Tracking Elsa: Boaters doubling down lines, marina crews staying overnight in preparation for Elsa

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — Boaters at Black Creek Marina aren’t taking any chances ahead of Hurricane Elsa.

>>TRACKING ELSA: Live updates and latest forecast

They’re doubling down the lines and securing their vessels before the storm.

Jon Hamilton, the owner of Black Creek Marina, said, “Biggest concern right now, of course, is high wind and high water. The water is probably our biggest threat. We get a lot of high wind here.”

Hamilton said they’ve been taking every big storm seriously ever since Hurricane Irma in 2017.

“Irma — it was so bad. We had boats actually going through the dock. ... Anything that wasn’t nailed down was leaving. We saw boat docks floating by. It was a mess. So knock on wood that won’t happen this time,” he said.

But just in case it does, Hamilton and his crew are staying through the night to keep an eye on the boats.

“The dockmaster Jay will be watching everything, and we retie everything as they break. You can hear it if it gets bad and starts snapping,” Hamilton said.

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