[Pro-l] MEDIA RELEASE - ENVIRONMENT - HURRICANE CAUTIONS

[D. Allison]

MEDIA RELEASE - ENVIRONMENT - HURRICANE CAUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

United States Power Squadrons
Contact: Darrell Allison - 714-893-4455


Environment
Boaters urged to prepare for Hurricane Attack

Raleigh NC. - With several major hurricanes expected to strike South Eastern
shores United States Power Squadrons (USPS) is distributing advice to
boaters about major storm preparation.

>From a recent release, BoatU.S. noted several things boaters can do to help
their vessels ride out rough weather, including:


Keep it high and dry: Boats stored ashore are far more likely to survive
than boats in the water.

Ensure your marina and boat is ready: There is a huge difference in how
marinas prepare for a major storm. Boats in poorly maintained, unorganized
and cluttered marinas usually fare the worst in hurricanes.


Poorly sited marinas - those in unprotected areas, also face higher risks:
Marinas with floating docks and tall pilings also provide a safer solution
than fixed docks as extra scope is not needed and docks will not float away
over the pilings.

If you plan on leaving your boat in the water, be sure you'll have
everything you'll need to secure it well in advance: If your plan is to
leave it at a slip, take inventory of your dock lines, chafe protection and
other items such as fenders and duct tape.  Catastrophe Response Teams
estimated that as many as half the damaged boats at marinas could have been
saved by longer and thicker dock lines and adequate chafe protection - the
first items to sell out once a hurricane "warning" is posted.

If you plan on moving your vessel to a hurricane hole - a canal, river or
harbor that offers better protection - remember that the storm surge may be
ten feet high or greater. Seawalls and jetties  could be underwater. Plan on
moving your boat early, as soon as a "warning" has been posted. You may find
the best spots are already taken or that bridges have been locked down to
evacuate automobiles.

Check your policy: An up-to-date insurance policy can mean success or
failure in quickly returning the vessel to its pre-storm condition. Does
your policy include all of your recently installed electronics or other
upgrades?

Trailerable boats should be relocated as far as possible above the
anticipated storm surge and made secure. Boats on storage racks, davits and
lifts should be put on trailers and taken inland.

Read up: For more information on hurricane protection.  For free valuable
tools and for other information on hurricanes, visit the BoatU.S. Hurricane
Center at http://www.BoatUS.com or call 800-283-2883..

Training and instruction in Weather is available from many units of USPS,
America's largest volunteer Boating Education Organization. For information
about public and member training and education programs visit USPS at
http://www.usps.org or call  888.367.8777)
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