Looks like Hurricane Earl will be bringing rain and wind to Manchaug Pond Friday afternoon into early Saturday morning. Take today and tomorrow morning to secure umbrellas, lawn furniture, boats and other "toys" around your home, dock or campsite.
Here's advise one of our Board members received in an email from a local marina:
Greetings!
Although we are at this point unsure of what kind of weather this weekend
will bring, we wanted to pass on some tips for securing your watercraft
and keeping potential storm damage to a minimum!
A few key things to check IF your boat is in the water:
-Ensure proper operation of your bilge pump. Make sure your battery is
fully charged, and that the pump is working. During the storm if a
significant amount of rain has fallen, it is important to activate the
pump to keep the water from accumulating. After any heavy rain, always
check the boat to make sure that the automatic feature worked.
-Cover the boat securely to keep much of the water out. It is normal for
some water to seep in, but a cover will help to disperse most of it.
-Make sure that there are no loose items such as inflatable toys and
non-secured seat covers. If your boat has small fishing seats with
individual covers, make sure that the covers are tied down, or consider
removing them. When wind gets underneath those small covers, they have a
tendency to fly away.
-Check your lines and bumpers!! Double check that the dock lines are
secure and in good condition, and that the fenders are double knotted on
the lines. You certainly don't want to lose one in the storm and then
sustain damage to the boat as it hits the dock.
-On pontoon boats, lower the bimini top to the trailering position if
possible, and install the bimini boot. Open tops will act as sails and put
extra pressure on the lines and docks themselves. The boot will protect
the fabric from tearing in the wind. Putting the top down will reduce the
risk of damage to the top frame.
-For PWCs in the water, try to tie off the machine away from the dock.
Many times we have seen significant damage to a machine that has gotten
wedged under a dock during times with high waves. If you can't tie it away
from the dock, consider beaching it and securing it to something on shore.
-Check the area around your watercraft for branches and trees that appear
loose, dead, or saggy. A big gust of wind can cause trees and limbs to
fall down on top of watercraft and damage covers or worse.
IF your boat is on the trailer:
-Make sure that the drain plug is removed! The boat will fill up with
water otherwise, and literally sink on the trailer.
We have ordered some extra fenders and lines if you need some last-minute
supplies. We will be open regular hours, 8:30-5:30 Thursday and Friday. If
you need something and can't get here during those hours, call us and we
will make arrangements to leave it for you.
We are advising our slip customers to come and secure their boats.
Depending on the timing of the storm, we may not be able to personally
check each boat. If you have questions or need assistance, please call us.
We hope that we won't get a direct hit on this or any future hurricanes-
but it is always best to be prepared!
Happy Labor Day Weekend!!
Lakeview Marine Inc.
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