Boaters Resources

July 2024 - How a Hurricane Effects a Vessel

WIND RISKS

High winds combined with rain can penetrate the interior and/or sensitive compartments which may create a big mess, damage, and even incubate mold in the days following a storm. Strong winds can cause open-array radars to spin out of control. Plus, dock lines may alternate from slack to tight in a whipping fashion because the boat acts like a kite during turbulent winds as the gusts are erratic and directionally inconsistent.

Solution: tape and/or wrap at-risk areas for water intrusion
Solution: tape down the array on both sides to prevent spinning or even consider dissembling for extra-large arrays
Solution: significantly increase spring line configurations in all directions, double up your lines, and ensure you are diversified in your pilings and cleats for your line’s affixation.
Solution: a vessel full of fuel and fresh water will decrease the movement of the boat vs. a lighter boat during the wind.
Solution: if you reside nearby, consider lowering the outboards into the down position for the storm only to create water resistance.

TIDE RISKS

East, Northeast, and Southeast winds blow ocean water into the ICW and if the high tide coincides with the optimal wind direction, the water levels will breach dock walkways in safe harbors.

Solution: visualize these effects as you secure your vessel in preparation for the storm.
Solution: Interact with long-term residents who’ve weathered storms and speak with tenured marina employees who can speak about the history of storm effects in the area.

POWER OUTAGES

During storms, your vessel’s shore power source will constantly be at risk of going on/off or experiencing power surges, which may pop your onboard breaker. The net effect is your power source may go out for up to a week or more. Then, your critical safety features such as bilge pumps will be at risk if you don’t properly prepare for the worst.

Solution: turn off non-critical energy-dependent luxuries on your vessel such as refrigerators, dehumidifiers, etc. If you leave your refrigerator on, this could drain your batteries in 24 hours which will deactivate your bilge pumps. The effects of a storm can last for days, and you’ve now put your vessel at risk.
Solution: if you are staying local and are inclined to visit your vessel right before the storm, you may consider running the generator if you have a full tank of fuel that can run for 2-3 days.
Solution: vessel owners can contract BYM to add solar panels for charging house and engine batteries.

ADVANCED PLANNING

As we look to the season, it’s imperative for you to fully understand the requirements of your insurance policy. Policy requirements vary from submitted diagrams of how you tie up your boat for a hurricane to ones that stipulate specific types of storage or hurricane holes.

Another key aspect is understanding what supplies you need to buy in advance and how to effectively protect your vessel. When the wind reaches tropical storm levels and the tides start to surge, many things can begin to go wrong if you don’t prepare accordingly.

HOW BOUNDLESS YACHT MANAGEMENT CAN HELP

When any part of our serviced area falls into the projected hurricane watch cone, our team immediately implements our hurricane preparations for its customers to ensure their valued assets are fully prepared.

Hurricane preparation assessment is completed in July and discussed with the boat owner to include planning, incremental equipment such as dock lines, straps if stored on a lift, and any other supplies necessary to protect your vessel. Our team also discusses pricing per named storm and discounts for our existing yacht management customers.

Our team prepares your vessel for every named storm.
Video or pictures of your vessel are taken once it’s secured for each named storm.
Our team will shop for and store your hurricane materials until needed. Additional costs will apply.
Boundless Yacht Management’s Hurricane Program is designed to charge you once a storm has been named.

May 2024 - How often should you wax your boat?

WHY SHOULD I GET MY BOAT WAXED REGULARLY?

Our summer months present us with a beautiful, but tropical environment in South Florida. We experience dew on the boat at sunrise, followed by a very high UV index shortly thereafter. This powerful sunlight hits the dew, heating it and turning it into a magnifying glass which breaks down the wax more rapidly than usual. Then almost every afternoon it rains and it happens all over again, breaking down the wax even further. Unfortunately, this cycle creates the need for more frequent wax applications.

Winter has its own set of challenges. The frequent west winds bring ash from the fields being burned on the expansive farms in West Martin and Palm Beach counties. Burning the fields to prepare them for tilling in the spring is part of the normal agricultural cycle, but the ash wreaks havoc when it settles on your boat. The problem is that it acts as an abrasive and carbon element on the surface when it is brushed off with soap and water, and you guessed it, that will degrade the wax.

However, if you maintain the wax layer, the ash will just rinse off without using a brush. For 20 years, I’ve built a long client list of owners with boats ranging from $100K to $4M. The fact is, the owners who take care of their vessels tend to experience fewer repairs, sell their boats for a higher average price, and have more time to simply enjoy using their boats.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I GET MY BOAT WAXED?

If you get your boat’s topside waxed 3x per year, it will result in:

Easier weekly maintenance
Less cost per wax
Less oxidization and fading over time

A hull wax can generally be done every 6 months unless you have a colored hull and it has a direct sunset view. In this case, consider either rotating how you park or waxing every 4-5 months.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T WAX MY BOAT REGULARLY?

For those owners who stretch the time between wax applications, there are major downsides:

The job will cost more due to the effort and amount of product needed to restore the shine.
An oxidized surface requires an abrasive compound or even wet-sanding to remove the oxidation to access a fresh gelcoat. Once they get down to the gelcoat, they apply fresh wax.
If you remove too many layers of gelcoat due to oxidation, you may need to repaint your hull which can cost $20K to $100K– Yikes!

WHY BOUNDLESS YACHT MANAGEMENT?

Over the years, my partner and I have gained extensive experience with virtually every size and type of boat, in every condition imaginable. We have a lot of stories we could tell, but one of my favorites is from many years ago before we were business partners. He traveled a lot in his career and wanted a way to relax with his family when he was home, so he bought a new $500K Pursuit from me.

He definitely enjoyed time on the boat with his family, but I think his real joy was tinkering with his beloved Pursuit. He owned that boat for 5 years and almost every time I called to see how he was doing, he was on the boat installing some new gadget or giving her a thorough wash - I think he washed that boat twice a week if not more! This earned him and his Pursuit quite a reputation because she was always the most beautiful and pristine in the marina, and everyone wanted to know his secret.

When I asked him why he was always tinkering, he would simply say that he wanted to be “ready at all times”, whether it be for a family outing or a trip to the Bahamas.

Translation - He wanted his boat to be perfect.

Over the years, he learned many painful and expensive boat ownership lessons with that boat and others he owned, motivating him to create Boundless Yacht Management. Knowing that not everyone has the desire or time to maintain their boat as he did, the idea was to build a team that would provide boat owners with affordable guidance, service, and expertise they could trust and rely on for the long term.

We know what an amazing experience owning a boat can be, spending time with family and friends, and creating memories that will last a lifetime. It’s our mission to ensure that you have that amazing experience and that your boat is “ready at all times”.

Welcome to the Boaters Resource page!