With predictions of another active hurricane season, Nanny Cay is boosting its slate of precautionary measures in the boatyard. All catamarans stored in the boatyard are now being tied down as a means of added security.

Published 11 years ago, updated 5 years ago

Greater security is now in place for catamarans stored at the Nanny Cay Boatyard. In addition to recently acquired cat cradles from ‘Yacht Leg & Cradle Company’, Nanny Cay has now added tie-downs secured with five-foot sand screws to its list of safety measures.

The implementation of the new technique coincides with the start of the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which is predicted to be an active one.

Boatyard Manager Keith LiGreci said: “Cats flip quite easily. It is an inherent problem because of their design. Tie-down adds an extra layer of security and stability, helping the boats be better able to withstand a storm.”

LiGreci hopes the new measure will be particularly comforting for boat owners from the United States who would have witnessed the record-setting $650 million worth of damage to 65,000 recreational boats caused by Hurricane Sandy when it pounded the eastern coast last year.

LiGreci has observed the practice at several boatyards in Florida, an area that is also vulnerable to tropical storm systems.

“We’re basically replicating the good examples I’ve observed. This year, we are doing all the catamarans; next year all monohulls over a certain size will be tied-down. Eventually, we will have all boats stored in the Nanny Cay boatyard tied-down,” LiGreci added.

He is optimistic that the new safety measures will help Nanny Cay maintain its already perfect safety record.

“We have fared very well at Nanny Cay. I’ve been here seven years and while we have experienced a few storms, we have never had a damaged boat. That track record speaks volumes and we want to protect it.”

In addition to the new catamaran safety measures, Nanny Cay offers a similar highly secure cradle storage system for monohullls that has earned it status as an approved hurricane storage facility by Pantaenius, one of the world’s leading insurer of luxury yachts.

The cradle system also features five-foot long sand screws that provide additional security for stabilizing the yachts in the face of hurricane conditions. The cradle and yacht can sustain wind gusts of up to 147 mph. The cradles which are built up around the boat and bolted together can be adjusted to fit any size and type of vessel.

With the recent reclamation of land at Nanny Cay, the boatyard can now store 310 yachts including 70 catamarans. However, LiGreci reports that the boatyard is already fully booked for the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane season.

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