With gales battering the country Navigators & General are warning boat owners to prepare their boats whether ashore or afloat to minimise the risk of potentially expensive damage that may not be covered by Insurance.
As the vast majority of pleasurecraft policies do not cover sails, canopies or covers split by the wind these should be very thoroughly lashed down or better still removed all together to a warm dry environment. Regular sail and cover servicing will extend their lives considerably and furled headsails or mainsail covers are notorious for suffering damage during heavy gales.
The amount of windage your boat presents significantly increases its risk of blowing over if stored ashore. Dodgers, sails, covers and canopies should all be removed and if possible halyards moused out (which makes checking for wear and cleaning much easier too). If you have additional props in place to support your boat check they are properly secured and even cross braced.
If your boat is afloat it's very important to check the condition of your warps and double up if you can. Warps can wear at the cleats where they rub on the toe rail or even weaken at the knot. It's also worth checking you are using the right type of line. Hybraid lines like kevlar or Dyneema are not designed to stretch at all, so put much more load on the anchor points and often snap with very little warning.
If you are a dinghy owner you may want to tie boat, cover and trailer down well. Use Halyards attached to solid anchor points in the ground. It is also worth checking how well secured your neighbour is as other boats often cause damage in claims.
Finally bear in mind that if you are ashore or afloat under a tree, that you are at risk from falling branches, so if the tree looks old and weak and it is safe to do so, it may be wise to move your boat.
With more gales likely it is never too late to carry out these preventative measures or ask your local yard or marina to do it for you.
