If you keep a boat anywhere along the Atlantic or Gulf Coast, hurricane season isn't an abstraction — it's a recurring deadline. Officially running from June 1 through November 30, the season puts every boat owner on notice that the question isn't *if* a storm will threaten your marina, it's *when*. And when a named storm starts tracking toward your coastline, you typically have somewhere between 48 and 72 hours to prepare. That's not much time to make good decisions, which is why the smart move is to do your thinking now, while the sky is still blue.

This checklist walks through everything from long-term planning to the final hours before a storm makes landfall, so that when the National Hurricane Center starts drawing cones of uncertainty near your home port, you're executing a plan instead of improvising one.

Why Advance Planning Matters More Than Last-Minute Effort

Boats are rarely destroyed by wind alone. Most hurricane losses come from a chain of secondary events: a boat breaks free from an inadequately prepared mooring, drifts into another vessel, and both sink or are driven ashore. Storm surge lifts a boat off its blocks or over a seawall. Water intrudes through hatches that weren't dogged down, and the boat swamps at the dock. Almost all of this is preventable with preparation — but only if that preparation happens before the marina turns into a parking lot of panicked boat owners trying to buy the last dock lines in the county.

Insurance carriers know this too. Many marine policies require "reasonable precautions" for a claim to be honored in full, and some explicitly reference having a written hurricane plan. Skipping the planning stage doesn't just increase your risk of damage — it can jeopardize your payout if damage occurs.

Step 1: Decide Where Your Boat Will Ride Out the Storm

The single biggest factor in whether your boat survives a hurricane is where it is when the storm hits. This decision should be made well before hurricane season starts, not during the scramble of a five-day forecast cone.

Haul-out and dry storage

For most trailerable boats and many larger vessels, hauling out and storing on land — ideally in a location away from the immediate coast — is the safest option. Storm surge and wave action, which cause the majority of catastrophic hull damage, simply can't reach a boat that isn't in the water.

A hurricane hole

Some owners keep their boat in the water but relocate it to a well-protected inland waterway, canal, or "hurricane hole" — a natural or man-made harbor shielded from open water and prevailing storm winds. If you plan to do this, identify the location in advance, confirm you're legally allowed to moor there, and know the route and timing it will take to get there before conditions deteriorate.

Staying at your slip

This is generally the riskiest option, particularly in an exposed marina. If it's your only choice, talk to your marina manager now about their hurricane policy, the maximum surge the docks are rated for, and what backup power or pump systems they maintain.

Whatever you choose, write it down. A one-page plan that says "if a hurricane watch is issued, the boat goes to X location via Y route, departing no later than Z" removes decision fatigue exactly when you can least afford it.

Step 2: Build Your Hurricane Kit Before You Need It

Once a storm is closing in, hardware stores sell out of dock line, chafe guard, and fenders within hours. Build your kit in the off-season and store it aboard or in a dedicated bin.

Your kit should include:

• Extra dock lines — at minimum double what you'd normally use, in a larger diameter than your everyday lines. Nylon three-strand is preferred for its stretch and shock absorption.
• Chafe guard — sections of old fire hose, leather, or commercial chafe protectors for every point where a line touches a chock, cleat, or piling.
• Fenders and fender boards — more than your usual set, sized generously.
• Anchors and ground tackle — if you plan to add storm anchors at a mooring.
• A basic tool kit and cordless drill — for last-minute canvas removal or securing hardware.
• Bilge plugs, a battery-powered bilge pump, and spare batteries — in case shore power fails.
• Large tarps or shrink wrap — to reduce water intrusion through hatches and companionways.
• A waterproof document bag — for your registration, insurance policy, and a written inventory of onboard equipment.

Step 3: Document Everything While Conditions Are Calm

Before hurricane season starts, walk your boat with your phone and record a detailed video, narrating serial numbers, model information, and the condition of major systems — engine, electronics, canvas, upholstery. Photograph the hull, deck, rigging, and any existing damage. Store these files somewhere other than the boat itself, such as cloud storage or email to yourself.

This documentation does two things. First, it gives your insurance adjuster a clear "before" picture to compare against storm damage, which speeds up claims and reduces disputes. Second, it forces you to actually look closely at your boat's condition, which often surfaces maintenance issues — corroded through-hulls, worn lines, a weak stanchion — worth addressing long before a storm is anywhere near the forecast.

