Ahead of a hurricane, the most effective thing a Lowcountry boat owner can do is get the boat out of the water and inland early, ideally while a watch is still in effect rather than a warning. Storm surge, not wind, causes most of the boat damage we see around McClellanville and Charleston, and a boat sitting in a slip has nowhere to go when the water comes up six or eight feet.
Here is the checklist we walk our customers through every season, along with the timing that actually matters.
When should you start preparing?
Work backward from landfall, not forward from the forecast.
- 5 days out (tropical storm watch or a system in the box): Confirm where your boat is going. Line up a storage spot, check your trailer, and make sure your insurance paperwork is where you can find it.
- 72 to 48 hours out (hurricane watch): This is the window. Haul out, move the boat inland, strip it down. Ramps are still usable and fuel is still available.
- 36 hours out (hurricane warning): Too late to be towing a boat. Evacuation routes may be running lane reversals, and you do not want to be on US 17 with a trailer behind you.
The mistake we see most often is waiting for certainty. By the time the track is confirmed, every ramp from Georgetown to Isle of Palms has a line and every dry-stack in the county is full.
If your boat is on a trailer
A trailerable bay boat is the easy case, and it is the reason we tell people to keep their trailer serviced even if they leave the boat in a slip all summer.
- Move the boat as far inland and as far from tidal creeks as you reasonably can. Elevation matters more than distance.
- Park away from trees, power lines, and anything that can become airborne. A carport is worse than open ground if the roof leaves.
- Pull the drain plug and raise the bow so rain runs out. A hull that fills with rainwater gets heavy enough to bend a trailer frame.
- Let some air out of the tires and block the wheels so the rig settles and cannot roll.
- Strap the boat to the trailer at the transom, then run additional straps over the hull to ground anchors or screw augers if you have them.
- Take the cover off, or accept that you may lose it. A bimini or full cover in 90 mph wind becomes a sail that works against every strap you just tightened.
If your trailer has not moved in a year, check the bearings and tires before the storm is on the map, not the night before. A bearing that seizes on the way inland turns a two-hour job into a roadside disaster. Our service department can look over a trailer in the off-season so it is ready when you need it.
If your boat stays in the water
Sometimes hauling out is not an option. If the boat has to ride it out in a slip:
- Double every line and go up a size. Storm loads are far higher than anything you see on a normal day.
- Run long spring lines so the boat can rise with the surge instead of hanging from short lines as the water climbs.
- Put chafe protection everywhere a line touches anything. Fire hose, leather, or purpose-made chafe gear. Most storm line failures are chafe failures, not breaks.
- Set fenders and fender boards on both sides, and expect to lose some.
- Remove canvas, cushions, electronics, life jackets, and anything loose on deck.
- Make sure the batteries are charged and the bilge pumps work. Then do not count on them.
A boat on a floating dock has a better chance than one on fixed pilings, simply because the dock rises with the water. On fixed pilings, the question is whether your lines are long enough for the surge you get.
What to take off the boat
Anything that is not bolted down, and a few things that are. Electronics, the VHF, portable fuel tanks, rods, tackle, cushions, the cooler, and the safety gear all come off. So do the registration papers and any documentation you would need for a claim.
Take the drain plug home with you and put it somewhere you will remember. Every year somebody launches after a storm without it.
Photograph everything before the storm
This is the five minutes of work that pays for itself. Walk the boat with your phone and shoot the hull, deck, console, engine, gauges, trailer, and any recent upgrades. Get the HIN and the engine serial number. Note the engine hours.
If you have receipts for a recent service or a repower, photograph those too. Adjusters settle claims faster when condition and value are documented from before the event rather than argued afterward.
After the storm
Slow down. The damage that costs the most is usually the damage caused by starting the engine too soon.
- Photograph the boat before you touch, move, or clean anything.
- Look for fuel or oil in the bilge and for water above the normal waterline inside the hull.
- If the boat was submerged, partially swamped, or took green water over the cowling, do not attempt to start the engine. Water in the cylinders will bend a rod the moment it turns over.
- Check the trailer wiring and bearings before towing anywhere.
- Call your insurer, then call your dealer.
A flooded outboard that gets to a shop quickly can often be saved. The same engine, left a week and then cranked, usually cannot. If your boat took on water anywhere between Georgetown and Charleston, call us at (843) 887-3330 before you try anything. In some cases we can come to the boat rather than making you move a damaged rig, through our mobile boat mechanic service.
The prep that happens in March, not September
The owners who come through storm season in the best shape are the ones whose boats were already right. Sound trailer bearings, good tires, a charged battery, a motor that starts on the first try, and a cover that is not already torn. None of that can be arranged in the 48 hours before a hurricane.
If you want a pre-season once-over on the boat, the motor, or the trailer, we are at 10129 US-17 in McClellanville, Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5:00. Weekends are by appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead of a hurricane should I prepare my boat?
Start when a hurricane watch is issued, roughly 48 to 72 hours before expected landfall. Ramps, haul-out slots and storage yards fill up fast once a warning goes out, and South Carolina evacuation routes can become difficult to tow on while you are still trying to move the boat.
Is my boat safer on a trailer or in the water during a hurricane?
For a trailerable bay boat, a trailer parked inland and away from the surge zone is almost always safer. The main threat in the Lowcountry is storm surge rather than wind, and a boat in a slip rises with the water until it reaches the pilings or the dock.
Does boat insurance cover hurricane damage?
Most marine policies cover named-storm damage, but many carry a separate named-storm deductible and some require documented preparation. Read your policy at the start of the season and ask your agent exactly what your carrier expects you to do.
Should I leave the drain plug in or out when storing my boat for a storm?
Leave it out. With the plug out and the bow raised, rainwater runs straight through instead of collecting in the bilge, where hundreds of pounds of water can overload the trailer or swamp the boat.
What should I do with my boat right after the storm passes?
Photograph everything before you move or clean anything, check for fuel or oil in the bilge, and do not start the engine if there is any chance water reached the powerhead or the fuel system. Call your insurer, then call your dealer.
