If you keep a boat anywhere in SWFL, hurricane season is the part of the year that decides whether you still own a boat in December. Lee County learned that in September 2022. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, more than 7,000 vessels were damaged or destroyed across the county during Hurricane Ian. Many of them were “secured.” Some were tied to docks that didn’t exist by Thursday morning. Others ended up stacked in the mangroves off San Carlos Boulevard.

We watched it happen from our spot on Fisherman’s Wharf. The boats that came through best weren’t the most expensive ones or the ones with the fanciest knots. They were the ones whose owners decided early, got the boat inside something built for a 200 mph wind, and went home. That’s the lens this guide is written through.

Here’s the checklist we give Gulf Star Marina members, what we tell first-time SWFL owners about storm prep, and an honest take on when a wet slip is fine and when it isn’t.

Why Hurricane Prep on Fort Myers Beach Is Different

Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Peak risk for our part of the Gulf Coast is mid-August through late October, with September historically the most active month.

Storm surge, not wind, is what sinks most boats in Southwest Florida. Fort Myers Beach sits on Estero Island, a barrier island that runs along the open Gulf. When a major storm pushes water across the bay, it doesn’t matter how hard you tied off if your dock no longer exists. Ian pushed 10 to 15 feet of surge into parts of Fort Myers Beach. Almost nothing in a wet slip survived that.

The other risk people underrate is each other. A boat across the basin breaking loose becomes a battering ram for everyone downwind of it. You can rig the most over-engineered tie-down setup on the coast, and if the 38-footer four slips over isn’t tied as well, your boat pays for it. This is one of the main reasons our owners chose indoor storage in the first place. Inside a concrete building, your boat is not in a fight with anyone else’s boat.

Start Early. Don’t Wait for a Cone.

The single most common mistake we see is owners who try to figure out their storm plan after a named system is already in the Gulf. By then, every hurricane-rated dry stack from Punta Gorda to Naples is full, every haul-out yard is booked, and the marinas still taking calls are the ones you probably don’t want.

A workable timeline for SWFL owners looks like this:

• April: Confirm insurance is current and includes named-storm coverage. Reserve your storm storage spot if you don’t have one.
• May: Pre-season inspection on lines, cleats, batteries, bilge pumps, trailer, and any tie-down gear you’d use.
• June 1: Season opens. Your storm kit is staged. You have a written plan.
• 72 hours pre-landfall: Execute the plan. Haul out, move into storage, or finalize tie-downs.
• 24 hours pre-landfall: Last walk-through, take final photos for insurance, and leave.

If a storm is in the cone and you’re still deciding what to do with your boat, you’re already behind.

The Fort Myers Boat Hurricane Checklist

Documentation and insurance

• Verify your policy covers named-storm damage. Some policies in Florida exclude it or require a separate hurricane rider.
• Ask your agent specifically whether haul-out costs are reimbursable. Many policies in Lee County will cover this if you submit the paperwork.
• Photograph and video every part of the boat: hull, engine, interior, electronics. Store the files in the cloud, not on the boat.
• Keep the Hull Identification Number, registration, and title in a waterproof folder at home.
• Save phone numbers for your marina, your insurance agent, the Coast Guard, and Lee County Emergency Management somewhere you can reach without power.

Boat preparation

• Strip everything that catches wind. Biminis, canvas, antennas, outriggers, removable electronics, deck gear.
• Top off fuel tanks. Reduces condensation and adds stabilizing weight.
• Fully charge batteries. If the boat will sit unattended for several days, disconnect them.
• Close all seacocks except cockpit drains.
• Test bilge pumps and clean the float switches.
• Seal or tape every opening that wind-driven rain can find. Hatches, lockers, exhaust ports, intakes.

If your boat has to ride it out in the water

If you can’t get to indoor storage or trailer out, the goal is redundancy and chafe protection.

• Double every line, and use longer lines than seem necessary so the boat can rise with surge.
• Run crossing spring lines to keep the boat centered.
• Use chafe gear at every contact point. Fire hose works in a pinch.
• Look at the pilings themselves. A perfectly tied boat on a rotted piling is a lost boat.
• Set extra fenders, but understand fenders fail in real storms. They are a backup, not a plan.

We will say this directly. A wet slip with doubled lines is a last-resort plan for a major hurricane, not a primary one. If you have any other option, take it.

If you’re trailering inland

• Pre-season inspection on tires, bearings, lights, and the hitch.
• Strap the boat to the trailer with multiple ratchet straps.
• Park inland, on higher ground, away from trees and power lines.
• Block the trailer wheels.
• Anchor the trailer itself. Helical screws or ground anchors if you have them.

