Marinas, Boat Owners Prepare For The Worst

It was a beautiful day on the North Fork, and the beaches were packed as residents took one last day to relax and enjoy the calm before the storm. It was a different story at local marinas however, with employees working from dusk to dark to prepare boats for the hurricane.

The normally packed New Suffolk mooring field was left barren, as boat owners had their boats hauled and put on dry dock, or moved into the safety of salt marsh coves.

At Strongs Marine in Mattituck, workers are hauling boats, as well as bringing boats into dock slips where they are secured bow to bow with extra lines and fenders to provide protection from wind and a possible extreme storm surge. “We’re in a safe cove here,” said Strongs employee Kevin Wines. “We’ve been working early in the morning and late at night to get this done.”

While the marina is unable to provide boat pickup, it is not full and can still take in boats that need shelter from the storm if they are dropped off. By tomorrow afternoon, they hope to have all the boats hauled so that they can begin final marina safety checks. Wines, who lived on the North Fork when Hurricane Gloria struck in 1985, is hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.  “Nobody knows what’s going to happen, but time is running out,” he said.

in Southold is unable to haul out any more boats, however they do have a few dock slips still available. They plan to continue hauling boats already in the marina until the foul weather begins tomorrow afternoon. “We’re watching it like everyone else,” said marina owner Diane Vail. “We’ve got to be ready for anything.”

Like Strongs Marine, Brick Cove Marina is well protected from the elements, however Vail is hoping that the storm will not be as bad as predicted. Still, she hopes that all residents will do their due diligence and prepare for the storm. “I hear people downplaying the hurricane and I think people should be careful,” she explained.

Boats are being moved out from the morning fields and bayside docks, and into Greenport Stirling Harbor Marina to ride out the storm. Employees there have been working past dark for the last three days to ensure that all the boats are safely hauled out or strapped down in their slips.

The marina will be open as long as the weather permits tomorrow, however they are full and unable to accept any more boats. They’re asking boat owners to remove their shore power cords as an added safety measure. With an expected nine to 12-foot storm surge predicted, the marina is taking as many safety precautions as possible.