Watch: conditions are possible
A hurricane or tropical storm watch is generally issued about 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds. Your vessel plan should be underway or complete.
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The boat owner's storm-season field guide
Hurricane Preparation Guide
Plan early. Protect people. Prepare the vessel before conditions become unsafe.
The boat owner's storm-season field guide
Prepare before
the forecast forces you.
A complete plan for choosing a strategy, securing the vessel, protecting people and returning safely after the storm.
Life safety comes first
Plan to be safely ashore before conditions deteriorate.
Wind, surge, debris and dock damage can close off a safe exit without warning. Complete vessel preparation early, then follow current National Hurricane Center forecasts, local emergency orders, your insurer and marina instructions.
Read the whole risk
The center line is not the safety line.
The forecast cone describes where the storm center may travel; it is not a boundary for impacts. Wind, storm surge, rainfall, tornadoes and dangerous marine conditions can reach far beyond it.
48 HRWatchConditions possible
36 HRWarningConditions expected
Center track
One possible path for the storm center—not a line of safety.
Forecast cone
The probable area for the storm center. It does not show every impact.
Wider hazard field
Wind, surge, rain and marine hazards can extend far outside the cone.
Warning: conditions are expected
A warning is generally issued about 36 hours before tropical-storm-force winds. Outside work may soon be dangerous.
Surge is not ordinary tide
Storm surge is wind-driven water above the predicted astronomical tide. Storm tide, waves and rainfall can add to the total water threat.
A decision timeline
Work backward from unsafe conditions.
These are planning triggers, not a forecast. Begin sooner for large vessels, complex systems, restricted bridges, limited haul-out capacity or any trip needed to reach safety.
01Before the season
Write the plan while choices are open.
- Choose a primary plan and a realistic backup: haul out, trailer inland or secure in an approved berth.
- Read your marina agreement and insurance policy, including named-storm deadlines, navigation limits and haul-out requirements.
- If you may be away, appoint a local agent with clear written authority to move or secure the vessel on your behalf.
- Verify that Dockwa has your current phone numbers, alternate contact and marine insurance certificate.
- Inspect lines, chafe gear, cleats, chocks, batteries, bilge pumps, alarms, shutters and every deck fitting that may carry load.
- Record vessel dimensions, weight, draft, lift points and emergency contacts; mark sling locations where appropriate.
- Photograph the vessel, equipment, hull identification number and current condition; keep copies away from the boat.
02A system may threaten
Start early—before a watch.
- Follow the National Hurricane Center and local emergency management, then reassess after every official advisory.
- Confirm the marina's current instructions and any deadlines. A reservation, yard inquiry or insurance benefit is not automatically a confirmed haul-out.
- Begin removing sails, canvas, dinghies and loose gear. Charge batteries, test pumps and gather lines and chafe protection.
- Move the vessel only while the route, bridges, fuel, crew and weather permit a safe passage. Never try to outrun a storm at sea.
03Watch · generally 48 hours
Execute—not just discuss—the plan.
- Complete an authorized haul-out or finish the full in-water line plan before conditions deteriorate.
- Strip windage, secure openings and systems, photograph the final arrangement and give the marina current keys and contacts.
- Leave enough time for your own evacuation. Local orders and marina deadlines always take priority over this general timeline.
04Warning · generally 36 hours
Protect people. Stay off the docks.
- Outside preparation can be difficult or dangerous once tropical-storm-force winds begin. Do not make a last-minute trip to the boat.
- For safety, it is strongly recommended that you not remain aboard for the storm. Follow evacuation instructions and monitor official alerts from a safe location.
Choose a strategy
One boat. One primary plan. One backup.
No single answer fits every boat or every storm. Decide with the marina or yard, the vessel manufacturer and your insurer—then confirm what is actually available.
Professional haul-out
Often the strongest option when the vessel, yard, support system and site are suitable. Capacity disappears quickly, and safe storage requires qualified blocking, stands and tie-down decisions.
Confirm enrollment, activation, lift limits, timing and insurance requirements in writing.Explore Hurricane Haulout & Boat StorageSecure in the water
Sometimes necessary, but it demands a location-specific plan for wind, surge, tide, waves, dock travel, neighboring boats and line loads.
The marina must approve the arrangement. A sheltered harbor reduces some exposure; it does not remove storm risk.Request a marina reservationIn-water preparation
Reduce load. Share load. Protect every contact point.
This checklist supports—but does not replace—a berth-specific plan approved by the marina. Fixed docks, floating docks, pilings and moorings behave differently as water rises.
