# Hurricane hole!



## sailforlife (Sep 14, 2016)

Best HURRICANE Hole's in FL PLEASEEEEE! 


:ship-captain::ship-captain::ship-captain:


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

Exercising that caps key, eh


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## Whalerus (Apr 24, 2019)




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## sailforlife (Sep 14, 2016)

Whalerus said:


> Hurricane Dance - YouTube


Thats hot 100

:ship-captain::ship-captain:


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

sailforlife said:


> Best HURRICANE Hole's in FL PLEASEEEEE!
> 
> :ship-captain::ship-captain::ship-captain:


Oxymoron


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## SeanM26 (Feb 18, 2018)

Anywhere Lane Pittman is.


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## Yorksailor (Oct 11, 2009)

My previous boat survived two Cat II hurricanes, without damage, in Coral Gables Waterway. However, 'hurricane hole' really is an oxymoron and not applicable once it gets up to Cat III. The biggest problem is the poor preparation of nearby boats. I know of several boats destroyed by other boats dragging because of poor or insufficient anchors and refusal to strip the boat of sails and biminis. My hurricane anchoring rig was three big anchors all off the bow.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...4bfcb2f5f8a76f!8m2!3d25.7048238!4d-80.2508835

However, it depends on the size of your boat as to whether you can get into the best locations. I know that Mark considers New York as a good hurricane hole but I think Chicago is better as I had to ride out hurricane Sandy on the Chesapeake!

Phil


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Trinidad


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

There is no such thing.

If there is then every square inch is booked out by commercial operators and long term locals. 

They will be packed. And packed means that one boat adrift takes out all others. 

So you're best to check the marinas in the area you wish to be and ask for their hurricane rating and plan.


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## PhilCarlson (Dec 14, 2013)

Tampa Bay is pretty out of the way as hurricanes go. Well protected marinas in Ruskin and Apollo Beach but you'll have difficulty if your draft is greater than 4.5. Lots of haul out options in St Pete and along the gulf coast in Pinnellas County.

I'm at MacDill AFB Marina which is extremely well protected. The only thing I worry about here is storm surge. (and neglected dock queens breaking loose). Plenty of space here but requires AFB access and limits LOA to 34' or less.


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## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

I’m glad I left Florida two weeks ago. Pensacola has some good, protected harbors, especially on Bayou Chico. Stayed there in Island Cove marina. Great spot. But all such spots will be taken by the locals. There are several good marinas along lake okeechobee waterway, but draft and mast height can be an issue. They specifically cater to hurricane avoidance crowd.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Indian Town Marina or at anchor in a sheltered spot nearby with a spider web of lines ashore


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## hpeer (May 14, 2005)

Yes Indian Town, or Green Cove Springs/up the river somewhere. GREEN Cove Springs has lots of yard space at ancoille of yards. Perhaps the big challenge would be getting a haul slot.

But Fl is a big state and east and west coats are like two different states. You need to provide at least some geographic reference and consider how far in advance you will be prepared to move.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Insurance companies play the odds. Nothing more or less. They prefer to take their chances on covering your loss, if you're on the hard. That doesn't mean every haul out location is equal, there are some that could flood and float you away. Boats do get blown off stands as well. It's a macro not micro analysis. 

Still, it's the water that does most hurricane damage, not the wind. I think one's odds are better to haul out. I've done so probably a dozen times. I'm not sure what kind of insurance is available in FL, but up here, my policy will pay 50% of the cost of hauling out for a named storm. There are policies that will pay it all. Says something. The insurance company would rather take a minimum loss of hundreds of dollars in haulout costs, rather than take their chances on no loss in the water.


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## hpeer (May 14, 2005)

There is another active, Am I Being Reckless. You guys should talk.


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## Whalerus (Apr 24, 2019)

hpeer said:


> GREEN Cove Springs has lots of yard space


 Awesome Thanks
Boat and i are going there next week.
So Stoked!
:


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## Zemurray (Oct 28, 2018)

I’m in Pensacola, sorting out the Hurricane hole situation myself. I can tell you for sure Boat US will pay for half the haul out, but not the daily yard charge. They also dont pay anything towards the “hurricane plan”. All the boat lifts around here have a list. You have to pay $2000-2500 just to be on the list, yearly. If you are on the list, you are guaranteed a haul out for a named storm. The haul out charges are on top of that. And the yards I spoke to in January either had no availability on the list or it was nearly full. 

Talking to my fellow marina mates, many choose to ride it out and hope for the best or run up into one of the many bayous and anchor. I think for now that is our plan. With two or three days notice we should be able to go east or west enough to lessen our chances for a direct hit, and find a sheltered area.

We’ll see. Still learning. Boat is covered by insurance for sure, regardless. I asked a lot of questions when insuring the boat.


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## OldMan-theSea (May 20, 2019)

Yorksailor said:


> The biggest problem is the poor preparation of nearby boats.





PhilCarlson said:


> (and neglected dock queens breaking loose).


These are boat the owners are "selling" to the insurance company. They hurt the entire boating community!


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Some marinas around here require every slip to be vacant. One I was at a decade ago couldn't even haul my boat, you just had to leave for a named storm. Thankfully, we haven't taken a direct hit since the 80s (fingers crossed), but have had countless near misses, with plenty of high wind, rain and most impactful storm surge. As I think about it, just the power outages have been a pain. They are so broad, some took days to recover. No grocery stores, no shore charging batteries. Clearly, there are worse outcomes.

The one I'm in now does not require you to leave, as they also can't get everyone out that quickly. However, they know that boats are likely to damage their marina too. If you break loose from the slip, and that's fairly common, there is suddenly a multi-ton ping pong ball in the marina. 

The point above that some are actually hoping for the storm to take their vessel, so they can cash out with the insurance company is an absolute fact and they are tied up next to you.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Zemurray said:


> ....You have to pay $2000-2500 just to be on the list, yearly.......


Fees are not uncommon, but I've never heard of one that high. Actually, where I've heard of a fee, it counts against the haul, not in addition. More of a prepaid deposit. That's brutal.

Hurricanes are a thing here, but much less common than in FL. Here our marina gives first shot at the list to the year round tenants. I think it's seasonal next, then the public. No deposit for the year round, but I suspect there is one for others.

Another rule is, you must go back in the water. They do not haul for storms, with any winter staging thoughts, such as when you want to re-launch, who needs work, etc. They just pack us in like cordwood and then get us all back out on the water.

The other trick with a haul list is that you have to be there when your number is called. If you're cruising back, you go to the end of the line. A line, in our case, which never gets hauled before they have to shut down.


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

The above sounds like...did you donate to the local vfd...need to know before we hook up to the hydrant


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## OldMan-theSea (May 20, 2019)

Minnewaska said:


> Fees are not uncommon, but I've never heard of one that high. Actually, where I've heard of a fee, it counts against the haul, not in addition. More of a prepaid deposit. That's brutal.


LOL, and Pensacola is one of the most inexpensive in Florida.


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