August 20, 2009
Preparing your RIB for a Hurricane
With hurricane season underway we have started to receive questions on the best way to prepare a RIB for a storm. So, I decided to poll my colleagues about this and the overwhelming response by folks here is that it's best to haul it out of the water and store it on the trailer for the duration of the storm.
Too many times I have seen boats damaged as a result of being left in the water during a storm. Even if your boat has been secured properly at a mooring, other boats which have broken free are a threat along with debris in the water. Leaving your RIB at a dock during a storm poses an even bigger danger to your vessel’s safety. One of my main concerns with this is that it’s very hard to judge how large the storm surge will be, and if your RIB is not at a floating dock, it’s sort of a guessing game as to the appropriate amount of line to let out. The other concern is the hours of chaffing between the tube and the dock caused by the high winds, turbulent water and possible tension of the lines. Another reason for not keeping the boat in the water is battery strength and bilge pumps. You need to keep in mind that the pumps may be running for many hours, particularly with slow moving storms. With the amount of rain dumped during a hurricane and their duration, a bilge pump is all but certain to fail.
Once the boat is hauled, if you are not able to store your RIB in a secure building, it should be treated much like a small airplane. The tubes should be deflated and lashed securely to the hull and trailer. Many marinas and boat owners have found that it is extremely helpful to secure a strap with screw anchors to the boat or trailer, then screw the anchors into the ground. Drilling the anchors into concrete is provides the most security, however if this is not possible you may sink them into the soil as well. If straps are not accessible, you may want to consider lashing the trailer to a secure object such as a lamp post.
I wish the best to everyone for a safe and uneventful hurricane season.
Posted by ribcraftusa at August 20, 2009 01:04 PM
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