Boats in a hurricane

[Dogbowl]

Forgive me for my ignorance. I am not familiar with boating at all. I've always been curious why boats are left tied up in the marina when a hurricane is approaching. Why don't they get evacuated/ towed to a safe place in another state? Or why don't captains drive their boats to water that is not in the path of the hurricane?

 

[DoubleAA]

Many are too large to tow on the road. They are oversized loads and transport of these sized boats over land takes a lot of planning. Most are moved under their own power.

For boats left in the water vs out on stands its a gamble. Sometimes the damage can be more on land if the boats get pushed off the stands than in the water. Many of these boats are not used continually and are sitting at a dock awaiting their wealthy owner to come utilize them a few times a year. I carry insurance on my sailboat and it rides out storms at the dock normally here in NC.

 

[Hoag]

I was on a LOB in Fiji several years ago when we got word that we were right in the path of an approaching cyclone. We cancelled the night dive and headed for "safety". In this case, the best option for us was a lagoon that had mountains all around it. That was where we rode out the storm. Overnight, the cyclone hit and the mountains forced the storm to go up and over top of us. We got a lot of rain and some really strong breezes, but we were very protected from the storm.

For us, on that night, that lagoon could be considered what Jimmy Buffett refers to as that "One Particular Harbour sheltered from the wind".

 

[CajunDiva]

Or why don't captains drive their boats to water that is not in the path of the hurricane?

The entire state of Florida is potentially in the path of this storm - there is no place to run. The Florida Keys are islands...there ARE no places that will not be subject to the storm.

 

[2airishuman]

Forgive me for my ignorance. I am not familiar with boating at all. I've always been curious why boats are left tied up in the marina when a hurricane is approaching. Why don't they get evacuated/ towed to a safe place in another state?

As alluded to upthread, for many craft, there are logistics barriers and cost considerations that make it impossible to move them entirely out of the hurricane's path.

Here in Minnesota (where we have no hurricanes) most pleasure craft are trailerable. Generally any craft up to about 25' in length and 8.6' abeam can be trailered quite readily although even then a trailer, tow vehicle, and driver are needed and all must be capable of a longer trip. Oftentimes people who only use a trailer for winter storage do not keep the trailer in a truly road-worthy condition.

Boats up to around 32' long and around 10' abeam can be reasonably moved on a trailer but usually require a custom trailer, the services of a marine hoist or crane, and an oversize permit from the DOT. In many cases portions of the boat will be too high for bridge clearance on the highway and a certain amount of disassembly is required to make the boat roadworthy. Anything above that requires equipment, skills, permits, and planning beyond the abilities of the typical boat owner. There are custom haulers who specialize in this sort of work but there aren't nearly enough of them to move a significant fraction of the boats in Florida out of harm's way in a week.

Or why don't captains drive their boats to water that is not in the path of the hurricane?

Some do, but it takes time, fuel, crew, a boat suitable for the journey, and a safe destination, all of which pose problems. The questions of where to go and when to leave are also difficult ones.

Most of the safe harbors that might be considered are at least 500 miles away, far enough to be an overnight journey (or one of several days for sailboats) and beyond the fuel range of most boats not specifically intended for long-distance cruising. Most boats and captains aren't prepared for a voyage like that, and there is the troubling scenario of being stranded somewhere away from home but still in the path of the storm if the storm track changes or mechanical, navigational, or fuel logistics problems ensue.

 

[Russjstewart]

Hurricane/Cyclone/Typhoon track prediction while good and getting better is still not an exact science. Obviously the shorter the time between the prediction and the arrival of the storm, the more accurate it will be. A friend of mine left Airlie Beach in Queensland well in advance of their last Cyclone, and had to keep moving as the storm kept changing course

Moving a large boat by water several days before the path of the storm MAY move you into its final path.

Moving the boat at the last possible moment is not a wise move. Boats can be repaired or replaced.
An extreme example was the replica sailing vessel Bouty
On the 25th of October 2012 the Captain and crew of the sailing vessel Bounty made the decision to leave the harbour at New England, and departed at 1730, and sailed into Hurricane Sandy

By the 29th Coast Guard helicopter crews were risking their lives to rescue the crew survivors from life rafts. Two of the crew died, and the bounty had sunk.

Admittedly the captain had reportedly decided to plot a course for where Sandy was on the basis that by the time they there were he storm would have passed.

Disclaimer: All my larger boat experience has been in fairly benign conditions, and only as crew. But I would like to think I have absorbed knowledge from the experience and mistakes of others.

 

[Dogbowl]

Thank you very much everyone for enlightening me. Now I no longer have to wonder why.

 

[CajunDiva]

The only way to learn is to ask questions I probably drive everyone crazy with all of my questions...but I learn a lot

 

[Steve_C]

The US Navy on the other hand that has BIG boats that are capable of being submerged by giant waves and then bobbing back up, often puts to sea if a hurricane is coming, at least on the east coast.. Normally riding it out just makes a few sailors sick while staying in the harbor can lead to boats being damaged by running into piers and each other in heavy surges and seas. Plus harbors can be damaged which makes exit difficult. Friend of mine rode out a typhon on an aircraft carrier. He said waves were breaking up over the flight deck. You would look way out and see destroyers bobbing under huge waves.

 

[CajunDiva]

@Steve_C - just reading your post is enough to make me seasick