How to Prepare a Sailboat at Sea for a Storm

Being on a sailboat in a storm is a harrowing and potentially dangerous situation. Howling winds can tear parts off the boat, while waves the size of three-story buildings can easily capsize a sailboat or wash crew off the decks. Despite all this, sailors who prepare themselves and their boats properly can safely survive most storms.

Instructions

1. Gather information. Information is the single most precious resource for a sailboat in a storm. Before the storm hits find out where it's coming from, how fast it's traveling and some description of its behavior. Also sit down with the boat's charts to determine where the boat is and if there are any danger points in the area.

2. Prepare the crew for all eventualities. Going into a storm, the crew should know all the available information. Review safety procedures and the location of emergency equipment such as radios, flashlights, life vests and rafts. Finally, assign each crew member a station and responsibilities for the duration of the storm.

3. Check and seal the boat. The boat should get a once-over by the skipper and crew, including checks of the engines, pumps, sails and rigging. Then, all hatches should be sealed and doubled checked so the boat doesn't allow water to enter.

4. Make course adjustments to try to avoid the storm or its worst parts. The best way to survive a storm is to never encounter it. If there is any reasonable way of skirting the weather system, you should attempt it.

5. Reef the sales and don safety gear. When the clouds start to darken and the wind speed increases, crew should be in foul weather gear with life vests and safety lines on, ready for the storm. Sails should be reefed to the appropriate setting, based on wind strength. When all this is done, the crew should prepare their stations and get ready for a battle with mother nature.