She's a big mamer jamer. 145knots sustained gusting to 200 right now. Class 5 Hurricane and she's barreling for the Carolinas. Here's wishing for a strong northerly shift.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/graphics/AT13/refresh/AL1303W5+GIF/120858W5.gif

I'll need to find a good place to keep my boat for this storm. As it is, its parked in a clearing around a bunch of trees.

Also, Any tips for keeping it on the ground? My trailer is heavy as sin, but I don't know if it will be enough. Someone mentioned those dog leash screws that go into the ground. Any good?

The trailer will not keep her down. I've seen boats on trailer being tipped over in less wind.

WHen push comes to shoove the best way is to get 4 or 6 pieces of timber (perferably some girder thickness and strength) of say 3 to 4 ft length and bury them horizontally some 3 ft down and attach some high strength line to them. Strap your boat to these lines or strap your boat to the trailer really well and use these 4-6 lines to tie down the combo. It will be a bloody hefty hurrican if this boat decides to go flying.

Also remove your trampoline that helps alot.

And make sure that there is as little slack in the lines as possible. The less movement the combo can make the more resistant it is to being pulled away.

Flying debri and falling trees is a different problem though.

Wouter

yes isabel appears headed directly at me in beaufort, sc i hate evacuations- a ton o work. at our club we take the masts off the hobies and flip them over on the ground, then tie one hull to a chain link fence , and use tent pegs or ground screws to tie the other hull down to the ground. we are watching isabel closely. our club has a concerete block bath house on fairly high ground so a few of us may weather the storm there if it is not a direct hit or category 2 or less so we can watch our boats.

I wouldn't rely on a dog screw. Our club requires the use of a ground screw during the season. For $10, I bought a 4' ground screw from a farm supply store. Put it in to the ground and tied the trailer to the screw and the boat to the trailer. If Isabel turns our way, we will put in another ground screw, drop the mast and secure it to the screws under the trailer, and probably remove the tramp. We will do anything else that our Commodore asks us to do to protect our boat or others property. We may even move it inland and, finally, find the insurance policy.

Here’s an alternative for you. You were thinking of coming up for the Annapolis to Oxford race, September 20 weren’t you? Bring you boat up here, hopefully away from Isabel and do the race. So far, three beach cats registered, and I know of four or five more that are imminently registering. This is the first time beach cats are being allowed in, officially. This race is traditionally a monohual race, 150 of them or so.

If anyone needs a place to stay and/or put a boat - check with me. I'm in Greenville, SC about 250 miles inland. I have some room for a few boats and people and since I'm expecting a gang up from Charleston if the storm goes that way we'll make it a party.

I was thinking about it true, however I wont be able to make it unfortunately.

I might bring the boat up there for the storm, I have a good place to keep it up in MD (at the parents house in the middle of a field, away from trees)

It would hurt to screw her down in the middle of that field. $10 for the screw and some sweat putting it in!

Join us for a Tuesday night race, if you are going to be up here!

Thanks a lot for your thoughts of sending Isabel "Up North" I think she should just take a north easterly turn, go out to sea, and everyone will breath a lot easier. You also can get the ground screws at a mobile home supply or a camping store (I might of even seen them at Home Depot). Tie the boat down, take the mast down, and if you don't have a mesh tramp, take it off. Give the storm some time as it might head to the Gulf of Mexico.

Paul Nardone, Jr.

Good luck to everyone in it's path. Play it safe!!
Jack

Hello from 17.8 north,

Isabelle finally climbed to 20.0 north......and is still 2 days ( Sunday) from being due North of St. Croix.

At this time,...anything can happen.....the storm is too big and too close,....this one is 'wobbleing' alot too.

It is a Cat 5 storm with gusts to 190 mph or so,.....the NOAA hurricane hunters are based here in St. Croix and you can see them going out,.....supposed to fly into the eye Friday afternoon(today)......

The storm has slowed down (..a bad thing),...and is approaching warm water ( another bad thing)

In St. Croix ( which we call hurricane alley),.......if you cannot trail you cat home,.......we suggest the following........mast down ( store in a remote place...it is a big target)....strip boat of EVERYTHING ( tramp, rudders, line)...........fill the hulls half way with water ( from a garden hose)[not really sure about filling 100%...too much pressure..]

