Trailer or Slip ?

[BULLWARKS]

Alright I am now faced with the choice of continuing to trailer or renting a slip.<br /><br />I bought the boat last June and fished lakes in NJ, NY, VT, PA & VA. This year I will be fishing basically NJ & will spend 2 wks on Vac in VA.<br /><br />On the surface it seems keeping the boat in a slip will make it easier to fish, save gas (about 45 min ride to lake) and save wear & tear on the vehicle. A no brainer right?<br /><br />Well, how do I guarantee the bilge pump will work in rain storms? Do I clean the hull ONLY at the end of the season? Will Algie build-up and make end season clean-up realy hard. Am I being ridiculous?<br /><br />What are the pros & cons as you see them?

 

[dmarkvid2]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

Bull, There is no guarantee that both wheels will stay on the trailer eirther as you're going down the interstate, but chances are they will. I think that if everything is in good working order IE: good battery and wires so there is no short to drain the battery, and bilge pump you shouldn't have a problem. The pump doesn't draw all that much from the battery. It would have to rain 24/7 for a week. And its a good idea to cover the boat when you're not on it. Covering the boat will keep out 95% of the water.(no brainer, right?) If you paint the bottom with a good anti-fowling paint, you shouldn't have too much to worry about. Its hard to really clean the hull while the boats in the water. And yes,,, you are being ridiculous.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

Slip stowage is very hard on a boat because it is always exposed to the water in an aquatic environment. Hands down I would trailer it even if you rent a shed close to the lake and stick the boat and trailer in that. If you are willing to pay slip rental what's the difference in shed rental?<br /><br />Mark

 

[whblaylock]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

Bull if you got a boat that you don't really care about as far as water, weather and sun damage is concerned leave it out. If you got a nice, she looks like new, boat that you want to keep that way, trailer. Next time at the lake look around you can easily tell whose boat has been left out in the elements and whose hasn't. When I was faced with that I could leave mine in a closed dry storage area and they put it in for me but it was worth the extra. wh

 

[JB]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

I want my boat close by, not sitting in a slip somewhere relatively unsupervised.<br /><br />The bux saved by fueling the boat at a service station vs. a marina will pay for the extra gas used towing to the marina.<br /><br />A boat is vulnerable to damage and pilfering in a slip, not to mention aquatic growth. At least in my yard it is watched.<br /><br />And, finally, if I have a spontaneous desire to go fish where the boat isn't all I have to do is hook up and go.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

JB, 10-4 on all counts. I have the exact convictions.<br /><br />One additional. Sitting in the yard or at home however it is, I can look at it when I want, service it when desired, load it for the next trip when desired, and just sit in it and drink a beer when I don't want to go fishing but want to just think about it. Grin<br /><br />Mark

 

[Terry Olson]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

You'd be surprised at how easily a boat can be sunk in a rainstorm, even with a float switch operated bilge pump. It doesn't have to rain all that hard to outpace most bilge pumps. It's not how long your battery system can run the pump but rather how fast your pump cam remove the accumulating water. How many times a season do you have one of those 2 inch per hour rain storms? That's a lot of gallons of water in a short period of time.

 

[BULLWARKS]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

OK,<br /><br />Think I'll keep it on the trailer!<br /><br />Thank you all for the posts - This site is EXCELLENT !

 

[jch7450]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

How ever being a marina owner, I have say slip it!

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

We understand your reasoning jc. Don't blame you. Grin<br /><br />Mark

 

[Solittle]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

I had mine in a marina a while back for a year. It was about an hour away (Key Largo, Fl). What we found was we would want to use the boat but would want to go someplace other than the Keys. Also I would go down to work on the boat, go at it for 1/2 hour and discover that I needed something that was in the gargage. It now sits on the trailer along side of the house. Last Monday we took our grandson to Elliott Key that we would not have been able to do if it were still in Key Largo.

 

[wvit100]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

It would have to be an awful lot of rain to sink a boat. A 2" / hr storm would have to go on for all day and those type of storms usually only last for a few minutes.<br /><br />From the instances I've seen what sinks boat is something comes loose or the bellows start leaking. The pump works until the battery dies and then the boat sinks.<br /><br />This doesn't happen very often. The marina I keep my boat at hasn't had any boats to sink in the 4 years I've been there.<br /><br />I kept mine in the water one year. Now I keep it in dry storage. The one year it was kept in the water aged it. Everything suffers from the vinyl to the outdrive. It's worth the extra money to keep it in the building.

 

[DangerDan]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

I usually keep my boat trailered and covered in a storage lot close to the launch. The price is right, security is good and I still have 24 hour access to my boat. The best of both worlds. Perhaps something you could consider.

 

[wvit100]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

It would have to be an awful lot of rain to sink a boat. A 2" / hr storm would have to go on for all day and those type of storms usually only last for a few minutes.<br /><br />From the instances I've seen what sinks boat is something comes loose or the bellows start leaking. The pump works until the battery dies and then the boat sinks.<br /><br />This doesn't happen very often. The marina I keep my boat at hasn't had any boats to sink in the 4 years I've been there.<br /><br />I kept mine in the water one year. Now I keep it in dry storage. The one year it was kept in the water aged it. Everything suffers from the vinyl to the outdrive. It's worth the extra money to keep it in the building.

 

[alden135]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

Don't forget about the tide changes.(if doing salt)<br /><br />Where I boat, if you trailer there is a window you have to hit to get the boat in/out. <br /><br />Having to play the tide game is a real PITA, at least where I'm at.<br /><br />Food for thought.

 

[BULLWARKS]

Re: Trailer or Slip ?

Thanks all,<br /><br />I've decided to keep the boat on th trailer at home for now. I like to clean, polish, and check things and I can best do that at home. <br /><br />At least if the weather prohibits boating, I can work on the boat or as Tex says, just sit in it and have a beer!