HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS 101

BY VIRGINIA KIRWAN AND CHRIS FOSTER, PORT 32 MARINAS

As we locals know, hurricanes are a part of life in Florida – I guess to live in the
sunshine state we have to take the good with the bad. Therefore, being prepared for a
hurricane is essential to combat damage to boats. As a boat owner, it is vital to have a
hurricane plan, so when a weather warning is issued, you know exactly what to do and
are not left scrambling and with nowhere to go!

A growing trend amongst insurance carriers is requiring a hurricane plan for boat
purchases, and many insurance carriers will now reimburse up to 50% of a Hurricane
Contract. A Hurricane Haul Out contract is a fantastic way to secure a space for your
boat, while giving yourself peace of mind for having a plan in place. Many marinas run
out of space when a hurricane warning is issued, so it is necessary to have a plan
ahead of time.

All marinas operate differently, but at PORT 32 we store our hurricane vessels inside
our Hurricane Category rated buildings and take every storm precaution. We offer
hurricane haul out plans at our PORT 32 Marina’s in Naples, Tampa, Tierra Verde,
Marco Island, Cape Coral, Ft. Lauderdale and Morehead City, NC. As we do with our
boat storage and marina services, our goal is always to make things easier for our
customers and take the hassle and scramble out of boating and being hurricane
prepared with our contract plans.