Preparing Your Mooring for Hurricane Season in Sint Maarten
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, and Sint Maarten knows better than most how much a storm can ask of a boat and its mooring. A mooring is only as strong as its weakest part, and most of that hardware is out of sight below the surface.
Why mooring inspections matter
A mooring holds your boat through wind, current and swell, day after day. Saltwater corrosion, chafe and marine growth wear it down slowly, and the damage is usually invisible from the surface. A routine underwater inspection finds problems while they are still cheap to fix rather than after a failure.
What an underwater inspection looks at
- The anchor or block. Is it still where it should be, and is it holding firmly in the seabed?
- Chain. Diver checks for heavy corrosion, thinning links, worn shackles and any missing or damaged connecting parts.
- Shackles and pins. These small parts are a common weak point. They should be secure and, where appropriate, properly seized.
- Rope and pennant. Look for chafe, fraying and UV damage, especially where lines run through fairleads or over chain.
- The buoy and float. It should be in good condition and floating correctly.
- Overall layout. How the mooring sits relative to its neighbours, and whether it has moved.
Warning signs you can see from the boat
- The boat sits differently on the mooring than it used to
- Visible wear or chafe on the pennant
- A buoy that rides low or looks damaged
- A mooring that seems to have shifted position after a storm
If you notice any of these, don’t wait for the next big blow to find out. Get it checked.
A sensible time to check
Inspecting before the season’s peak, and again after any significant weather event, is a good habit. If you are leaving your boat in Sint Maarten for a period, having the mooring looked at before you go gives you more peace of mind.
Your mooring is only part of the plan
Check your insurance requirements, your marina or harbour rules, and your own hurricane plan well before a storm is forecast. A mooring check is one step among several, not a guarantee against storm damage.
We install, inspect and service moorings across Sint Maarten and Saint Martin. See our mooring service, or read about the services we offer.
