Dear readers,

It has now been two years since a storm surge in the Baltic Sea caused severe damage in several harbours, particularly on the Schleswig-Holstein coast. In the Olympic harbour in Kiel-Schilksee alone, 48 yachts sank to the bottom and the jetties and stone piers were completely destroyed in some cases. The reconstruction work in Kiel cost several million euros.

The harbour at Damp was hit even harder. It has still not been restored to this day. One We published a report on the events of that time at the beginning of this week.

A similarly destructive weather event did not occur on the German coasts last autumn/winter. Nevertheless, a severe storm could hit the North Sea or Baltic Sea again at any time and pose a threat to harbours and towns - and of course to coastal residents.

This makes it all the more astonishing that quite a few boat owners continue to more or less leave their boats in the harbour to their own devices, even when there is a lot of wind and strongly fluctuating water levels.

Just last week, the water level in several harbours in the western part of the Baltic Sea dropped rapidly due to persistent strong winds. Shortly afterwards, photos circulated on Facebook of yachts almost hanging in the air in mooring lines that were set far too tightly as the water under their keels receded. One or two boat owners need not have been surprised to see cleats torn out.

There may be understandable reasons for not being able to check the boat when a storm is approaching. In other words, to check the position of the fenders and the tarpaulins or to adjust the length of the mooring lines. For example, because the journey to the boat would be long or you are unable to make it to the harbour because of a tight schedule.

And yet: ownership is an obligation!

After all, it's not just about your own yacht, but also about those of your neighbours. During the storm surge mentioned at the beginning, many ships were damaged because some boats were not properly moored. They broke loose, drifted and crashed into other yachts.

Too long a journey or scheduling reasons should not be arguments for not taking care of your ship in the harbour. If you can't do it yourself, it is often possible to ask others - or commission them - to check the fenders and lines in heavy weather. Whether it's acquaintances close to the harbour, neighbours living on board or the local boat service company.

The harbour master, on the other hand, should not be bothered with such a request. And certainly don't expect him to take action on his own initiative. It is simply not his job to deal with the failings of overly careless boat owners. Even though many harbour masters do it anyway - a big thank you to them at this point!

In addition to simple thoughtlessness or carelessness, a certain fully comprehensive mentality can unfortunately also be observed among some owners. The motto is: If something breaks on the boat in a storm, the insurance will pay for it. Selfish behaviour. Others end up footing the bill for this behaviour. Be it because insurance premiums rise for everyone as a result of increasing damage.

Or because your own ship is covered by hull insurance, but your neighbour's may not be. If the mooring lines of the insured ship break in a storm and the ship drifts onto the uninsured neighbouring berth and scrapes the ship's side, the injured party is stuck with the repair costs.

As the first owner is not formally at fault for breaking the mooring lines due to force majeure, he is not liable for the damage his boat causes to other boats. Lucky if you also have hull insurance!

More on the topic:

• Storm in the harbour: How to secure your yacht
• This wind pressure is generated on yachts during storms

You should always be aware of this the next time you turn a blind eye to an approaching storm and think that everything will work out somehow. And that, in case of doubt, the insurance company will cover the damage.

Incidentally, the above does not only apply to the time when the ship is in the water. Even in winter storage, you are not relieved of your responsibility as the owner. This is especially true if the ship is wintering in an external storage facility, possibly even with the mast standing.

Before a heavy storm, it should be a matter of course to check the position of the supports and the lashing of the tarpaulins and, if necessary, to secure the rig additionally. It is also best to do this if the boat is in a commercially operated winter storage facility on land and the storage operator is therefore responsible for the safe storage of the boats he has stored.

Unfortunately, not all storage operators are aware of the latter. Others try to shirk their responsibility by including appropriate exclusions in the winter storage contract - although they have little success in court, as the Hamburg Regional Court recently ruled. We had reported on this.

If everyone is aware of their responsibility and acts accordingly, everyone can sleep more peacefully. Even in storms. With this in mind: get you and your boat through the autumn and winter safely!

Pascal Schürmann

YACHT copywriter

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