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Heavy Weather -- Part I

© Capt. Matt

Preparation For Heavy Weather

This week's tip Heavy Weather -- Part I is all about preparing yourself for heavy weather. (The next installment will address how to handle the boat in adverse conditions after you have made your preparations.) If you have kept a proper lookout, developed a "weather eye" and monitored the weather on your VHF radio, you should have plenty of time to get prepared. Obviously, the best way to handle rough weather is to get to shore immediately and avoid it completely. However, this may not be practical if you are on an extended cruise. In this case, you should prepare yourself, the vessel and your crew for what is to come.

As boats vary in design and size, and weather conditions vary in severity, so does the laundry list of precautionary items that need to be performed. The following list was accumulated from various resources and from input from those who answered the question of the week at the boatsafe.com site concerning "what to do if heavy weather is approaching." Thanks to those who contributed.

For novice boaters we have defined some of the, perhaps, unfamiliar terms such as jack line, sea anchor and drogue at the end of this article.

What Every Skipper Should Know

1. Meet with the crew to explain the situation and reassure them. Make sure that they know what to do, and what not to do, when the extreme weather arrives. Explain such things as keeping low in the boat, not moving around excessively and not going out on deck unless necessary. Give them all an assignment to keep them occupied and keep their minds off the situation.

2. Determine position of storm, wind direction, speed and estimate time to your location.

3. Secure all hatches; close all ports and windows. (Keep the water on the outside)

4. Pump bilges dry and repeat as required. This helps eliminate "free water effect" (Sloshing of water in the bilge as the boat rolls which can effect stability).

5. Secure all loose gear above decks and below. Put away small items and lash down larger ones. Anything you want to have when the storm passes must be secured.

6. Break out PFD's and foul weather gear and exercise your authority as skipper by requiring them to be worn by everyone on board. Do this before the weather gets bad; don't wait too long.

7. Ready emergency equipment that you may need such as hand pumps, bailers, first aide kit, sound signaling device, etc.

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