Hurricane Irene is on the way, and now’s the time to get your boat ready. Just what should you do in preparation for a hurricane? Simple: pull it, and store it securely on dry ground. That’s the very safest thing you can do.

Yeah yeah, I know. Pulling the boat is expensive. The storm might veer off its current track and miss us entirely, and if you leave the boat in the water, chances are it’ll be just fine. If that’s your attitude, you should at least double the boat’s lines and adjust them for the oncoming storm surge. Note that in many cases, your insurance won’t cover you if you don’t take “normal precautions”.

One of the oft-overlooked situations is boats kept on lifts. Although this would seem to be a safe place, in fact, lifts can be ruinous for boats in a hurricane. The problem usually arises when the water rises with that surge; boats that are secured to the lift with ropes get swamped in place, while those that aren’t get carried off by the rising tide. So, what should you do? Again, pulling the boat and storing it on dry land is by far the safest thing you can do.

Also remember that wherever it is when the storm hits, you should reduce the boat’s windage as much as possible. Lower Bimini tops, remove canvass curtains, and secure your winter cover in place. Then get some more rope, and secure it again. More good tips on prepping for a hurricane are published by BoatUS, on their web site.

You think a lift is a safe place for your boat during a hurricane? Think again.