Hurricane Helene left a lasting impact on Charlotte Harbor, with boats washed ashore a year ago. Three boats were stranded on land along Bayshore Road, with many more scattered across Charlotte County.

A local boater, John, recalled the moment he found his missing boat. 

"Buddy of mine called me this morning, I was over by the boat club -- The Punta Gorda Boat Club, and he was on this side of the bridge and said, 'I think I found your boat.' So, he sent me pictures, and sure enough, that was my boat," said John.

Randall and Shawna, who also experienced the storm's fury, shared their ordeal.

"I thought we were still out in the water. We were up to our knees in water and walked with the firemen up to the hill where we could make it safe," said Randall and Shawna.

The hurricane left many boaters uncertain about their next steps.

"Oh yeah," said Randall and Shawna when asked if the boat they were on was their home. "We don't know."

Randall and Shawna explained that the anchor on John's boat eventually pulled them ashore, which led to important lessons learned from the storm.

Captain Ralph Allen, owner of King Fisher Fleet in Punta Gorda, emphasized the importance of securing boats against weather conditions.

"You must defend against low water, high water, and high wind from any direction. A little bit of luck doesn't hurt," said Allen.

Captain Allen provided practical advice on how to prepare for future storms.

"Best suggestion is get away from stuff and use long, nearly horizontal lines tied to as many different things as possible on your boat and around your boat, so that if you lose a line, you still have other connection points, and you can survive the loss of one or two of those lines and still have your spiderweb lines around," said Allen.

Preparation is crucial, whether docked at a marina, secured in the water, or left on land.

"The biggest takeaway is that you've got to prepare for many different eventualities, because every storm is different, and you don't know what you're going to get until it's in the middle of it," said Allen.

The lessons from Hurricane Helene continue to resonate with Charlotte Harbor's boating community.

 WINK News looks back on the lasting impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Explore stories of recovery and resilience here.