Why Indoor Storage Is the Honest Answer in SWFL

Our bias is on the table. We’re a dry stack marina. But here’s why we built Gulf Star the way we built it, and why we still think it’s the right call for almost every owner on Estero Island and the surrounding bays.

Storm surge is what sinks boats. A concrete building doesn’t sink. Gulf Star Marina was built with concrete tilt-up construction, rated for sustained winds of 200 mph. That’s a Category 5 rating with margin built in. Our walls are 64 concrete panels, the heaviest weighing a quarter of a million pounds. The structure replaced a 1970s steel barn that had no business being on the same parcel during a real storm.

Wind-borne debris is the second sinker. In a real hurricane, the air is full of metal roofing, dock boards, palm fronds, and pieces of other people’s boats. An enclosed concrete building keeps that off your hull, your glass, and your electronics.

The third risk is the one most owners forget about. Other people’s boats. Inside the building, your boat sits in its own concrete cubicle. Nothing above it can drip on it, fall on it, or come loose and slam into it. That’s not marketing. That’s the actual physics of how dry stack storage protects a vessel during a storm, and it’s the reason the building exists.

A few honest questions to ask any hurricane-rated facility before you sign:

• What is the building’s wind rating, in writing?
• What’s the construction? Steel barns from the 70s and 80s are not the same as modern concrete tilt-up.
• How does the facility handle a named-storm haul-out for existing slip holders versus walk-in boats?
• What’s the elevation, and how did the facility perform during Hurricane Ian?
• Can the facility produce the documentation your insurance company needs for reimbursement?

If a marina can’t answer those clearly, that’s your answer.

The Mistakes We See Every Season

These come up year after year. Don’t make them.

Waiting to decide. “I’ll watch and see” is not a plan. The good storage fills before the cone narrows.

Leaving the boat on a lift. Lifts are not designed for storm surge. Most insurance underwriters and marine professionals will tell you to remove a boat from the lift before a hurricane, not strap it down to one.

Single points of failure. One line, one anchor, one strap. Real storm prep is redundant on purpose.

Forgetting about the trailer. A boat ratchet-strapped to a trailer that isn’t itself anchored is still a boat that can roll across a yard.

Trying to ride it out on board. Don’t. The Coast Guard, Lee County Emergency Management, and every marina operator on the coast will tell you the same thing. Boats are replaceable. You aren’t.

When to Pull the Trigger

If a hurricane watch is issued for Lee County, your storm plan should already be moving. By the time a warning is issued, which is roughly 36 hours before tropical storm conditions arrive, you should be finishing, not starting.

If your plan depends on a marina hauling your boat, call the day a named system enters the Gulf. Not the day before landfall. Hurricane-rated facilities prioritize existing slip holders first. Walk-ins come second, if there’s room. Most years on Fort Myers Beach, there isn’t.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does hurricane season start in Fort Myers? Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. Peak risk for Southwest Florida is mid-August through late October, with September historically the most active month.

Is indoor boat storage really safer than a wet slip during a hurricane? In SWFL, yes. A hurricane-rated concrete building protects against storm surge and runaway vessels from neighboring slips, which is what sinks most boats in our area. Wet slips with doubled lines should be a last resort, not a primary plan.

How early should I reserve hurricane boat storage in Fort Myers? Before April if possible. Demand spikes in May and June. Once a storm is forecast, it’s almost always too late.

Does insurance cover the cost of hauling my boat before a hurricane? Often, yes. Many marine policies in Florida reimburse haul-out costs with proper documentation. Call your agent before storm season to confirm what’s covered and what paperwork you’ll need to file a claim.

What should I do with my boat if I can’t get indoor storage? The next best options are trailering inland to higher ground or hauling to a yard for cradle storage on jack stands. Wet-slip storage with doubled lines should be a last resort.

Can I stay on my boat during a hurricane? No. Evacuate. The U.S. Coast Guard, Lee County Emergency Management, and every credible marina on the coast will tell you the same thing.

A Note From the Team at Gulf Star Marina

Gulf Star Marina is on Fisherman’s Wharf on San Carlos Island, at the foot of the Matanzas Pass Bridge. We’re the world’s first fully automated dry stack marina. Our building was designed for the storms that hit this coast. If you want to talk through your storm plan, see the building, or check availability for the upcoming season, give us a call or stop by. Hurricane season comes every year. Better to figure it out in early than frantically trying to find a solution the night before landfall.