Scattered storms ahead for your Saturday plans The Weather Authority is tracking weekend temperatures in the low to mid-90s this weekend with a chance for scattered storms this afternoon.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 3 Thunderstorms tried to put a stop to week three of high school football on Friday Night, but gridiron action prevailed.
Man accused of plotting murder-for-hire denied bond A man suspected of being involved with a murder-for-hire plot will stay behind bars. Ryan Toranzo had his renewed motion to set bond denied today in Collier County Court.
LABELLE Two dead after crash on State Road 80 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, there was a crash on State Road 80 that has left at least one person dead Friday evening.
DeSoto County looks to recruit more teachers While it can sometimes be easy to fill a classroom with students, it is not so easy for teachers. Schools across the nation and locally in Southwest Florida are still dealing with the challenges of teacher shortages. With class back in session, so is teacher recruiting for DeSoto County schools. The assistant superintendent, Jake Reynolds, […]
IMMOKALEE ROAD Push for change after deadly crash on Immokalee Rd. We’re told the woman was driving with two kids in the car when a semi ran a red light and hit her Thursday morning.
FORT MYERS BEACH Mobi-Mats deployed on Fort Myers Beach A walkway to paradise! Brand new and blue, the Mobi-Mat is making things easier for Fort Myers Beachgoers.
NAPLES Women of Steel business conference inspiring and empowering women Focused, hardworking, empowered. These women have made a name for themselves as Women of Steel.
NAPLES Beloved Collier County bus driver retires after 20 years After 20 years of getting kids to school safely, a beloved Collier County bus driver is retiring.
Wade Wilson has new death row mugshot Convicted double-killer Wade Wilson has a new death row mugshot.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Sizzle Dining is back in SWFL It’s Sizzle Season! Local restaurants are ready to welcome new faces by offering exclusive menu deals to attract new customers.
For boat owners, Southwest Florida is a wonderland thanks to the sparkling blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, inland waterways, and pristine beaches. But, in the event of a tropical storm or hurricane, those same attributes make boats especially vulnerable to damage. The type of boat, the local boating environment, and locally available storage options may vary, but every boat owner needs a plan of action designed specifically to protect their craft. For an overview of the planning, safeguards, and preparation needed to protect your boat before a storm arrives, use these precautions and checklists as general guidelines. GENERAL PRECAUTIONS FOR YOUR BOAT Check your boat thoroughly to ensure it is in sound condition. Be sure to inspect the hull, deck hardware, rigging, ground tackle, machinery, and electronics. Check and double-check to ensure sure batteries are charged, bilge pumps are working, fuel tanks are full, fuel filters are clean, cockpit drains are free and clear, firefighting equipment is in good working condition, and lifesaving equipment is readily accessible and in good shape. Augment and reinforce the watertight integrity of your boat by sealing all doors, windows, and hatches with waterproof duct tape. Secure every item on your boat. Remove and/or secure any and all deck gear, portable gear, radio antennas, outriggers, chairs, deck boxes, cushions, bimini tops and side/canvas curtains, sails, boom, canister rafts, and dinghies. Put together a hurricane action plan specific to your vessel. If you plan to move your boat to a safer location, and you have sufficient warning, do it 72 hours, and at least 48 hours, before the storm is due to hit the area. Rehearse your planned boat movement, including actually visiting the alternate dock or hurricane mooring/anchoring site, to get a feel for how long the trip will take and any obstacles you may encounter along the way. Inspect your boat’s deck hardware to be sure it is compatible with your mooring arrangements. Check the size and structural attachment of the primary chocks, cleats, bitts, bollards, and winches. These are high-load/high-stress points, so they should have substantial backing plates secured with bolts of commensurate size. Be careful to avoid chafing of mooring lines. A double neoprene hose arrangement has proven to be effective, successful chafing gear. Make sure storm moorings have doubled lines, whether they’re located dockside or elsewhere. For the second set of lines, use a size larger than the normal lines, including spring lines at a dock. Create a list of important phone numbers in your phone’s contacts, and keep a hard copy just in case. The list should include contact numbers for your insurance agent, harbor master, and marina facility, plus the United States Coast Guard and National Weather Service. Buy all the materials you’ll need ahead of time. That includes additional lengths of mooring lines, screw anchors, fenders, fender boards, chafing gear, and anchors. Assemble an inventory of all boat equipment. Know the items that need to be removed from your boat and keep copies of your equipment inventory aboard the vessel and onshore. Take • Make sure your insurance policy is up-to-date. Read and review the policy thoroughly before the beginning of hurricane season. Most boat insurance policies include a great deal of helpful and advisory information about what boat owners should—and should not—do if they incur loss or damage to their vessel due to a hurricane or tropical storm.