Strong winds, heavy rain, lightning, and large waves caused by severe weather can capsize boats, damage equipment, and injure or kill boaters. But knowing how to respond to these life-threatening conditions can be crucial for ensuring the safety of everyone on board. These conditions can also affect boats that are anchored and left to survive intense storms. The damage these boats sustain can impact the oceans and even other boaters for months or years. You must prepare your boat to weather any storm when facing perilous weather conditions.
You could be eligible for compensation if you or a loved one has been injured in a boating accident. Contact our maritime attorneys today at Mase Seitz Briggs to explore your legal options and for any help navigating these waters.
The Impact of High Winds While Boating
Boating seems like a leisurely recreational activity, but it requires significant experience and training to ensure you are prepared for anything you may face on the high seas. Safety when boating is the top priority for everyone around you.
Following Hurricane Helene, several boats that had been anchored and left unmanned were subjected to exceptionally high winds, causing them to break free and crash into bridges. The Coast Guard was called to handle the situation. There was no structural damage to the bridges and no injuries were reported, but it was a close call.
High winds can impact boating by:
- Capsizing vessels
- Complicate steering
- Damage vessels
While these winds can impact boats differently depending on the ship, it’s important to keep a close eye on any changing weather conditions and communicate with authorities if you are ever in distress.
Preparing Your Boat for a Storm
Hurricanes have created some of the worst maritime disasters on record, and you should never attempt to ride out a hurricane on board your vessel. If your boat can be moved you should take the boat out of the water and home or to a secured storage option.
Start preparing your boat for a hurricane by:
- Removing anything on the deck
- Take down any sails from the rigging
- Consider removing expensive electronics
- Add extra dock lines and extra chafing gear
- Ensure that drains remain open while through hull valves are closed
- Inspect your mooring chain and attach additional lines
While these are all necessary precautionary measures to help your boat survive a storm, it’s imperative that you take a thorough inventory for insurance purposes. Working with an experienced maritime legal team will help you navigate the damages after the storm. Mase Seitz Briggs can help you work through any legal options you may have.
What to Do if You're Caught in a Storm
Some boaters can find themselves in a desperate situation if a wave reaches only 18 inches, setting their boats in a position to capsize or even sway violently enough to dump passengers or crew in the waters. Depending on your boat, skill level, and experience, you determine how much wind is too much to venture out in.
The best thing to do is to remain ahead of any severe weather conditions that may put anyone’s safety at risk. Be aware of any weather advisories and ensure that safety is a top priority on your boat.
The differences in the weather alerts are:
- Watch: informs of a hazardous weather event is possible but not imminent during the next 12 to 36 hours
- Advisory: A hazardous weather event is imminent but does not meet warning criteria
- Warning: A hazardous weather event is imminent and is a threat to life and property
Staying informed of the weather forecast is the best thing that you can do to be prepared, but even severe weather can pop up unexpectedly and catch you unaware. If caught in severe weather, you must be prepared and act quickly to ensure everyone is safe.
Every storm and situation is different, but how you react to severe weather depends greatly on the boat you have and the type of water you are on. When we spend the day on another person’s boat, we hope it is just another fun day out on the water. We disregard the potential dangers we could face and how much trust we put into their experience out on the waters. If they make a bad call during a treacherous moment, they can put your life at risk. If you or a loved one were injured in a recreational boating accident caused by another person’s negligence, call Mase Seitz Briggs today to discuss your case.
Seeking Legal Help After a Boating Accident
Many incidents can bring a boating accident to a maritime attorney. We've seen it all: collisions, equipment failures, and even overboard accidents. We understand the intricacies of maritime law. Boating accident cases have many complex regulations and laws that come into play during a legal battle, and it can be almost impossible to navigate without an experienced maritime attorney.
Under Florida law, operators must “exercise the highest degree of care to prevent injuries or death.” Operators can be held accountable for boating under the influence, negligence, or simple inexperience. Incompetence does not exclude someone from being held legally responsible for any pain or suffering their choices inflict on another person.
You could be eligible for financial compensation if you have been injured in a boating accident. By filing a maritime claim, you can start the process of compensation. Many of these claims need to be filed federally, and specific statutes of limitation play a major role in each case. Contact Mase Seitz Briggs today to start the process of filing your claim. We can navigate these confusing seas for you and help you get the compensation you deserve.