Safely securing your boat as a storm approaches

If there’s any doubt left about the power of water after Ian, you only have to take a look at a large yacht below, wedged between apartment buildings in Downtown Fort Myers. By the way, a 50-foot yacht weighs around 50,000 pounds.

The devastating impact of such a storm surge underscores the need for preparation to ensure your boat weathers the storm safely.

When a storm targets Southwest Florida, seasoned boat owner Neil Pignatano stands ready. His preparation paid off during Hurricane Ian. The storm brought a 10-foot storm surge to his Cape Coral canal. Despite the fierce conditions, his boat made it through.

“The boat stayed in place. The boat did the best of anything,” Pignatano remarked, highlighting the effectiveness of his preparedness strategy.

One key to his success was the use of a standard ratchet mechanism and the Swing Stopper system. He cranked his boat up high and latched it down securely.

“That’s the biggest cause of boats getting damaged in hurricanes. When they’re on the lift, they don’t stop the swing, and the boat and the lift keep crashing into the pilings, and eventually, the pilings fail,” added Pignatano.

Even if you don’t have a sophisticated system like Pignatano’s, there are essential steps you can take to prepare your boat for a storm.

“You want to make sure your cockpit drains are open. If water does get into the bilge, you want it to be able to pump out; otherwise, your boat ends up sinking itself,” Carl McGrath from America’s Boating Club Cape Coral told WINK News Anchor Taylor Petras.

McGrath teaches local boaters the best strategies to keep their boats secure during a storm, whether on a lift or land. He emphasizes the importance of planning for a storm surge and ensuring your boat can handle it.

“Your boat’s got to be able to go to the bottom of the canal and you have to choose how much surge you think you can handle,” McGrath explained. For boats on land, he advised, “You can’t tie it down with a tent stake. You need to use four-foot tent stakes in concrete.”

The time to prepare your boat is now, well before a storm is on the horizon. Waiting until the last minute can be dangerous and ineffective.

Pignatano smartly added, “There could only be one storm the whole season, but if it comes your way, it could ruin everything for you.”

Also, carefully check your insurance policy. Some companies dictate how you have to prepare your boat and where you must store it in the event of a storm.