June 1 through November 30. If you're in South Florida, hurricane prep isn't optional — it's part of boat ownership. This guide covers what to do before a storm makes landfall, how to protect your coatings and surfaces, and what to inspect thoroughly when the storm has passed.
The biggest mistake South Florida boat owners make is treating hurricane prep as a reactive task — something you do when a storm is 48 hours out. By then, boat yards are full, dive shops are backed up, and the store is out of dock lines. Your window to act is gone before the storm even has a name.
The right approach is a two-phase system: a June 1 baseline prep you do every year, and a storm-response protocol you execute when a watch or warning is issued for your area. The baseline takes care of the big decisions. The storm response is execution-only — no scrambling, no decisions to make under pressure.
If a Tropical Storm Watch is issued for your county, your boat should already be prepped at baseline level. Storm response steps should take 2–3 hours max, not 2–3 days.
Storm conditions put enormous load on dock lines. Inspect every line for chafe, UV degradation, and wear at the chock contact points. Replace anything with visible fraying. Add chafe guards to every line at every contact point — cleats, chocks, pilings. Have double the lines you think you need.
Know now whether your marina allows boats to stay for Category 1–2 versus requiring removal for anything above. Know your nearest dry storage or haul-out facility and their policy. Don't find this out when a storm is named.
Full walkaround photos of your boat in its current condition, every side, every angle. Date-stamp them. This is your insurance baseline. If your insurer disputes damage claims after a storm, these photos are the difference between a settled claim and a fight.
Know your hurricane clause. Some policies require the boat to be a certain distance from the storm track to remain covered. Some have specific haul-out requirements for named storms. Read it now — not when you're trying to decide what to do with a Cat 3 48 hours away.
Out of the water, properly blocked, inland if possible. Highest protection for any storm category. Book early — facilities fill fast when a storm is named.
Well-protected marina with proper pilings, spring lines, and fenders. Acceptable for moderate storms if your marina is built for it. Not appropriate for major hurricanes.
Surge, wave action, and debris turn open anchorages into destruction zones. Only viable in a well-protected creek or hurricane hole with proper anchoring. Most boat owners do not have this option.
Many marine insurance policies have specific named-storm requirements. Leaving the boat in a slip when the policy requires haul-out above a certain storm category can void your coverage for that storm entirely.
A well-applied ceramic coating doesn't need special hurricane prep. It won't be damaged by rain, surge water, or wind by itself. What it can't protect against is physical impact — debris, dock contact, falling objects. The coating survives the storm. The gel coat underneath the impact point may not.
Before anything else after a storm — before you hose down, before you put canvas back on — inspect the hull for impact damage. Photograph every ding, crack, and impact point before water, cleaning, or repair disturbs the evidence. This matters for insurance claims.
Bottom paint is not affected by storm conditions at all. Surface protection film (PPF) on the bow and rub rails provides meaningful impact resistance against light debris — another reason to have it installed before season, not after.
Every side, every damage point, everything that looks different from your June 1 baseline photos. Date/time stamped. Do not clean or move anything until photos are done.
Walk the entire hull looking for gelcoat cracks, chips, stress fractures, and any area where the surface color or texture looks different from before. Pay extra attention to the bow, corners, and anywhere near dock pilings.
Some water in the bilge after a major storm is expected. A bilge that's significantly fuller than normal, or keeps filling after pumping, means you have an intrusion point that needs to be found before you launch.
Surge and debris can damage fittings below the waterline. Confirm everything is intact and closes fully before splashing the boat.
Cleats, stanchions, and hardware that took line load during the storm should be inspected for looseness, bedding damage, and delamination of the deck around the fasteners.
If the boat was afloat, have a diver inspect the bottom before running. Storm surge carries debris that can wrap around props, damage running gear, or embed in the hull below the waterline.
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