Hurricane season is here. Move your boat before the rush.

Hurricane season is here again. June 1 marks the start, and it runs all the way to November 30. For Lowcountry boat owners, that means it's time to think seriously about protecting the boat. We live in a beautiful place, surrounded by marsh creeks and tidal rivers, but we also know what a named storm can do to our coast.

Waiting is a gamble

You might think you have plenty of time. A storm is still out in the Atlantic, just a swirl on the map. But that's exactly the wrong time to start making calls. When a storm gets a name and starts heading our way, everyone calls at once. Haulers book out fast. Marinas jam up with boats trying to get pulled. And if you're on Edisto or Folly Beach, you know there's one main road off the island. Picture the gridlock when everyone tries to leave at the same time, with your boat still in the water.

What hurricane hauling involves

Moving a boat ahead of a storm isn't just a tow. First the boat comes out of the water and onto a trailer, at a ramp or a marina like the ones around Bohicket or Edisto. Then the boat travels to a safe inland spot: a storage yard, a friend's upland property, or your own yard if it sits high and dry. Once it's there, it gets blocked and strapped down so it can stand up to wind and water, not left loose for the storm to pick up.

Make your storm plan now

The best protection is a plan made before the season gets serious.

First, know exactly where your boat will go. An inland storage spot, a friend's high ground, your own yard. Figure it out now and confirm the space.

Second, know who's moving it. Don't wait until the last minute to call around. Talk to a hauler now and understand their process.

Third, set your trigger. Don't wait for a mandatory evacuation order. By then it's usually too late to move a boat safely. Watch the forecasts, and when a storm looks like it's coming our way, make the call early.

Fourth, keep the trailer roadworthy all season. Tires, lights, bearings. A trailer breakdown during an evacuation is the last thing anyone needs.

What happens to boats that stay

We've seen it too many times. Boats left in the water or on lifts don't fare well in surge. King tides plus storm surge can lift a boat off its blocks, smash it against a dock, or carry it deep into a marsh creek. Even boats on lifts get swamped or torn loose. The damage can be total, and the recovery afterward is complicated and expensive.

How tow companies triage in a storm

Here's the honest part. When a named storm is bearing down, tow companies triage. Emergencies and evacuations come first, and pre-booked scheduled moves get priority over last-minute panic calls. That's not a sales line, it's just the reality of a small number of trucks and a lot of people who waited. Booking early is the whole game.

One more reason to plan: many insurance policies require documented storm preparation for coverage to hold up. Check your policy now, not in October.

We got reminders with Irma and Dorian of how fast things change. Don't wait for the next one to be a direct hit. Take a few minutes this week and make the boat's storm plan. If you want help figuring out the haul, call Mitchell's Towing & Recovery at (843) 813-6335 and we'll talk through it.