Ah jeez, it's August already! By this time last year, we had tracked seven (7) named storms, including Emily, a Category 5 hurricane, and Dennis, a Category 4 hurricane! There were twenty-seven named storms in 2005, including four Category 5 hurricanes!  It seems we've been pretty fortunate this year -- at least, so far. Experts say that we're about 11 years into a cycle of very intense storms. No one is really sure how long the cycle will last, but most are pretty sure it will be at least another 10 years. That means that for those of us living in Hurricane Alley, securing boats (and homes) should be taken as a serious matter.

From all the destruction last year, some good news has emerged. Two years of hurricanes have given boaters and marina operators a lot of opportunity to evaluate which protection methods for boats and facilities worked the best. The main learning has been that the boater's best protection from damage to their boats is to get them out of the water. Boats and yachts that were stored ashore on blocks and tied down survived the storms virtually unscathed. But almost 100 percent of those boats left in the water at docks suffered some damage or sank.

Here are several great resource to help you keep your boat safe this season. Don't wait until it's too late!

• Keynoter.com - Prepping Your Boat
• Coast Guard Auxilary - How to Prepare Your Boat
• Boats.com - How To Tips

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