If you’re in South Florida and are wondering what to do with a boat during a hurricane season, you’re not alone. While Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is one of the yachting capitals of the world, it, unfortunately, has to deal with a yearly hurricane season that is a hassle at best and uniquely destructive at worst. That’s where storing your yacht or vessel becomes imperative for owners. Proper storage makes the difference between your boat making it to the next yachting season or whether you need to shell out exorbitant amounts of money to repair or replace it. Let our team of Marine Diesel Specialists give some advice on how to properly store your boat in Fort Lauderdale.
Picking a Quality Boatyard
Picking a quality boatyard is the most critical step in choosing where you should be storing your yacht or boat during hurricane season. When choosing a boatyard, or storing at a marina, ideally, you’d choose one that is located as far inland as possible and one that is located at a higher elevation. The boatyard will preferably be located behind a lock, protected harbor, or nearby a large estuary to adequately deal with storm surges and handle runoff. The best situation for a boatyard would be concrete paving, though gravel is also suitable for your needs. A proper boatyard also contains hurricane anchors that will secure the boat to the ground. In addition, a well-run, high-quality boatyard will maintain the boat if anything goes wrong due to a tropical storm or hurricane.
Washing, Buffing, and Waxing Your Boat for Storage
Once your boat or yacht has been placed in your boatyard of choice, it is strongly encouraged that you clean, buff, and wax your boat once it is stored correctly. Boat owners know how important it is to keep their vessel’s interior and exterior as clean as possible. Washing your boat or yacht before hurricane season or before putting your vessel in storage removes any salts left on the hull after usage. Any acidic or corrosive materials that can cause additional damage to the boat should be washed off and then subsequently followed up with a thorough buffing and waxing. Buffing and waxing help prevent rust and any corrosion to your vessel, which is especially important to do prior to a wet and windy hurricane season.
Drain & Replace Engine Oil & Fill Water and Fuel Tanks
This particular selection of tasks on the to-do list seems counterintuitive to some, but completing these items ensures the cleanliness and necessary maintenance of your yacht or boat. There are two schools of thought when completing these tasks. On the one hand, you want to prevent the growth of bacteria in your water tank, and if you properly clean and dry it COMPLETELY, that will ensure preventing said growth. On the other hand, completely filling the tank will also prevent any open, moist, or damp space that will enable bacteria growth. You also want to rinse the engine and drain the oil prior to any hurricane season, as leaving engine oil sitting in your boat is a bad idea. After the season is over and you’re planning on bringing your boat or yacht back out again, run fresh water through the engine prior to adding any fresh oil.
Our Marine Diesel Engines Experts
If you own a yacht or boat, then it is important to remember to keep your vessel in premium condition during hurricane season, specifically your boat’s engine. Our experts offer the premier service and perfect parts for your engine and would be proud to be of service sometime! Contact our team today or read some of our other articles to learn more from our team of professionals.
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Our Marine Diesel Specialists offer a variety of products and services to provide marine diesel solutions in Fort Lauderdale and Punta Gorda. Our authorized MAN Engine dealers can offer expert maintenance, repair, and survey services, as well as complete engine, transmission, and generator overhauls. If you are seeking top-quality marine diesel solutions, products, or services, don’t wait to contact our Marine Diesel Specialists and Gulf Coast Diesel Service.