How Do I Prepare My Boat Lift for a Hurricane?

When a hurricane heads for Charlotte Harbor, your boat lift is either your boat's best protection or its weak point. The lift is the one piece of equipment on your waterfront built to hold your boat out of the water, and a storm is exactly when you want the boat out of the water. The prep work is simple, but the order matters.

Lift the Boat All the Way Up

Run the lift to the top of its travel and leave it there. The goal is to get the hull as far above storm surge as the lift will take it, because every inch matters once water stacks up in the canal. Before you raise it, settle the boat exactly where it belongs, centered on the bunks. The straps you add next only help if the boat starts out sitting right. If the bunks are misaligned, the storm will find that mistake fast.

If you have not had the lift serviced recently, this is not the week to find out the cables are bad. Cables that un-spool and re-wrap crush their own fibers, and a damaged cable gets replaced, not adjusted. That is a before-season job, covered in [how often a boat lift should be serviced](https://www.fortewaterfront.com/post/how-often-should-a-boat-lift-be-serviced).

Strap the Boat to the Cradle

This is the step people skip, and it is the one that does the most work. A hurricane strap-down is a real service local marine shops offer, and you can do it yourself with heavy ratchet straps. Run straps over the hull and down to the cradle frame on both sides, and tie off the bow and the stern so the boat cannot surge forward or slide aft. Wind wants to rock the boat off the bunks and shove it sideways. Straps turn the boat and the lift into one unit.

Pull every strap tight. Where a strap touches gelcoat or paint, put padding under it, or the strap will saw into the finish over hours of vibration.

Strip the Wind Catchers

Anything above the gunwale that catches wind comes off. Bimini tops, enclosures, canvas covers, antennas, outriggers, rod holders, flags, anything that gives the wind a handle. Take cushions, electronics, tackle, and loose gear out of the boat and get them in the garage. Close every hatch and locker so driving rain and spray cannot fill compartments. A stripped boat sits still. A boat still wearing its canvas fights the whole storm.

Cut the Power

Switch the lift off at the dock power pedestal or breaker. Nobody can accidentally run the lift in the middle of the storm, and the motor, the GFCI outlet, and the wiring stay out of a live circuit while surge and spray move around them. Saltwater on electrical components corrodes everything it touches.

Take the wireless remote inside and put it somewhere dry. It is the smallest, most losable part of the whole setup.

Set This Up Before Hurricane Season

None of the steps above should be done for the first time with a forecast on the map. Make the hurricane plan in May. Buy the straps early and store them in the garage. Know whether your cables are due for replacement, whether your bunks are aligned, and whether your zincs are still protecting the metal they are supposed to protect, since zincs are consumed doing their job.

If you travel during storm season, line up a licensed marine contractor ahead of time who can raise, strap, and power down your lift on short notice. Make that arrangement in May, not when the cone touches the coast.

After the Storm, Inspect Before You Lower

Do not just hit the remote and drop the boat. Walk the whole setup first. Look at the cables for fraying or displaced wraps, check that the bunks are still aligned under the hull, make sure the guide poles are still straight, and clear any debris washed against the cradle or wrapped around the pilings. Open the motor cover and look for water inside, and make sure the electrical at the pedestal is dry before you switch anything on. Then lower the boat slowly and watch the bunks the whole way down.

If the storm was strong enough to move anything, have a licensed marine contractor give the lift a full look before you put it back in normal service. That is the same reason a buyer should [get the boat lift inspected before buying a waterfront home](https://www.fortewaterfront.com/post/should-i-get-the-boat-lift-inspected-before-buying-a-waterfront-home): the most expensive parts of the waterfront are the ones a general home inspector never gets in the water to see. While you are walking the dock, check [whether your dock pilings are rotting underwater](https://www.fortewaterfront.com/post/how-do-i-know-if-my-dock-pilings-are-rotting-underwater) too, since after a big blow is a good time for both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Leave My Boat on the Lift During a Hurricane?

Yes. A boat raised to the top of a lift and strapped to the cradle is safer than a boat tied in a slip during surge, because it is out of the water entirely. That is what the lift is built for.

How High Should I Raise the Boat Before the Storm?

All the way to the top of the lift's travel. Do not stop halfway. Surge stacks water up in canals fast, and every inch of clearance is margin you want on your side.

Are Dock Lines Enough, or Do I Need Hurricane Straps?

You need straps. Dock lines hold a boat that is in the water at the dock. A boat on a lift is out of the water, so the wind's move is to rock it off the bunks or shove it sideways, and only straps over the hull to the cradle stop that. Tight, padded at the hull, bow and stern tied off.

What If I Am Out of Town When a Storm Approaches?

Set it up before season with a licensed marine contractor. Tell them where the remote and the pedestal breaker are, and have a standing agreement that they raise the lift, strap the boat, and cut the power when a warning goes up. This is a May conversation, not a day-before conversation.

Can I Lower the Boat Right After the Storm Passes?

Inspect first. Check cables, bunks, guide poles, and the motor before you run the lift, and clear debris from the cradle and pilings. If anything moved, have a licensed marine contractor look at the lift before you put it back in normal service.

The house is one thing. The waterfront is another.

Thomas Forte

📲 (941) 317-1376

📧 thomas@srqshoreline.com