In one of most active hurricane seasons on record and with over a month still remaining, Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne have left an indelible mark on recreational boaters from Louisiana to Florida's Atlantic Coast — and even as far north as some Great Lakes states. According to the Boat Owners Association of The United States, the damage to all recreational vessels for these four storms totals $680 million.

The individual storm dollar damage breakdown is: Hurricane Charley: $130 million; Hurricane Frances: $300 million; Hurricane Ivan: $150 million; and Hurricane Jeanne: $100 million (these figures do not include damage to commercial vessels, marinas or other infrastructure). Forecasters said a stagnant weather pattern — a big high pressure system over the East Coast — prevented storms from heading safely out into the Atlantic and instead forced them into the Gulf and inland.

In a historical perspective, the total recreational boat damages of these four storms surpasses the $500 million mark attributed to 1992's Hurricane Andrew. The Association also reports that on average, those vessels that had hurricane plans in place prior to a storm's arrival fared much better than those whose owners waited until the last minute or neglected to take precautions.

Hurricane Charley was the season's first major storm when it struck Florida's east coast near Port Charlotte on Monday, August 13 with winds reaching 145 mph. According to Fla.orida's Emergency Operations Center, Charley was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the state since Hurricane Andrew. However, the swift moving Category 4 storm's narrow track struck few marinas, while vessels tied up at residences on the region's miles of canals took the brunt of the storm. Another factor limiting losses was that Fla.orida's west coast also has more trailerable vessels that were easier to keep out of harms way.

Hurricane Frances made landfall about three weeks later early on Sundaymorning, September 5 near Stuart, Fla. as a Category 2 storm with winds over 100 mph. While it had weakened by the time it hit land, the storm's size — about twice as big as Charley — combined with a slower track and a greater concentration of larger vessels laying in its path proved to be the most costly storm to hit boaters this season. Many marinas and dry stack facilities incurred great damage. Little did anyone know that Frances would not be the last storm to target Florida's Treasure Coast in 2004.

On Thursday, September 16, Hurricane Ivan struck Gulf Shores, Alabama causing widespread damage in Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle with 130 mph winds. However, it's believed that Ivan brought the highest levels of storm surge — the leading factor in recreational boat losses — as compared to the season's three other hurricanes. The Gulf's shallow underwater approaches exacerbated problems by forcing surge and large waves over barrier islands. Damaged bridges and the temporary closure of the Gulf ICW compounded salvage and recovery efforts in some areas while the effects of the Category 3 storm were felt as far north as Pennsylvania and Ohio as rain swollen rivers ripped boat-laden docks from their anchorages and sent them careening downstream.

The most recent major storm, Hurricane Jeanne, struck Florida's Treasure Coast 10 minutes before midnight on Saturday, September 25 as a Category 3 storm, packing 115 mph winds. Ironically, Jeanne struck the coast at nearly the same point as Hurricane Frances — which may have limited further damages to recreational boats. BoatU.S. believes that by the time Jeanne came ashore — three weeks after Frances - many boats had already been moved out of harms way or had been previously salvaged, or that boaters had fully embraced precautionary measures such as doubling or tripling of dock lines and removing windage.

The Boat Owners Association of The United States expects boating in Florida to bounce back. "Florida remains a world-class boating destination providing hundreds of thousands of recreational boaters with an appealing lifestyle," said BoatU.S. president Jim Ellis. "It's only a matter of time before the boating infrastructure and services return," he said.