Lines, loads & chafe
- Replace worn or undersized lines; use sound nylon dock lines with adequate stretch.
- Rig at least eight appropriately sized dock lines when the berth layout allows: bow, stern, forward and aft springs, plus doubled critical leads. Add more lines when vessel size, predicted loads or dock geometry require them, and use only marina-approved cleats, pilings or other sound attachment points.
- Lead lines in multiple directions and double critical lines without creating a tangled system that cannot share load.
- Use longer lines where practical so a boat at a fixed dock can rise and fall with storm tide; account for the travel and geometry of floating docks.
- Protect every contact point—chocks, rails, fairleads, pilings and dock edges—with purpose-made chafe gear that cannot slide out of place.
- Use strong vessel attachment points. Do not assume lifeline stanchions, handrails or lightly backed fittings can carry storm loads.
- Rig fenders as secondary protection, not as a substitute for a complete line plan.
Remove windage
- Remove sails completely—including roller-furling headsails. A tightly furled sail can still unfurl and destroy itself or nearby property.
- Remove biminis, dodgers, enclosures, covers, awnings, windsocks and removable cockpit cushions.
- Lower or remove antennas, outriggers and removable electronics when the manufacturer permits.
- Secure or remove dinghies, outboards, paddleboards, kayaks, grills, bicycles, deck boxes and loose gear.
- Do not leave line tails, flags, halyards or covers able to flog in the wind.
Keep water out
- Close and dog hatches, ports and doors; inspect seals and secure cockpit lockers.
- Clear cockpit drains, deck scuppers and bilge pump pickups. Test automatic pumps, float switches, alarms and high-water alerts.
- Keep the battery bank that powers essential pumps charged and isolated from nonessential loads.
- Follow the vessel manufacturer's guidance for seacocks, exhaust openings, vents and plugs; label any change that must be reversed before operation.
- Never create an airtight or unsafe fuel, propane or battery compartment. Shut systems down according to manufacturer and marina instructions.
Document & communicate
- Save registration, insurance, marina agreement, recent survey, equipment inventory and hull identification details off the vessel.
- After the boat is fully secured, take dated photos and video inside and outside. Walk all the way around the vessel and record every line, chafe point, cleat or piling, the docks and structures carrying load, and the condition and arrangement of neighboring boats—without boarding them or entering restricted areas.
- Give the marina a reachable owner and alternate contact, current keys and written permission only for actions you authorize.
- Place owner contact information inside the vessel without displaying sensitive personal information publicly.
- Report special hazards such as lithium battery banks, propane, gasoline, unusual rigging or disabled systems to the marina or yard.
Haul-out and yard storage
A lift is only the first step.
Safe land storage depends on vessel fit, ground conditions, blocking, stands, tie-downs and professional judgment. Do not alter stands, blocks, straps or drain arrangements after the yard secures the boat.
Explore Hurricane Haulout & Boat Storage- Confirm eligibility.Provide accurate length, beam, draft, displacement, appendages and sling locations.
- Prepare before arrival.Remove windage, secure systems, deliver keys and disclose hazards or disabled equipment.
- Let the yard secure it.Qualified staff determine lift, blocking, stand and tie-down arrangements for the site.
- Understand the agreement.Know activation, queue, payment, liability and post-storm launch terms before a storm is named.
Vessel-specific details
Account for the boat you actually own.
Sailboats
Remove sails rather than relying on furling systems. Secure the boom, center or remove movable travelers, quiet halyards, and have standing rigging and mast-related loads considered in the yard or berth plan.
Powerboats
Remove bridge enclosures and exposed canvas, secure cockpit and engine-room openings, check exhaust routes and bilge systems, and account for large profile area above the waterline.
Multihulls
High windage and wide beam create different loads and may limit haul-out or storage options. Confirm lift, blocking, tie-down and berth suitability with the yard well in advance.
Large yachts
Build a vessel-specific written plan with the captain, insurer, marina and qualified contractors. Confirm crew, tug or pilot needs, shore-power shutdown, tenders, cranes and vendor access before activation.
Owner readiness
Make sure someone can act if you cannot.
Boat preparation depends on current information and a reachable decision-maker. Set that up before hurricane season, especially if you travel or leave the vessel unattended.
Appoint a local agent
Give a trusted person written authority to move or secure the vessel in your absence, along with keys, access details and the limits of what they may authorize.
Update Dockwa
Confirm the owner's phone numbers, alternate contact and current certificate of marine insurance are on file.
