Preparing Your Yacht Rig for South Pacific Cyclone Season

Cyclone season in the South Pacific runs from November through April, with peak risk between January and March. Whether you're hauling out, tying up in a cyclone hole, or staying aboard, your rigging preparation can make the difference between weathering a storm and losing your mast.

Before the Season: Pre-Cyclone Rig Checklist

If You're Staying in the Water

Reduce windage early. Remove sails, canvas, awnings, flags, and loose deck equipment rather than relying on lashings alone. Secure the boom, centre or isolate halyards so they cannot beat against the mast, protect every line from chafe, and arrange mooring lines for the expected wind shifts and surge. Follow the marina or cyclone-hole plan, including its required line sizes, anchors, and evacuation timing.

If You're Hauling Out

Confirm the yard's cyclone procedure well before haul-out. The vessel, cradle, stands, ground anchors, and tie-downs must be treated as one system. Removing the mast can greatly reduce windage when the yard and vessel setup permit it; if it remains stepped, remove sails and canvas and secure all running rigging. Only the yard should position or alter stands and tie-down points.

Essential Pre-Season Checks

Inspect visible standing-rigging terminals, chainplates, turnbuckles, pins, mast fittings, and spreaders. Replace chafed or sun-damaged lines, confirm halyards can be secured away from the mast, and check that furling sails can be removed without a last-minute repair. Photograph the rig and deck setup so you have a condition record before the season.

During a Cyclone Warning

Work from a written checklist and finish early enough to leave safely. Remove the remaining windage, add and equalise approved mooring lines, install chafe protection, secure all movable gear, and make a final walk around the vessel. Do not climb the mast once conditions deteriorate. Follow official warnings, harbour directions, and the marina's evacuation plan.

After the Storm: Post-Cyclone Rig Assessment

Begin from deck level only after the area has been declared safe. Look for changed rig tension, bent spreaders, displaced chainplates, cracked or distorted terminals, loose fasteners, damaged furlers, and severe line chafe. If the mast has moved, the vessel was struck, or any fitting is suspect, do not load the rig or sail until it has been professionally assessed.

Cyclone Insurance and Your Rigging

Cyclone cover, named-storm plans, geographical limits, and survey requirements vary by policy. Read the policy conditions before the season and ask the insurer or broker to clarify anything uncertain. Keep dated photographs, invoices, survey reports, and a copy of your preparation plan as evidence of maintenance and storm preparation.