Marinas Prep for Hurricane: Pray for Best, Prepare for Worst of Irene's Wrath

The phones won’t stop ringing at Irwin Marina in Red Bank. Customers want to get their boats pulled out of the water as soon as possible ahead of Hurricane Irene’s arrival along the New Jersey coast.

Take a number.

Marinas throughout the area have been inundated with requests to retrieve boats and store them to prevent damage from surging waters and winds, which could reach sustained speeds of more than 100 miles per hour if the hurricane arrives as a category two storm.

But it’s not so simple.

They’re working as hard as they can, Brian Irwin, whose family has owned the marina for more than a century, said, but with 150 slips and boats ranging in size from 17 to 65 feet, the process is a slow one that requires lots of man power, the use of major equipment, and, of course, maximization of limited storage space.

“We’re working all day today, tomorrow and as much as we can through Saturday to get these boats out of the water,” he said. “But for people who do have boats in the water, we’re advising them to tie them down as best they can.”

Already, Gov. Chris Christie has issued a state of emergency and asked that those with plans to visit the Jersey Shore stay away this weekend. Monmouth County officials have also urged residents to prepare for the hurricane, which is expected to impact the area beginning Saturday with the full brunt of the storm expected late Sunday night.

Whether or not Irwin Marina will be able to pull all of the boats out of the water by the time the hurricane shows up remains to be seen. Irwin said he’s not making any promises, except one, everyone at the marina is working as hard as they can to make sure their customers' boats, and the marina, are safe.

At Atlantic Highlands Marina, assistant harbormaster John Amici said they’ve taken reservations to get boats out of the water. The appointments are scheduled for every half hour, through Saturday, yet they’ve still got a waiting list, currently sitting at 30 people.

Like Irwin, Amici said boats that have to remain in the water should be secured as tightly as possible. What professionals are recommending are at least eight different lines attached all along the boat to help keep it relatively still during the storm.

Should the hurricane hit locally, a boat secured with eight lines should be relatively safe, though no one will say that for certain. Amici also stressed the need to secure everything inside of the boat, too.

“That’s why we’re taking every precaution, not just with the boats, but with the marina, as well,” he said. “Anything that could be damaged by high winds needs to be secured. Anything that’s loose could cause damage.

“Even if (Irene) doesn’t come directly at us, it’s got a very wide path and we’d still be impacted by heavy winds.”

Thursday afternoon, at least a dozen sailboats remained anchored in the middle of the Navesink. Irwin said there’s cause for concern, especially for those who think it’s a good idea to leave boats sitting, relatively loose, in the middle of an open waterway. Even if Irene were downgraded to a category one hurricane by the time it reaches northern Monmouth County nearly 75 mph winds would still be enough to capsize a boat or two.

While marinas are doing their best to prepare for the unknown, there’s still the realization that, even now, it’s difficult to determine what kind of damage Irene is capable of. About a decade ago, Irwin said, a hurricane brought with it large surges, resulting in significant flooding along the Navesink.

Essentially, hurricane preparation is simple: batten down the hatches, Irwin said. The rest, well, that’s not up to him.

“If it doesn’t hit land and stays off the coast before hitting us, that’s the biggest fear,” Irwin said.