....the biggest concern is the hulls getting hit by other stuff....so a remote field is a good idea......

.....lets pray the storm does a 'big right hand turn' and just goes away..

...you have about 4 days to get ready....start thinking and looking now..

regards,
Bruce
I-17
St. Croix
US Virgin Islands

Well, we call 'dem tie downs "mobile home insurance policies". You can buy a set of four 3' screws (actually metal rods with a big auger at the bottom and an eye at the top) for about $6, and with some ratchet straps, you can secure the whole thing pretty quickly. I'd get a broomstick piece to slide in the eye of the screw to assist with getting it screwed in the ground effectively. When it's done right, I doubt the breeze will yank that sucker out. It stopped my truck when I left the trailer chain hooked to it once...

I carry two of these beasties in my trailer box to use when I'm out at regattas. I can recall beaching the thing after the RC calls the race when black clouds appear. Those help keep the boat (mast up) on the ground when others are tossing about (Florida T-storms can get nasty). Those ratchet-straps make quick work of tying the boat down...

And the other advice is certainly meritous - remove anything and everything possible - tramps, lines, mast, rudders, etc. If it doesn't come loose, it's certainly going to get whipped to death...

I'd be more concerned with the flying debris. Perhaps a road trip would be easier? Oh, and check to see if your insurance is up to date on that thing!

I'm outa here, for a wedding in arkansas on friday the 19th. Definitely takin' her of the beach. The back yard isn't so 'hobie in hurricane friendly' either. Live oaks!

Hello all,

I've got my Hobie 18 on the trailer in the driveway and with all the things I've got to get ready i have no clue what I'm going to do What about filling the hulls with water to add weight (in additon to the tie downs). Anyone see any reason why this may not be a good idea??

It is commonly recommended to put water in your hulls to help hold it down in a hurricane, but this is with the boat on the ground, NOT on the trailer (unless you have full-length bunks for the hulls and can pad them nice and cushy). Normally, you want the boat on earth/grass, if possible, as opposed to asphalt/concrete. And, as brobru said, you probably should not fill it more than half full of water, because it is a lot of stress on the hulls.

If you don't have access to water to put in the hulls, I think it is a good idea to turn the boat upside down before anchoring it to the ground -- the wind cannot get as good a grip on it when it is upside down, and most boats are more stable upside down, less able to rock fore and aft and work free of their restraints.

If you are securing your boat on the trailer, it is also recommended to let some air out of your tires.

Thanks for all the tips guys. I think I might secure it somewhere inside for this one.

(cat6 last I heard)

Hello All,

The Eye of the Hurricane went past St. Croix last nite,....we are at 64.8 west....and the eye is finally west of us.

Even though the eye was 200 miles north of St. Croix,...the effects were tremendous. The sea state yesterday was spectacular.

The storm surge in front of the Hurricane sent rollers crashing on my beach with true 10 footers,......this hapens MAYBE once or twice a year here. The sea surface was strangely smooth,...then,..near shore,...the ocean would roll up and.....bam!,......the waves were too big for the local surfers!

The wind was 20 ish out of the West ( the front of the cyclone),...which led to blowing off the top of the waves while they were crashing,...the roar was tremendous!

Today ( sunday),....the water is smooth ( like a bathtub) and the wind is South ( back side if the cyclone) about 20 mph,....yes, we are sailing this afternoon!

Unfortunately,...the forcast is NOT a good one for East Coast USA,.....time to prepare beach cat folks!

regards and be ready,

Bruce
St. Croix
US Virgin Islands

The latest predictions place the storm in both the path of my home in Raleigh, and my home in Maryland. I'm now in a state of confusion as to where I should put my prized possession. I'm thinking MD, because by the time it gets there, it should have decreased in intensity.

We've been getting gusts of up to 50 mph here in Raleigh, but so far, I haven't lost power (or internet for that matter) nor is the boat in any danger unless the combined weight of all the leaves piled up on it somehow damages it :P

This storm is a pansy compared to some of our other carolina hurricanes :P