Protect your boat before the storm arrives

No boat owner can forget the aftermath of Hurricane Frances.

The slow-moving tropical storm made landfall on the Treasure Coast as a Category 2 hurricane on Sept. 3, 2004.

Winds of 100-110 mph lashed the region for hours. Those shredding winds generated storm surges and severe erosion while flooding rains pounded the area.

Left in her wake were thousands of destroyed and sunken boats, including scores piled in wreckage at Fort Pierce City Marina.

Unfortunately for many boat owners and marina officials, photos of the devastation there became the iconic image of Frances’ fury.

Since that costly year of nine hurricanes, including four that swept over parts of Florida, the threat of a hurricane’s serious impact to the Treasure Cost boating community has been a stark reality.

As the suspiciously quiet Hurricane Season 2009 nears its active months, here are a few tips for boaters to protect their property — and in some cases, their livelihood — from the worst that Mother Nature has to offer.

Have a Plan

Boats are damaged by a combination of factors created by hurricanes — wind, waves, surge and rainfall.

First, protect a vessel months before the first tropical wave shows up.

Find the best location to protect your vessel and begin preparations. Also, have an alternate spot just in case an unforeseen problem occurs.

On the Hard

In-water vessel owners should consider hauling their boat out prior to a severe storm’s arrival.

Many Treasure Coast marinas and boat yards provide the service and have areas where boats can be securely anchored.

Facilities like River Forest Yachting Center on the St. Lucie Canal in Stuart offer a Hurricane Club membership, which guarantees a reserved space during hurricanes and preferential treatment over non-members despite paying “non-hurricane” rates for haul out, jack stands and blocking.

However, membership does not make a boater exempt of responsibility. For example, the St. Lucie Locks which River Forest is west of — closes when wind speeds reach 30 mph.

Also, in peak, high traffic conditions very close to the storm’s arrival, even members cannot be serviced ahead of other waiting boats.

July 4th liability insurance issues for Los Angeles home and boat owners

July 4th presents serious liability insurance issues for Los Angeles home and boat owners. Planning a July 4th celebration near Los Angeles? Here are many reasons it would be smartest to take your guests to see one of the many professional fireworks shows in Los Angeles County.

You may be assigned at least a percentage of the liability for any injuries or other damages that take place on or near your property as a result of your July 4th festivities. You may be held financially accountable.

This is absolutely true if you own a dog or if your property has a swimming pool. Less obvious is your liability risk for July 4th fireworks that your guests let off on or near your property. If it is your property, then it is your responsibility to make sure all activities are done safely and legally. Each individual municipality in Los Angeles County and in the surrounding counties has its own regulations on individually let fireworks. Make sure any fireworks on or around your property are legal. Use extreme caution even if individual fireworks are legal in your municipality. Los Angeles is very dry, and fire danger is extreme.

If using fireworks near Los Angeles:
1) Make sure the fireworks are legal in your municipality.
2) Use extreme caution to protect lives.
3) Get liability insurance.
Contact your insurer and make certain you are covered for any injuries or other damage fireworks might cause.

If you serve alcohol or other drugs and your guests get in a car accident, fight, speed contest, or other dangerous incident at or after leaving your July 4th party, then you may be assigned at least a percentage of the liability for any injuries or other damages that result. You may be held financially accountable. This is especially true if you serve alcohol or other drugs to minors under the legal California drinking age of twenty one.

"If it's your boat, then it's your responsibility."

July 4th is one of the busiest days on Lake Havasu and other waterways near Los Angeles. Crowded conditions are dangerous, especially for water skiers. Just like you hear it in the California Department of Boating and Waterways commercials, "If it's your boat, then it's your responsibility." What you may not realize is, they mean it. It is your legal responsibility to make certain that everyone on and around your boat is safe. You have liability for any injuries or other damage that happen as a direct result of anyone's use of your boat. You will be held financially accountable. Also, in California driving a boat while intoxicated is considered "Driving Under the Influence" (DUI) just like driving a car while intoxicated. Don't do it.

Have a safe and sane 4th of July!

Lawmakers call for new financing terms for boat dealers

A dozen members of the U.S. Congress delivered a letter Friday to Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, and Timothy Geithner, secretary of the U.S. Treasury calling on the two to reclassify boats and recreational vehicles as an asset class in the Fed's Term Asset-Backed Securities Lending Facility, and to hurry up.


Lowering the so-called "haircut level" — the amount of an asset's value that may not be used as collateral — would improve liquidity for boat dealers, they said.

The haircut level for an average floorplan term of three years is 13 percent.

Using TALF funds for other lending requires an asset value exclusion ranging from 5 percent for prime credit cards to 16 percent for financing automotive rental fleets.

"We write to express our collective concern that the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) is not proceeding with sufficient pace or with sufficient participation within the nonauto floorplan asset classes," the group wrote. "As members of Congress who represent many marine manufacturers and dealers we urge you to re-examine elements of the TALF program, and specifically the haircut schedule for nonauto floorplan asset-backed securities."