It's been a busy 48 hours for boaters as people throughout Palm Beach County prepare for Hurricane Milton.
"Right now we're just keeping a close eye with every advisory that comes out, we would hate to have boats leave or force them to leave if we get just tropical force storm winds. It is a big expense for people to have their boats hauled out," said Shannon Carnahan with Sailfish Marina & Resort.
She said right now it's up to the discretion of the boat owners whether they want to leave, but she said the majority are leaving out of precaution.
"This is what you have to deal with, it's a hassle yet expected," said boat captain Randy Yates, who manages some boats at Sailfish Marina.
He said he's removed one of his boats but is relocating another to a larger dock.
"Unfortunately, there's too many boats and not enough places to put them, so then again we have to move the boats either south, north, tie them up here. It's a big decision and there's certainly weather coming," said Yates.
While at the marina, WPTV saw a couple of boats leaving, as well as crews preparing their boats to possibly ride out the storm.
According to the marina, the two biggest concerns are the storm surge and the derelict boats that are out on the water.
"We've had hurricanes where sailboats wash up to our parking lot, destroyed our docks before so they're basically missiles during these storms," said Carnahan.
Yates said in the past, the derelict boats have also cause damage on his vessels.
"The docks were collapsed and one of the pilings got pushed over and it actually leaned on one of my vessels," said Yates. "There's really nobody taking care of these boats and they basically become missiles or bombs for this marina that can absolutely wipe out boats and the docks at the same time, and there's zero regulations for this."
Sailfish Marina said there’s a few things to do if you're keeping your boat docked.
Make sure your boat is tied down properly, remove any loose items and have your fenders ready.
The marina said if a hurricane watch is issued, all boats will be required to leave the marina.
TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide
