Marine experts urge boat owners to prepare for hurricane season

Captain Bobby Scott of Sea Tow Fort Myers is urging boat owners in Cape Coral to take proactive steps to safeguard their vessels and lifts as hurricane season approaches. "I love helping the people that, you know, they're in a situation that can get very uncomfortable very quickly, and it's nice to be able to pull up and be able to help them," Scott said. Scott recalled the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in 2022, when his team received an overwhelming number of calls for assistance. "I'd say within the first couple days after Ian, we had over 3,000 calls that were boats in need of assistance. Some up on somebody's backyard and somebody's pool. It was, I mean, boats everywhere," he said. The storm served as a wake-up call for many boat owners. "Nobody was prepared for Ian. Now that it's come here and hit the way it has, a lot of people are doing what needs to be done to protect their boats and vessels," Scott said. Scott advises boat owners to secure their lifts and remove boats from the water during storm season. "Make sure your boat's out of the water," he said. Referring to a properly secured lift, he added, "He's got his lift secured, so it's not going to bounce back and forth up against his pilings." For those unable to remove their boats, Scott recommends tying them correctly to the boat lift. "If you don't have any other option, tying it up correctly to the boat lift could save your boat," he said. Scott also cautioned against leaving canopies on boat lifts during storms. "That canopy will act like a sail. It will catch wind, and it will push the entire boat left, and whatever direction the wind's going," he said. "It can cause the entire thing to collapse." Officer Bradley Johnson of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission explained the environmental risks posed by unsecured boats during storms. "We have, you know, seagrass beds, oyster beds, mangroves. Those boats getting blown around are getting blown into all those protected environmental areas and can cause impact," Johnson said. "Then vessels themselves, you know, they have fuel on board. They may have sewage on board, things like that. That can all leak out into the water, which of course is another kind of negative impact to our environment." Here's a list of recommendations from FWC if you cannot get your boat to dry storage: If your vessel must stay in a marina berth, double all lines and rig cross-spring lines fore and aft and attach lines high on pilings to allow for tidal rise or surge. If your vessel is at anchor, move to the most protected area possible and set out multiple anchors with at least a 10:1 scope, remove canvas coverings if possible and remove or secure any sails. If your vessel will remain on a mooring, make sure the mooring is designed to withstand the load your vessel will place on it. Inspect chains and swivels that connect to the mooring buoy and double up on the mooring pendant. Remove Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacons (known as EPIRBs), life rings, life jackets and loose items from the boat and store them in a safe, indoor location. To prevent chafing, wrap all lines where they feed through chocks with tape, rags and rubber hoses or leather. Install fenders, fender boards or tires to protect the boat from rubbing against the pier, pilings or other boats. Charge batteries and make sure they can run automatic bilge pumps throughout the storm. Consider adding backup batteries and shut off all other devices that consume electricity. Scott emphasized the importance of planning ahead: "You just got to plan ahead. Is the main thing you want to make sure that you have a hurricane plan in place before it's three days away," he said. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV