"Early" is the key concept in hurricane preparation.
Rule 1: The minute you clear customs in any new country register with your country's embassy in the country you are traveling in. This will let offials know where you are and if there is any kind of emergency, natural or political, they will know you are there and what kind of aid to render. This is a simple procedure and can usually be done over the internet or phone. For U. S. citizens go to www. usembassy.gov which will give you a list of countries. Click on the country your are visiting to view information pertinent to that country. The Bahamas even has a section on hurricane preparedness.
.2. Have a hurricane hole secured early. If you know you are going to be sailing in a specific area, you should have a secure hurricane hole picked out months before hurricane season arrives. For the past four years we have rented a mooring ball in the same harbour that the boat rode out Frances and Jeanne. Many boaters we know pay for these moorings for months while they sail the nearby islands just so they will have a place to run in case of a storm. Please note that all moorings should be dove on and checked by you personnally and you will have to add additional lines and chafe gear according to your own beliefs (I promised I wouldn't go there). If you decide to anchor out, once again the key is to get there "early"! Everybody will be running for the hurricane spots so you'll want to get there first to find a good spot. If you are there early you will be able to watch the mooring techniques and storm preparations of the boats that come in after you. If you deem that their preparations are inadequate you have two choices: you can jump in your dinghy and steam over to their boat and demand they move their boat and adhere to your strong suggestions (not likely), or you can offer to help them get their boat ready for the storm, giving you some damage control, literally. Believe me, most people are more than happy to accept help and suggestions when faced with the momentous task of getting a boat ready for a hurricane if approached in the right way. If the cap'n balks, ask the first mate if she/he needs help. She'll be more than glad to have you help the cap'n get the sails down while she secures things down below. Lastly, after seeing what was left of the Marsh Harbour docks after the hurricanes, I would never recommend leaving your boat at a marina dock. The pictures speak for themselves.
3. Have the boat and you ready early. You should allow at least three days for hurricane preparations and that is after you have moved the boat to your hurricane hole. Luckily, hurricanes give us plenty of warning as long as we are not laying bets on which way they might turn. Always assume they are going to turn in your direction. Once again I am not going to dwell on how to get the boat ready, there is plenty of literature out there for that. A couple of things I do want to mention though is to make sure you are topped off with water and electricty. Water will keep your boat heavier in a blow and plus it may be the only source of fresh water available after the storm. Electricity speaks for itself. After Frances and Jeanne, I felt superior to the dirt dwellers for the first time knowing I had fresh water and electricity on the boat when the people living in the fancy houses on shore didn't. Instead I want to dwell on how to get yourself ready to leave the boat. Even if everything you own is on the boat, you can't take it all with you. First of all, if you go to a public shelter they won't let you bring it in. Second, if you had good enough friends that helped you haul all that crap off your boat and up 26 marina steps and into the private shelter they are sharing with you, after days of being cooped up with you and all your crap, I promise they will not help you haul it back to your boat. Just remember that mantra you kept telling yourself when you sold all your belongings to move aboard "It's only stuff!" So.... early, way before a hurricane heads your way, make a list of things you will be taking with you off of your boat. You don't need a ditch bag because you should have plenty of time to gather these things. The list should include:
- Most importantly, papers i.e. passports, boat insurance, greenbacks, cruising permit, immigration documents, pet papers, medical records and prescriptions, health insurance.....you can never have too many papers.
- Clothes for a week. For some of us that amounts to one pair of shorts and a t-shirt but remember in the places that we cruise electricity and water may be shut off for long periods of time after a hurricane. After Frances and Jeanne it was close to month before we could find a laundromat open in the Abacos. Also remember you may not be able get right back to your boat, assuming you still have a boat to get back to.
