Have you heard from your insurance company lately? If you have not and you are the Captain, Owner or Operator of a recreational vessel Power or sail, expect to and soon!
One insurance company in no uncertain terms categorically states on it's Severe weather Plan Questionnaire for Crewed vessels "Wind coverage will not be afforded to vessels located south of Morehead City NC between 30 June and 1 November unless an acceptable Severe Weather Plan is completed and Approved by a Private client Group Yacht Underwriter".
The questions can be as detailed as "how many lines are going to be used," which direction is the slip facing" and of course a wonderful catch 22 " do you have alternative plans if your primary plan becomes unlikely?"
In short, if you are to have a reasonable chance of collecting from your insurance company, they expect a reasonable effort to protect the vessel and real efforts to mitigate loss or damage, now more than ever before.
Understanding that yacht crew may have shore side responsibilities, house car etc. they cannot just tie the vessel to the dock and run, after all the vessel that they are being paid to care for is their job and may have funded those shore side assets in the first place! Therefore that word again PLAN.
The components of that plan far exceed how many lines are in inventory. Is the vessel kept topped off? (If there is, a Severe WX warning fueling might not be readily available or waiting for it might affect your plans). A recheck of just what is the vessel's range at speed, if the plan is to get out of the way. What is your window, that is just WHEN do you make the decision to run? Of course WHERE TO? If you are short of crew, it might be a bit late to augment the crew compliment 2 days before a Hurricane is forecast to strike (after all it is the middle of summer). Like shore side people, you need stores to last a week. Someone needs to feed the crew and grocery stores are notoriously busy at the last minute.
The devil is always in the details, if you are at a dock up a river or if you are going to a dock up a river, what are the local regulations on Bridges? Most South Florida communities have ordinances that affect opening hours and they have ordinances that dictate how their bridges will operate during severe weather events. It may seem overly cautious to depart a seemly safe slip or dock 3 days in advance of a warning or watch however timing is indeed everything. Too late may preclude getting into that hurricane hole you had in mind or being trapped behind a bridge in an unsafe location.
Broward County has a Flotilla Plan for the New River
On the East Coast of Florida the perennial question is to go North or to go South, the United States Navy in Norfolk VA usually takes the big ship option, they go to sea. That may not be the best option for a 10-knot vessel however.
Good weather forecasting is imperative and taking those actions to keep your or your clients vessel out of harms way in a timely manner is the responsibility of the Captain and his crew Make a seaman like decision based on all available data and be prepared to alter or modify that decision as events dictate.
Consultation with the owner to establish practical time parameters is an essential part of any plan That when question needs to be addressed and agreement reached.
It could result in an expensive voyage to nowhere or prudent action could save the vessel. However, running away from the storm just might be the best run the vessel ever made. If nothing, else such a trip could provide an excellent opportunity to exercise the vessel and do some real crew training.
A Plan is not a unilateral thing, the owner, and insurance carrier, crew; need to be on the same page with the captain if it is to be workable (emergency funds for example, relocation of the vessel's vehicle, the crew working together to secure their personal assets in adequate time to implement the vessel's plan etc.)
The middle of the Season may not be the optimum time to develop a plan, reduce it to writing, and organize the necessary supplies and assets. However, it is better NOW than when storm damages are being negotiated with a claims adjuster or trying to get into the yard behind a hundred other vessels.
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffery_R_Herbik
