HURRICANE SEASON 2006 BOATS STORED ON LAND This month we have one sailor’s experience and report of boats stored on land. There are a lot of people who believe that boats stored on land is a lost cause, standing firm behind their belief that the best way to survive a storm is at anchor. This is probably true, but only if all the precautions are taken at anchor. A poor job at anchor is not better than any other place for a boat, possibly it’s worse. We’re concerned here with what most of us can realistically do, and storing on land is realistic. Boats stored on land can be the best bet for those storms that are most likely to strike, and, in the June issue, I made a case that the most likely winds to be hit by are the lower level winds; tropical storm force and Category 1 winds, even Category 2 winds. For this most likely scenario, on land is often the safest bet. On land, with a Category 4 or 5, and maybe a 3, storms can really damage a boat, but there are variables about being on land: Is the area going to be flooded by storm surge—and is it enough to float the boat? Will the boats be anchored to the ground? Will the jack stands “walk” along the ground and cause the boat to fall over? In the last two years, one thing I have learned that is an absolute: We can save a lot more boats than we have and learn from the successes and failures of the past. The main goal is to save as many as possible. The more we investigate, the more we see it is possible. Steve Morrell Editor
Florida Law 7175: Florida Marina Owners’ Rights Change During Hurricanes, Along with Derelict Vessel Removal Laws By Roy Laughlin
On June 26, Governor Bush signed State Law 7175, which went into effect on July 1. This law deals with several boating topics and includes some of the most significant changes and additions to Florida laws affecting boaters to be enacted in a generation. Marina Owners’ Rights Change During Hurricanes Section 2 of 7175 amends Section 327.59, Florida Statutes. That statute prevents marina operators from evicting boats from a marina before an advancing tropical cyclone. Wording in 7175 allows marina owners to secure boats and charge reasonable fees for the service. The new law also includes the following: “. . . in order to minimize damage to a vessel and to protect marina property, private property, and the environment, a marina owner may provide by contract that in the event a vessel owner fails to promptly remove a vessel from a marina after a tropical storm or hurricane watch has been issued, the marina owner, operator, employee, or agent may remove the vessel, if reasonable, from its
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August 2006
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