It’s a day of the year everyone in the yachting community hates: June 1st, the start of the Caribbean hurricane season. The official hurricane season spans from June 1 – November 30. Unfortunately, dealing with hurricane season is one of the prices we pay to enjoy coastal and Caribbean cruising. For the 2024 hurricane season, NOAA is predicting an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season; predicting 17 – 25 named storms, with 4 – 7 becoming major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). As sailors we cannot change the weather, but only the fashion in which we trim our sails.
So with that being said, here are three things every yacht owner needs to do to prepare for hurricane season.
Review your insurance coverage and ensure that you boat is within the limits of the outlined hurricane cruising zone. It is also important that you understand what your deductibles are in the event of a windstorm event. In most cases windstorm deductibles are between 10-20%.
2. Submit an up-to-date hurricane plan with your insurance carrier, and confirm you receive a response in writing that your plan is approved. These need to be updated annually and modified if there is any change to your location for the stormy season or any other relevant changes to your plans.
3. Don’t wait for a named storm to start getting organized. Most hurricane plans call for removing all exterior canvas and soft goods from the boat and storing it inside. If you’re going to be away from the boat for the hurricane season, who will handle this for you? Most hurricane plans call for extra lines, fenders, and anchors: buy those in advance. From my experience with hurricane prep, lines and fenders are the first thing to sell out in any cruising ground area when a named storm starts to threaten that region.
