While boaters should not abandon their cruising dreams because of hurricanes, fear of Mother Nature's power is justified. Hurricanes are the most powerful manifestation of energy on Earth and are the ultimate danger for cruising boaters entering the tropics. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that most boaters don't gain enough respect for hurricanes until they find themselves in the middle of such a disaster. The following is some information that will help should you learn that one is approaching.

Hurricane season in the tropical Americas officially begins June 1 and ends on the first of December. But the busiest months and the most intense hurricanes come in mid-August through mid-October. Early Atlantic hurricanes tend to be less intense and develop in the western Caribbean. As the season progresses, they form farther to the southeast and with more time to develop over the open ocean, become stronger. The later and usually most devastating hurricanes in the Atlantic form near the Cape Verde Islands off the northwest coast of Africa.

In the Caribbean, hurricanes generally travel to the west and curve clockwise to the north, but they have also been known to turn south and east. Pacific coast hurricanes develop in the vicinity of the Gulf of Tehuantepec which is near the border between Mexico and Guatemala and tend to travel more northward than Caribbean hurricanes do. They can come ashore and even cross into the Caribbean continuing their damage on the other side. But more often, Pacific coast hurricanes curve out to sea.

Winds swirl inward counterclockwise toward the eye of a hurricane in the northern hemisphere. For a boater north of the path of an approaching hurricane which is moving northwest, the wind will veer to the right as it increases in speed. This is the most dangerous place to be. To get out of the way of the eye, a boater must sail into the wind. As the eye passes, sailing a reach away from the eye becomes more possible. South of an approaching storm, wind backs left as it increases in speed. In this case, a reach on a starboard tack will head away from the eye.

The safest thing for a boater to do when a hurricane threatens is to haul the boat out and tie it down ashore. But if that is not possible, the next choice should be to seek shelter in the best anchorage possible. And securing the boat in a narrow channel or close to shore is preferable to anchoring out in deeper water, because many lines can be tied to trees and structures ashore.

All cleats to which anchor lines are attached must be well through bolted with heavy duty washers on the under sides. And removing all gear on deck including sails and booms is essential.

Anchor lines are often severed during hurricanes, but anchors can be recovered if they have been marked with floats made of empty plastic bottles tied to the anchors with 1/8 or 3/16 inch line. Make sure there is plenty of scope to accommodate a high tide rise.

For boats spending a lot of time cruising in hurricane territory, the expense of a mast rig that is designed to be self lowered would be well worth the cost. The extra windage a mast creates is responsible for much of the damage caused to sailboats during a hurricane.

The pressure on hatch covers is intense in a hurricane and when the wind gets under their edges, they get blown off, especially if hardware is only screwed in place as is most often the case. Make sure the hardware on hatch covers is through bolted securely. Gaps between the hatch cover and the deck on especially vulnerable covers can be temporarily filled with silicone rubber and shaped to deflect the wind.

A dinghy and outboard motor will be extremely valuable after a hurricane disaster, so be sure to secure it ashore if possible, with the motor removed and with a supply of gasoline and oil.

Have plenty of fresh water on board because after a devastating hurricane, water supplies are often shut off due to damaged lines, pollution or any number of reasons.

For hurricanes which are predicted to reach sustained winds of over 100 mph, it is advisable to take as many valuables as possible, including expensive equipment, charts and papers, and yourself to a secure, preferably concrete building, until it passes.

Shelter from hurricanes along the Pacific coast of Mexico is scarce. There are sheltered harbors at Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Puerto Madero, but the best policy is to be in Costa Rica by June where hurricanes are unknown. In the Caribbean there are several places deep inside mangrove channels where boats can be securely tied. One of the best of these is near Playa Salinas on the south coast of Puerto Rico. There are also several well protected anchorages along the north shore of Hispaniola west of Puerto Plata.