Hurricane Plan

[ocgrant]

Hey everyone,

Last year when I moved from California and got new insurance for the south Florida area I was asked for a Hurricane plan from my insurance broker. No issue I was told just supply a place that will pull your boat out of the water and secure it. I went to the boat yard that worked on my boat and they told me to list them so I did and all was well. This year my insurance has rejected my Hurricane plan and said it is not detailed enough? Do any of you veterans of south Florida have a detailed plan I could look at? I am trying to write on but not exactly sure what they are looking for. I was hoping with the experience on this board there would be someone who has a similar size boat as mine that might have the answer to my problem. Thanks in advance and look forward to any help.

 

[ZZ13]

Deleted - doesn't answer question.

 

[ktcanuck]

+1. In Hope Town Abaco about to do same.

 

[bahamabreisus]

Ours has been, double tie lines, remove canvas, store cushions and hope for the best. It worked for our Insurance. Oh, and make sure premium paid in full

 

[fwebster]

Insurance companies are getting more and more critical on owner responsibility for storms. You need details, lots of details. What do you do when a storm approaches - like 4-5 days out before you know the strength and landfall (put storm lines on the boat and set the elevation at 1/2 the distance between normal tide and the predicted surge), Then when and who makes the decision to run for it - (will you haul out or run the boat up a river and who will do it and what is his contact information). If you are going to haul out, then at wht storm intensity and how far in advance of the storm will it be done (where, what boat yard, who the contact person is there, name address and phone number, and finally, what will you do to prepare the boat (remove canvas, tape a cover over electronics, remove cushions, seal hatches etc.).

And, here is a heads up for you........there is a lot more to having a boat hauled out for a storm than just assuming the boat yard will handle it, and I think the insurance companies know it. There is no way in hell that all the Florida boat yards can handle all the boats that need to come out in the short 2-3 day warning window you get from the NWS. Your guy may say, sure list us, but there is a lot more to it than that. Do they have enough real estate to handle all the boats , do they have enough staff to handle 3-4 boats an hour coming out and being blocked up? and the big one: Do they even own enough stands and wooden blocks to handle all the boats they promise. Even more important, is who is going to stay behind and take your boat from the marina to the yard? You can easily be waiting in a line of 30 or so boats trying to hold position in 35-40 kt winds for 1/2 a day awaiting your turn. Then....... what if there is an evacuation order?

In this part of Florida there aren't many boat yards with travel lift capacity, so those that do have a hurricane contract where you pay half the cost of a storm haul out (2-3X the normal cost for a routine maintenance haul out) when you sign the contract for the year, usually before May 1. That guarantees you space in the yard, etc. but you still have to deliver the boat to the boat yard far enough in advance of the storm so they can deal with it and all the others under contract.

You can appreciate how complex "Hauling my boat out for the storm" is until you go thru it.

 

[ZZ13]

My insurance won't let me go south of Jacksonville during Hurricane season. I am at the bottom of South Carolina.

 

[bahamabreisus]

The problem I've heard, is if you give a detailed plan and don't do exactly what you said, it could be grounds for them not paying.

 

[ocgrant]

Frank,

Thanks for the info, makes more sense now. I will talk with the yard and get their info and compile a plan from there.