Cruising World – May 2018

HANDS-ON SAILOR

may 2018

cruisingworld.com

64

down the Intracoastal Water-

way, in Cocoa, more than 50

boats were badly damaged.

The drawback to Harbor

Square is twofold: getting in,

and leaving. First, there is a

huge demand for space as a

storm approaches. If you aren’t

early, you’re out of luck. Next,

the marina is shallow, and if

your boat draws much over 5

feet, you’re going to fi nd en-

tering the marina a challenge.

Owner Duncan MacKenzie

and his crew pack the boats in,

tying newcomers in the fair-

ways between the docks and

to each other. Thus, when the

storm is over, you might have

to wait for as many as a dozen

or more owners to return and

move their boats.

Another nearby marina that

has a good reputation for storm

protection is Harbortown,

which is also on the Canaveral

Barge Canal. In addition, lo-

cal commercial fi shermen and

some savvy sailors with deep

drafts tie their boats to the

shore in the canal west of the

lock, counting on the banks

and high trees to protect them.

A bit south of Cape Canav-

eral, Vero Beach is another

Florida location with a good

reputation for protection. Lo-

cals often take their boats into

the mangrove creeks north of

the town mooring fi eld for pro-

tection. However, the mooring

balls at the marina have with-

stood severe weather, and the

area offers good protection.

GEORGIA AND SOUTH

CAROLINA

Moving north into Georgia,

I’d consider going elsewhere.

With 9 -foot tides, a storm

surge at high tide could create

as much as a 20-foot differen-

tial between low and high wa-

ter. Still, if you are in this ar-

ea, St. Marys Boat Services,

tucked up the North River

with little fetch and high trees

surrounding it, is not a bad

choice. Boats here fared much

better than those on the docks

and anchored out in nearby

St. Marys and Fernandina

Beach, Florida, where local

marinas were destroyed by

hurricanes Matthew and Irma.

Reviewing a chart of South

Carolina or Georgia, you’ll

note dozens of creeks offering

refuge from the storm. You

can get a long way inland if

you choose, but it takes local

knowledge to know the good

ones that offer deep enough

water for access. Failing that,

websites such as Waterway

Guide (waterwayguide.com),

which offers a variety of chart

data, can be a useful resource.

Also, in both of these states,

fi nding a hidy-hole where

there is good wind protection

from all sides is rare. These are

marshy regions with little in

the way of a tree line.

The problem is that once

you get up one of these creeks,

there’s often no way to get

off the boat because they’re

remote. You might also fi nd

out you’re not the only refu-

gee with the same idea and get

shut out, with no time to fi nd

an alternate location. Suffi ce

it to say, bring lots of line to

spiderweb your boat.

Farther north, try to get in-

to Windmill Harbour Marina

on Hilton Head Island. This

lovely facility is protected be-

hind its own lock, has no fetch

and has tall trees on all sides.

Culturally, it’s the diametric

opposite of Canaveral’s Har-

bor Square, but it’s just as safe.

Again, any available space

here when there’s a storm ap-

proaching goes very quickly.

In the Charleston, South

Carolina, area, I’d choose the

Charleston City Boatyard, well

up the Wando River, and I’d

get hauled out. Better still, go

a bit farther north up the coast

to Osprey Marina, on the Wac-

camaw River and just south of

Myrtle Beach. This marina is

fairly small and very well pro-

tected, with minimal tide, no

fetch and an imposing tree line

on all sides. If you can’t get in-

to Osprey, numerous creeks

off the Waccamaw River offer

excellent protection.

NORTH CAROLINA

In North Carolina, the marina

at River Dunes, near Oriental,

is probably your best option,

offering limited fetch, no tide

and a good surrounding of

trees. It’s another one of those

places that, like Hilton Head’s

Windmill Harbour, if you have

to be stuck there, you’re at

least going to suffer luxuriously.

In Oriental itself, Whittaker

Creek or one of its branches

offers good protection for an-

choring out. Friends of mine

with a home there have weath-

ered more than one hurricane

with their boat safely at their

dock. If you can clear the

45-foot Oriental Road Bridge,

the waters beyond it offer

many protected spots.

Going farther north in the

ICW, there are many creeks off

HOW TO SPOT A

HURRICANE HOLE

So how do you fi nd a safe spot if you’re not near one of the

locations I’ve outlined, or can’t get hauled out where you are?

First, take a good look at your charts. Scope out areas that

offer protection from fetch, such as up a river or creek, and

that are as far away from major bays and sounds as possible.

Then go to Google Earth and take a look at the topography of

the area. Do you see lots of trees, or hills, surrounding the an-

chorage? You do? Sounds promising. Road access? Could be a

winner. The images below show Brewer Creek (circled), where

I anchored for Hurricane Isabel. Its location, well off of the

bay and a distance up the Severn River, offers good protection

and minimal fetch.

If time permits, do a visual on your chosen spot to see what

you’ll need to secure yourself. In most cases, you’ll need lots

of line to tie off to shore, plus the usual chafi ng gear, anchors

and chain, and so forth. At a minimum, search online for any

information that might be available.

CHARTS COURTESY OF NAVIONICS; IMAGE COURTESY OF WATERWAY GUIDE

DINGHY DECISION

If you are keeping your

boat out at anchor or on a

mooring during a tropical

cyclone, don’t forget to

make a plan for your din-

ghy once you get ashore.