Why New Boat Owners Need a Solid Hurricane Plan

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As I write this column, Hurricane Beryl is moving ashore near Houston as a Category 1 storm after already leaving a path of destruction across the Caribbean as a Category 4 monster. Climate hand wringers worry about the increasing strength of storms earlier in the season than ever before, but for old salts, hurricane prep is just part of the job.

Unfortunately, though, not everyone on the water is an old salt. In fact, these days I feel like we’re the minority, surrounded by newbies destined for an Instagram fail.

During COVID, many boats were sold to first-time buyers. Small boats, big boats—any boat, really—went flying out the door with no training, experience or licenses, at least here in Florida.

As I cruise around the canals these days, I see a boat on every dock, when just a few years ago, there were plenty of empty docks behind those houses. I also see boats cruising down the wrong side of the intercoastal with the fenders dragging. When the bridge opens up for the larger boats to get through, these new “captains” go through the center of the bridge span, even though they do not need the clearance.

All of this got me wondering, “What are they going to do when it’s time to prepare for a hurricane?” They can barely tie their boats up at their docks, much less for a hurricane!

Do they even have a plan?

I am sure most people reading this already considered their hurricane plan long before the season started, but I would also wager that some have forgotten what plan they included on their boat insurance policy. I mean, there are only a few plans one can have: moor the boat in the middle of a canal or other protected waterway, move the boat out of the cone of uncertainty (you hope), or haul the boat out on a trailer or to a boatyard.

My understanding is that marinas up and down the East Coast are full. That is a lot of boats to move out of the way of a hurricane without a marina available to receive them, which pretty much already takes one of the three options off the table.

Things might also be tough for those planning on keeping their boats tied off in the middle of a canal. Inexperienced boat owners haven’t dealt with a real storm, so you can expect that all of their shiny new boats at their houses will be busting loose and heading for your properly moored vessel. You will need a dozen new lines to catch these breakaways so they don’t take out your main lines. Here at the insurance company, we see accounts of boats sinking at the dock with just a good rain, so you can count on them heading your way in a hurricane.

Read Next: The First Steps of Hurricane Preparedness for Boat Owners.

Even old salts need to pay attention to big changes in insurance hurricane coverages. Most insurance companies, if not all these days, require an acceptable insurance plan for your boat if you’re in a hurricane zone. The same companies have also increased their named storm deductibles. Some just offer a policy with no hurricane coverage at all, keeping their losses at a minimum. Any break in between named storms is a good time to recheck your policy to make sure you’re satisfied with your coverage and your hurricane plan.

When you’ve got a wife, kids and dogs at home, property to protect, and a hurricane barreling down, jumping on the boat and just taking off feels impossible. But that is likely what you promised the insurance company you would do. Be forewarned, if you don’t follow through, losing a boat in this tight insurance market might leave the owner uninsurable and the captain looking for another job.
Don’t blame the newbies. It’s on you to have a plan.