News & Views for Southern Sailors - Southwinds Magazine

HURRICANE SEASON 2006Seven lines are secured to this one cleat.Hurricane TipsStorm Tip: Securing Several Linesto One Cleat and Your BoatIt seems all the cleats are too small when you startpreparing your boat for a storm, often trying to securethree, four or even more lines to one cleat. You can gainextra space by having the first line pass through the eyeof the cleat and around the horns. You can then moreeasily secure two more lines to most cleats on top ofthat. Learn the proper way to secure a line to a cleat, asmany people put too many unnecessary twists andlocks on the lines, making it more difficult to secureseveral lines to it.You can sometimes find room to add an extra lineby just tying an eye in the end of the line just bigenough to go around the two horns. Put this line onafter the one that passes through the eye and aroundthe horns. This might give you extra room to still locktwo more lines on top of the first two. Don’t forget thatthere is a limit to how many lines a cleat can hold, andyou might have to secure extra lines to winches or themast. But many lines also distribute the strengtharound to the boat, dock cleats and pilings, lesseningthe demands on any one point.Got a tip to help others? Send them on toeditor@southwindsmagazine.com.could know so little. A group of divers from Richmond, VA,knowing little about hurricanes is perhaps understandable,but the ignorance of the dive boat company is puzzling.One thing I have learned—after spending 14 years livingin Florida—is that most people don’t pay attention tohurricanes until they have been hit hard. Witness HurricaneAndrew. Many of the survivors said they would never againstick around if a major hurricane threatened. Some werementally scarred for life. Florida’s hurricane preparationswere nothing before Andrew. Now they are the best. But itwas over 10 years later that complacency struck again inPunta Gorda, FL, when Charley hit and few had evacuated—thinkingthe storm was going right by them. The statewas more prepared than the people. Of course, we all knowwhat happened with Katrina. I guarantee that most residentsin New Orleans who had lived through and experiencedCharley or Andrew left New Orleans before Katrinahit. Complacency and the idea that you will never get hit arethe real problems facing evacuation plans.In No Safe Harbor, I was shocked to think that peoplewould venture into the Caribbean during hurricane seasonwithout being aware that a storm could change their plans.And to go to the western Caribbean in October is evenworse. The dive boat company should have known betterand should have had definite plans for even a possible hit.There is enough knowledge today about storms to get out oftheir way in time. Anyone who plans a trip during hurricaneseason should make sure a charter company, dive boatcompany or resort has a plan.The book takes the reader from the early plans by thedive club for the trip through their successful dives inBelize, then on to the crew’s plans to evade the storm andthe final moments of the tragedy. Unfortunately, those whoperished on the Wave Dancer paid the price for the stormplans I am sure the dive boat company now has in place.BoatU.S. Hurricane Guide:“Preparing Boats & Marinas forHurricanes” by the BoatU.S. MarineInsurance Damage Avoidance ProgramThe BoatU.S. Marine Insur-ance Damage Avoidance Programhas regularly put out reports and studies on damage avoidance,many of which are published in their quarterly maga-34 October 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com