Protect the paperwork
Keep registration, insurance, marina agreement, inventory, photographs and a recent dockage invoice accessible away from the boat.
After the storm
Return slowly. Document first. Assume hidden hazards.
Wait for clearance
Marina access may remain closed after local reentry begins. Bring a recent dockage invoice if authorities request proof of your connection to the marina; it does not guarantee entry.
Look before touching
Treat downed wires, damaged shore power, unstable docks, submerged debris, fuel odors and strained lines as hazards. Keep ignition sources away from leaks.
Record the condition
When safe, photograph damage before moving or discarding items. Notify the marina and insurer, and prevent further damage only when it can be done safely.
Report pollution
Report spills, sheens, leaking batteries and hazardous debris promptly through marina staff and the appropriate emergency or pollution-response authority.
Planning at Brunswick Landing
A protected setting.
A shared responsibility.
Our harbor and dock system reduce some exposure, but no marina can remove the risks created by wind, surge, flooding, debris, neighboring vessels or equipment failure.
Protected setting
A former U.S. Navy hurricane-hole setting sheltered by land on three sides.
Purpose-built infrastructure
A heavy-duty wave attenuator, reinforced concrete piles and floating docks help reduce wave exposure and accommodate changing water levels.
Owner preparation still matters
Every vessel needs a complete, berth-specific plan, sound lines and chafe protection, current contacts and timely action.
Print-ready summary
The master vessel checklist.
Use this as a completion record, then add the steps required by your vessel, insurer, marina and evacuation plan.
Vessel: ____________________ Slip / location: ____________________ Date completed: ____________________
Official sources
Bookmark forecasts—not screenshots.
Always open the latest advisory. Shared screenshots, social posts and model plots may be old, incomplete or unofficial.
National Hurricane CenterCurrent outlooks, advisories, watches, warnings and hazard graphics ↗NHC Marine SafetyOfficial hurricane risk guidance for vessels at sea and in port ↗NWS JacksonvilleLocal Southeast Georgia forecasts, briefings and warnings ↗Local Marine ForecastsCoastal waters forecasts and marine products for this region ↗Ready.gov HurricanesEvacuation, alerts, household supplies and recovery guidance ↗Glynn County Emergency ManagementLocal alerts, evacuation information and emergency guidance ↗
Important: This page is general educational guidance, not a guarantee, storm forecast, engineering design or substitute for vessel-specific professional advice. Current government orders, marina directives, manufacturer instructions, insurance requirements and written agreements control.
Hurricane preparation questions
Clear answers before the pressure rises.
When should I start preparing my boat for a hurricane?
Build and supply the plan before hurricane season, then begin acting as soon as a system could threaten your area. NOAA advises boaters not to wait for a hurricane warning; a watch is generally issued about 48 hours before anticipated tropical-storm-force winds and a warning about 36 hours before them.
Is hauling out always safer than leaving a boat in the water?
Not in every circumstance. The right choice depends on the vessel, yard, blocking and tie-down system, berth, forecast hazards, insurance requirements and timing. A qualified marina or yard should approve the site-specific plan.
Can I stay aboard to adjust lines during the storm?
For safety, it is strongly recommended that you not stay aboard during a tropical storm or hurricane. Storm surge, wind, debris and dock failure can make leaving impossible. Finish preparations early and always follow evacuation instructions from local officials.
What if I am away when a storm threatens?
Before hurricane season, appoint a local agent who can act for you and give the marina current written authorization, contact information and vessel access details. Confirm the scope of that authority with your insurer and marina before it is needed.
Does Brunswick Landing Marina's protected harbor eliminate hurricane risk?
No. The former U.S. Navy hurricane-hole setting, land on three sides, wave attenuator and floating-dock system reduce some exposure, but no harbor can eliminate wind, surge, flooding, debris, equipment failure or neighboring-vessel risk.
Does an inquiry guarantee hurricane haulout and storage space?
No. An inquiry is not enrollment or activation. Eligibility, confirmed membership, capacity, activation, vessel fit and current program terms govern service. Contact the Boat Yard well before a storm threatens.
What should I do before returning after a storm?
Wait for official reentry guidance and marina clearance. Expect submerged debris, unstable docks, damaged electrical systems, leaking fuel and other hazards. Photograph damage before moving equipment when safe, then notify the marina and insurer.
Your home port awaits
Build your Brunswick storm plan now.
Ask the Dock Office about marina procedures or speak with the Boat Yard about advance haul-out program eligibility.