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’s 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. Spots 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 very storm specific procedures. We offer hurricane plans at other PORT 32 Marina’s in Naples, Tampa, Tierra Verde, and Palm Beach Gardens. At Lauderdale and North Myrtle, SC we also do wet and boat storage and marina services, our goal is always to make things easier for our customers and take the hard and scramble out of boating and being hurricane prepared with our contract plans.