Last January, Cyclone Harry struck the Western Mediterranean, causing an unknown number of casualties along the European and African coasts (it is estimated that hundreds of migrants at sea off the coasts of Libya and Tunisia died). This terrible Mediterranean tropical cyclone also struck southern Italy, causing over 2 billion euros in damage. Among the infrastructure most severely affected were marinas, with boats sinking just a few meters from the docks, broken moorings, and boats swept away from their berths, and so on. There has been a lot of talk about this cyclone, not least because of the resulting landslide that swept away a section of Niscemi, in Sicily. But all boaters eager to prevent mooring damage should remember that this was just one of many extreme weather events that have struck our coasts in recent years. Consider, for example, the massive storm surge that swept away the small marina in Rapallo in 2018 and cut off Portofino, with waves over 10 meters high: many boats sank, and countless others were hurled onto the cliffs or onto dry land. But let’s also consider the medicane Ianos, which struck the Ionian Islands in 2020, or the storms of fall 2023 in Greece, or even the storm of 2024 between Ibiza and Formentera, where numerous boats ended up adrift or on the rocks. Climate risk is gradually increasing worldwide, and the Mediterranean is described by many experts as one of the planet’s main hotspots: it goes without saying that anyone who moors their boat along these coasts should act accordingly, minimizing the likelihood of sustaining damage.
What’s Happening in the Mediterranean
A paradise for travelers of all kinds, an exceptional sea for boating—in every season, no less: the Mediterranean seems tailor-made for recreational boating. Hence the abundance of boats, the large number of berths, and the many ports. In recent years, however, the situation has changed: as mentioned, the Mare Nostrum is experiencing the consequences of climate change in a particularly severe way, and this should prompt recreational boaters to manage the safety of their boats even more carefully to avoid damage while moored.
But what exactly is happening? It is increasingly common to speak of the “tropicalization” of the Mediterranean, with a gradual change in its thermal and ecological characteristics: the most obvious signs are the continuous rise in surface water temperatures, with increasingly frequent and alarming record highs.
There are many consequences of this process, starting with the biological ones, given that the species that have evolved in these waters are accustomed to lower temperatures; it is therefore not surprising that there has been a massive invasion of alien species thermophilic organisms, which come mainly from the Red Sea. And then there are them, the extreme weather events. Storms are becoming increasingly violent, and the likelihood of medicane and of weather-tsunami. The first term refers to a specific type of cyclone, similar to a hurricane, characterized by heavy rainfall and very strong waves; meteorological tsunamis, also known as robbery, indicate sudden fluctuations in sea level caused by rapid changes in pressure and wind.
How to Prevent Damage from Mooring: Choose a Protected Marina
This should be the first thing every boater thinks about: to minimize the risk of damage caused by mooring, the most important step is to choose a sheltered marina, and therefore a home port that can ensure a good night’s sleep. Of course, as we know, this is not—and cannot be—the only factor to consider when deciding where to moor your boat. The location should, in fact, be strategic so that you can use the boat frequently (and therefore not too far from home) so that I can to sail wherever you’d like. It’s also a good idea to assess the available maneuvering space, the amount of space on shore, the on-site amenities, and so on… but you should never overlook the boat’s safety.
If you have a choice—and we’re thinking especially of those looking for a berth for a superyacht, Ideally, one should moor in areas not affected by Mediterranean cyclones, based on what is shown on “historical” maps of extreme weather events. However, the specific location of the port makes all the difference: there are ports located along the coast with natural defenses reduced or even absent, whereas marine ones, on the other hand, are by definition safe harbors. Of course, we think about our Genoa Marina, Encircled by the harbor and the Town—and thus protected on all sides—and further shielded on the outer side by Genoa’s long breakwater. And that’s not all: for even greater safety, there are wide reinforced-concrete piers, built on stilts, to ensure that the waters around our berths remain even calmer.
How to Protect Your Boat with an Advanced Mooring System: Some Tips
As noted above, ports vary in their level of exposure and are located in areas with varying degrees of risk. There are also different seasons of the year and moorings of varying durations: it is therefore up to the boater, based on an analysis of their own situation and the actual risk, to decide on a case-by-case basis how safe and precautionary the mooring system should be.
The basic rules always remain the same, starting with the targeted preparation of the fenders and the proper securing of the lines (two at the stern and one at the bow for stern mooring, the most common method in the Mediterranean). For long-term mooring, or in anticipation of challenging weather conditions, it’s a good idea to take extra precautions. It’s essential to make sure that the cables are in good condition, replacing any worn mooring lines, taking care not to tighten them too much (to avoid increasing the risk of breakage) nor too little (which would allow the boat to pick up more speed between waves, increasing the potential for damage).
It’s also a good idea to check the suspension systems, which must be in perfect condition, keeping in mind that metal springs become completely ineffective when subjected to stress beyond a certain point—as they deform—and that rubber shock absorbers harden as they age. For this reason, hydraulic dampers are increasingly used on large yachts, as they perform optimally even in extreme conditions.
It is also important to be able to regularly check the condition of the mooring and the boat: in a marina like ours, you can count on the constant presence of one or more staff members, while those who moor at unstaffed docking areas—as well as those who want to stay updated in real time—might want to consider remote monitoring systems.