TL;DR
Stay alert while the season runs out, then use the quiet weeks to do three things: inspect the yacht properly (hull, through-hulls, lines, electrical), review your insurance and marina commitments in writing, and write next year’s hurricane plan before anyone is in a hurry. Decisions made in calm weather are almost always better ones.
I always think of the end of hurricane season as an exhale. Marinas get a little quieter, the forecasts stop dominating every conversation, and owners start to relax. That relaxation is understandable — and it is also the moment I ask clients to do their most useful work of the year.
The Atlantic season is generally understood to run through the end of November, and weather does not always follow a calendar, so I keep watching the National Hurricane Center until the season is genuinely behind us. But the weeks ahead are the right time to look at the yacht with clear eyes and to plan for next year while nothing is on the chart.
A post-season inspection, in the order I do it
Whether or not your yacht met a storm this year, a season at a dock or on a mooring is a season of wear. I work from the water upward:
- Underwater gear. Anodes, propellers, shafts, rudders, thrusters and hull growth. A diver can tell you a great deal; a haul-out tells you more.
- Through-hulls, hoses and strainers. Look for weeping fittings, stiff or cracked hose, loose clamps and fouled sea strainers. These are small items with large consequences.
- Bilge and pumps. Operate every pump and float switch by hand and by water level, and confirm the high-water alarm sounds. If a pump has been cycling oddly, read my note on why a bilge pump keeps cycling.
- Lines, chafe gear and fenders. Replace anything glazed, flattened or worn through. Chafe is quiet and patient.
- Electrical. Shore-power inlets, cords and connections (look for heat marks or corrosion), battery condition, chargers and bonding.
- Deck, hatches and canvas. Seals, latches, drains, and any covers that have taken a season of sun and wind.
- Fuel and filters. Check filters and sample for water before the yacht sits or makes its next passage.
Write down what you find and photograph it. A dated record is worth more than anyone’s memory, and it makes the next conversation with your yard, surveyor or insurer much shorter.
If your yacht met a storm, or came close
Look past the obvious. Cleats, chocks, fastenings and fittings take loads you cannot see, and cosmetic damage is rarely the whole story. Photograph everything, keep a log of what happened and when, and contact your insurer promptly. For anything structural, have a qualified surveyor or yard look before the yacht goes back into service.
Review insurance and marina commitments in writing
Policies differ, and I would never presume to tell you what yours says. Many include conditions about where the yacht is kept during storm season and how a named storm is handled, and marinas set their own hurricane rules. Now is a good time to read both carefully and ask your broker and marina for answers in writing. Rules, deadlines and requirements change, so always verify the current position with your insurer, your marina and, where relevant, the U.S. Coast Guard.
Write next year’s plan while it is quiet
A good hurricane plan is not complicated, but it must be decided before it is needed. I ask owners to settle these points now:
- Where the yacht will be. At her berth, hauled out, or moved to a pre-agreed safer location — and who decides.
- Trigger points. The forecast conditions at which each step happens, so nobody debates it at midnight.
- People. Captain, crew, yard and marina contacts, and a clear answer to who is aboard and who is not.
- Logistics. Haul-out arrangements, fuel, lines, supplies and documents, ready well before they are urgent.
If the plan includes moving the yacht, a hurricane move is simply a relocation done early, with a captain and crew arranged in advance, rather than a scramble when everyone else is doing the same thing. Arranging that relationship in October costs nothing; arranging it in the middle of a forecast cone is difficult.
Frequently asked questions
When does hurricane season end?
The Atlantic season is generally understood to run through the end of November, but storms are not bound by the calendar. Check the National Hurricane Center for current information and confirm any policy dates with your insurer.
Do I need an inspection if my yacht was not hit by a storm?
I recommend one. A season afloat wears lines, hoses, anodes, electrical connections and seals whether or not a storm passes. A dated inspection record is also useful for your insurer and for next year’s plan.
Should I haul out, stay in the marina, or move the yacht?
It depends on your yacht, your location, your marina’s rules and your insurance. The best answer is decided in calm weather, in writing, with clear trigger points. I am glad to talk it through on a consultation.
Captain JC — Juan Carlos Castro II. USCG 200-Ton Master · 500-Ton ITC · English & Español. About Captain JC
This article is general guidance from one captain’s experience, not a substitute for your surveyor, insurer or the U.S. Coast Guard. Rules and requirements change; verify current ones before you rely on them.