While you're at it, confirm your insurance coverage specifically addresses named storms. Some policies have separate hurricane deductibles (often a percentage of insured value rather than a flat dollar amount) and may require the boat to be moved out of a specific hurricane zone by a certain date in the forecast. Call your agent now and ask directly: what triggers reduced coverage, and what do I need to do to remain fully covered?

Step 4: The Pre-Season Maintenance Checklist

A boat in good mechanical condition is more likely to survive rough handling and more likely to get you out of harm's way if you need to relocate it under your own power. Before June 1, work through:

• Bilge pumps — test both primary and backup pumps, confirm float switches engage properly, and clean strainers.
• Through-hulls and seacocks — verify they open and close freely and aren't seized.
• Batteries — check charge levels, clean terminals, and confirm charging systems are functioning.
• Engine — service according to schedule; a hurricane is a poor time to discover a fuel filter needs replacing.
• Ground tackle — inspect anchor chain, shackles, and rode for wear or corrosion.
• Cleats, chocks, and deck hardware — check for cracking, loose bolts, or backing plates showing signs of stress; these take enormous loads during a storm and are not the place to save money on quality hardware.
• Canvas and sails — know how quickly you can remove biminis, dodgers, and sail covers, since anything left up acts like a giant piece of loose fabric catching wind.

Step 5: When a Storm Is Approaching — The 72-Hour Countdown

Once a hurricane watch or warning is issued for your area, your written plan becomes your operating manual. Here's a general timeline to work from, adjusted for your specific situation:

**72 Hours Out**

• Monitor official forecasts from the National Hurricane Center rather than relying solely on social media or news chyrons.
• Confirm your haul-out slot with the boatyard if you're pulling the boat, or confirm your route to a hurricane hole.
• Fuel up the tow vehicle and the boat if it's staying in the water and might need to relocate under its own power.
• Begin removing loose items from the deck: cushions, electronics, life rings, GPS units, anything that can become a projectile or simply be lost overboard.

**48 hours out:**

• If hauling out, get it done. Boatyards fill quickly and many stop hauling once winds reach a certain threshold for crane safety.
• If staying in a slip, double up all lines using the longer, heavier lines from your hurricane kit. Lines should be long enough to accommodate storm surge, which can raise water levels several feet — lines rigged too short will part or rip cleats out entirely as the water rises.
• Apply chafe protection at every point of contact.
• Remove all canvas, sails, biminis, and anything else that catches wind. Roll and stow, don't just fold and leave in place.
• Remove antennas, outriggers, and anything tall and exposed if practical.

**24 hours out:**

• Disconnect shore power at the boat end, if leaving the boat unattended, to reduce fire and electrocution risk if docks flood.
• Close all seacocks except those needed for bilge pumps.
• Close and dog all hatches, ports, and companionway doors.
• Fill the fuel tank to reduce condensation and provide ballast weight, but leave room for expansion.
• Turn off the propane supply at the tank.
• Take final photos of your prep work for insurance purposes.
• Leave. Do not plan to ride out a hurricane aboard your boat. No boat is worth a life, and rescue services will be overwhelmed or unavailable once conditions deteriorate.

Step 6: After the Storm Passes

Resist the urge to rush back to the marina immediately. Downed power lines, unstable docks, and floating debris make the immediate aftermath dangerous. Once local authorities confirm it's safe to return:

• Photograph any damage before you touch or move anything, for insurance purposes.
• Check for fuel or oil leaks before running any pumps or electrical systems.
• Pump standing water from the bilge and check for hull breaches.
• Contact your insurance company promptly and reference the documentation you gathered before the storm.
• If the boat sustained damage, avoid using it until a marine surveyor has assessed structural integrity, particularly for anything involving the hull or rigging.

A Plan You Hope You Never Need

The frustrating truth about hurricane prep is that most years, you'll do all of this work and the storm will veer off, weaken, or simply miss your area entirely. That's the best possible outcome, and it can make the whole exercise feel wasted. It isn't. The seasons where the storm doesn't miss are exactly why the plan needs to already exist, tested and ready, rather than assembled in a panic with a hurricane 48 hours from landfall.

Treat your hurricane plan the way you'd treat a fire extinguisher: something you maintain every year, hope never to use, and are enormously grateful to have the one time you do.