Business & Tech

Irene's Visit Prompts Lots of Boat Hauling Action

Outboard Barn has been working overtime since Thursday to get local residents' boats to safety from impending hurricane.

To say Jimmy Roy has been busy this week would be the understatement of the Hurricane season.

The owner of Outboard Barn in Babylon Village has been hauling boats out of Irene’s way since Thursday as residents seek to secure marine vessels.

“The calls started coming Thursday and we haven’t stopped since,” said Roy who had pulled about 30 boats into his marina by mid day Friday.

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“This isn’t our normal activity at this time of the season,” he noted with a smile, adding he hasn’t had to do such hauling work since Hurricane Gloria in 1985.

It was hard to imagine, given Friday’s glorious weather, that a category 1 storm was heading straight for Long Island come Sunday morning. Roy, who has run the marina on Post Avenue for 38 years, began his career in marine services as a 19-year-old.

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Outboard Barn stores about 100 boats during the winter season and Roy expected most would be pulled out to safety by end of Saturday and will likely all go back in for a few more weeks of use after Irene passes through.

For boat owners who can’t get their boats hauled in time there isn’t much to do except secure vessels tightly with ropes.

“And make the sign of the cross,” said Roy.


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