www.iFourWinns.com

Maybe this will convince anyone who procrastinates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toXtunNKc0w&feature=fvst

If my boat didn't have a trailer, I'd pay a hauler to take it hundreds of miles out of the way and block her,,Period!

Keep in mind, this video is in Nova Scotia and Earl was only a tropical depression at this point.

John

What a joke. I bet after it hits Hatteras there won't be much left of this storm. You Yank's have Nor'easters that have more power than this one will.

Hurricane Irene weakened into a tropical storm Sunday, but it still packed a powerful punch that ripped recreational boats from their moorings and destroyed docks in Southern New England.

"There were about 35 boats that broke loose from their moorings in New Bedford (Mass.), which is a hurricane-protected area," said Capt. Clint Allen, owner of New Bedford Marine Rescue , a TowBoatUS franchise. "We recovered most of them during the storm."

Four loose boats crashed into a marina (Capt. Leroy's) "and just devastated it," said Allen. "The docks are just completely destroyed. And at another marina the floating docks are completely ruined – just smashed to smithereens. So we had some significant damage for a so-called hurricane-protected harbor. The harbors east and west of us are open to the sea but sustained very little damage – only four boats in each harbor broke free."

If your boat is in the water at a slip, there's plenty that you can do before the high winds hit. For starters, remove everything that can possibly catch the breeze. All canvas—biminis, isinglass and cockpit covers and their supporting frameworks—must come off. Additionally, wind-catching extensions like outriggers, moveable antennas and even anchors should be stowed aboard or ashore. Remember, a 60-mph breeze can tip a Volkswagen over and a 100-mph wind can carry it away, but not make the payments.

All lines should be doubled and made of nylon, not Dacron and never polypropylene. Lines should be of the largest diameter possible. But they shouldn't be so thick that you can't wrap one around the base of a cleat and form two figure eights. This is important because the lines will serve to "sling the boat in the slip. Fore and aft spring lines should be made up to the outlying pilings—the longer and at the most acute angle, the better. Therefore, springs from the bow and stern cleats should be made up to pilings as far forward and aft as possible; the same holds true in slips with bollards or cleats on the dock. Bow and stern lines should have enough slack in them to compensate for the greatest expected tidal change and be long enough to keep the boat from hitting the adjoining dock/pilings. It's the springs that will do most of the work. Ideally, you'll need to pull a line in to step off the boat and onto the dock when you're done. The spring action of the lines should pull the boat back and allow it to sit suspended in the middle of the slip (you'll still need fender boards). Naturally, wherever a line touches the boat, dock or another line, it must be chafe-protected—split garden hose, leather or even rags that are taped or sewn in place are ideal.

Ya'll are crazy. Everyone is going insane over a storm that's weaker then a typical nor'easter.

Obviously that sailboat did not heed the instructions as provided by Cap'n. Otherwise, everything would have been fine I'm sure.

In the video that boat broke free due to poor rigging not cause the weather. That wasn't anything extreme enough to snap proper dock lines.