- Food and water. Whether you go to a public shelter or secure a private residence, you will have to bring enough food and water to sustain you through the hurricane. Most of the food should be non-perishable (don't forget to pack a can opener). If you are in a shelter you will probably not have facilities to cook or refigerate it and even if you are in a private home these luxuries may be short lived. The Red Cross advises that you bring one gallon of water per person per day. This may not be possible, but do try to tote as much as you can. That's another good reason to make sure your tanks are full. Remember to remember your pet's needs also. Oh yeah, don't forget the emergency, only for medicinal use, recreational beverages. I know, I know, I know! They are not on the Red Cross Emergency List and they are not allowed in shelters (another reason to avoid public shelters) but this is my blog and the Red Cross has probably never been stuck for five days with boaters who have been enjoying nightly happy hours for years when the liquor runs out. I have and it ain't pretty. I've even heard of covert operations raiding nearby, unoccupied, dwellings for a cache. Unfortunately, the liquor cabinet was locked.
- Communication devices. Cell phones will eventually start working again. Computers and internet access will eventually start working again, besides it has all of your photos on it. So take them with you. The cap'n and I have had an Iridium satellite phone since we started sailing full-time. It has never failed us and even in the height of the hurricanes I was able to call back home and let family know we were alright . We were also able to help other boaters and locals call their families that were "off-island". Satellite phones can seem expensive but they are usually less expensive than trying to use your state-side cell phone. Our satellite phone costs about $1.00 per minute where our cell phone costs almost $3.00 per min. You can also rent satellite phones. To check out prices for renting or buying check out http://www.gmpcs-us.com/ or http://www.satphonestore.com/ . Another popular satellite phone is Global Star but I have heard a lot of complaints about calls being dropped. One of the boaters that stayed with us during the hurricanes had a Global Star and experienced this.
- Okay, now you can take you other valuables. Your jewelry, your gold coins, your stock certificates...oops, those belong with the papers your taking off the boat.
4. You don't have anymore line or rope left to secure anything else and the boat is looking like something out of a bondage fantasy. You've even used your last pair of shoelaces. Your sitting in the cockpit in the glaring sun with your meager possessions because you've taken all the canvas down and there's no room for you down below. Now, where are you going to go? Of course, "now" is not the time to start thinking about it. Once again, whether you've made your preparations "early" is going to be the key to the comfort in which you ride out the hurricane. Almost every place is going to have shelters available. The things to consider when considering a public shelter are:
- Do they take pets? If they do, are the pets required to be crated?
- You will have to take enough non-perishable food with you to last through the storm.
- Sleeping accomodations may be rudimentary.
- Bathing accomodations may be rudimentary.
- Lavaratory facilities may be rudimentary.
- Privacy will be minimal.
I don't mean to sound completely negative about shelters. In fact, I know several boaters that really enjoyed staying in the shelter they stayed in. In general, you can judge the conditions of the shelter by the conditions of the community. That's all I'm going to say about that.
Another option is staying at a resort or hotel since they have usually evacuated their guests. But since they have evacuated their guest, they probably don't want you there either.
Finally, you can seek out a private home. Many locals are very generous in opening their homes to boaters, especially if you have made yourself part of the community, and lots of times even if you haven't. If you are fortunate enough to have this option, please respond graciously and be an exemplary guest. Cook that meal, wash that pot, grab that mop! Believe me, you don't want to be voted out of the house in the middle of a hurricane. You want to be invited back next time, which happened to us when Jeanne followed Frances by only two weeks. If you don't receive an invite and you don't want to go to a shelter you may be able to rent a house during the storm. Many homes in cruising grounds are second homes that are rented out. They usually have caretakers that are on-island that you can contact about renting. Just ask around. Several boaters usually get together to rent one house.
5. Last, but most important. Get off the damn boat!! You'll notice I didn't even mention staying on the boat as an option and I know I'm going to get some grief from some boater friends about that. But really, a boat is just a boat, and is replaceable. You're not. Your cap'n is not. Your crew is not. Your pet is not. And the person that has to risk his life to rescue you is not.
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