Is Your Cape Coral Boat Ready for Hurricane Season?

Section 01

Make Your Decision Now: Haul Out or Stay In?

This is the single most important question every Cape Coral boat owner needs to answer before hurricane season starts — not when a storm is named. There are two options, and each requires advance planning.

Lee County emergency management recommends hauling out at least 48 hours before projected landfall — but realistically, the earlier the better. Dry stack barns fill first. Don’t assume space will be available when you need it.

Local Storage & Marina Options

Contact these facilities now — before season — to understand their hurricane procedures, your responsibilities as a customer, and availability:

• Boat House H2OIndoor dry storage
• Salty Sam’s MarinaDry stack, Fort Myers Beach
• Port 32 MarinasMultiple SW Florida locations
• Tarpon Point MarinaFull-service, Cape Coral
• Port Sanibel MarinaDry & wet slip, Fort Myers

Section 02

Contact Your Marina — and Understand Their Plan

Whether you store at a marina or keep your boat at home, one of the first things to do each season is have a direct conversation with your marina or storage facility about their specific hurricane procedures. As Salty Sam’s Marina — who weathered Hurricane Ian firsthand on Fort Myers Beach — advises: identify a location with sturdy cleats, pilings, and mooring lines, and understand your marina’s policies during severe weather, including your own responsibilities and liabilities while your vessel is in their care.

Section 03

For Trailerable Boats: Haul Out Checklist

If you’re trailering your boat, don’t just hitch up and go. A rushed haul-out can cause as much damage as the storm itself. Work through this before you move:

• Inspect your trailer — tires, bearings, lights, hitch, and safety chains — before season, not the day of
• Securely lash the boat to the trailer with ratchet straps
• Place blocks between the frame and axle inside each wheel to protect suspension from rainwater accumulation in the hull
• For smaller, lighter boats: partially fill with water or leave the drain plug in to add weight and prevent wind from flipping the hull
• If adding water ballast, partially deflate trailer tires to accommodate the extra weight
• Store away from trees, power lines, and anything that could fall onto the boat
• Remove or secure all canvas, covers, and anything that creates windage

Once stored, treat it like your home’s exterior: anything that can become a projectile needs to come off or be tied down.

Section 04

For Canal-Kept Boats: Securing on Your Lift

Canal-front living is one of Cape Coral’s greatest assets — and one of its greatest hurricane responsibilities. A boat that breaks free from a private lift doesn’t just get damaged: it becomes a battering ram that can destroy neighboring docks, seawalls, and other vessels.

Raise and Tie Down

Raise the lift to its maximum height to keep the hull above surge and wave action, then add your own lines — fore, aft, and cross-tied to the lift structure — to lock the boat in place from multiple directions. Hurricane winds are erratic and will shift; your lines need to handle load coming from every angle, not just straight ahead.

Stock Up on Lines and Chafe Gear Now

West Marine carries a full range of storm lines, dock lines, and chafe protection gear. Stock up before season — not when a storm is approaching and shelves are bare. Use heavy-duty lines rated for storm conditions, and replace any lines showing wear, fraying, or UV degradation.

Inspect Dock Hardware

While you’re at it, inspect all cleats and attachment points on your dock and lift. Corroded or loose hardware that holds fine on a calm day can fail completely under storm load. Tighten, replace, or reinforce anything questionable — now, while there’s time.

Remove Everything That Creates Windage

Before a storm approaches, strip the boat of anything that catches wind or can become a projectile:

• Bimini tops, dodgers, and all canvas covers
• Sails (if applicable)
• Electronics, GPS units, and VHF radios
• Cushions, coolers, and all loose gear
• Portable fuel containers and potential pollutants
• Rod holders, deck gear, and anything not bolted down

Latch down everything that can’t be removed. Seal hatches and openings with duct tape to keep the boat as watertight as possible.

Bilge and Battery Prep

Test your bilge pump now and confirm the float switch activates automatically. Fully charge your batteries — a dead battery during a surge event means a non-functioning bilge pump at the worst possible moment. Top off the fuel tank to reduce condensation, and use pump-out services before the storm arrives if available.

Section 05

Pre-Season Maintenance and Safety Check

The start of hurricane season is a good trigger for a full pre-season inspection. A boat already in good mechanical shape is far easier to prep and move quickly when you need to.

• Service the engine and confirm it’s in good working condition
• Check all safety equipment — life jackets, flares, fire extinguishers, and distress signals
• Inspect the hull for cracks, blistering, or existing leaks
• Reinforce weak areas around hatches, vents, and seals
• Verify all mechanical and electrical systems are functioning properly
• Keep the fuel tank at least half full throughout hurricane season

Section 06

Document Your Boat and Review Your Insurance

Just like your home, your boat needs to be documented before the season — not after the storm.

• Photograph and video the boat from all angles, inside and out
• Document all electronics and equipment with serial numbers where possible
• Make copies of your boat registration, insurance policy, and marina or storage agreement
• Store everything in a waterproof folder and back up digitally to cloud storage

Section 07

Have a Written Plan — and Share It

Lee County emergency management is clear: every boat owner should have a written hurricane plan in place before the season begins — and share it with someone who can act on it if you’re not home when a storm develops. If you travel for work or spend time away from Cape Coral during hurricane season, designate a trusted person who knows your boat, your lift, your storage facility, and your plan.

Your written plan should include:

• Your decision threshold — at what storm category or surge forecast do you haul out vs. secure on the lift?
• Where the boat goes if trailering, and who is responsible for getting it there
• Contact info for your marina or storage facility
• Your insurance agent’s contact info
• Lee County Emergency Management: (239) 477-3600