In-season in-water storage

[mavryk]

I am looking to buy my first bowrider/powerboat. I will be living in SE Iowa on the Mississippi River for the next 2-3 years, and plan to rent a slip at the marina so I do have to hassle with trailering and launching for quick evening runs after work. The marinas in the area do not offer in-season dry storage, as far as I know. How often should I pull the boat out of the water during the season to clean and check the hull over? Would once a month be sufficient?

Thanks

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: In-season in-water storage

I am in fresh water and its February to November on mine, I may pull it out to do some work in the parking lot or drag it to a car wash to clean the carpet, but other than that it stays on a wet slip.

 

[Opnine99]

Re: In-season in-water storage

I leave mine in a covered wet slip year round, every November I have her winterized and every March I have her dewinterized and when the marina does so all aspects are serviced and have had no issues thus far. During the season all I do is check the oil regularly, keep her gassed, and scrub her down after every outing. During each service I have them put her on the lift and scrub top to bottom before tucking her back in to the slip.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: In-season in-water storage

talk to your locals about whether you need bottom paint for your water. In salt water you do.

You will love having it in the water--that's what boats are made for. You'll get 10x the use. You are fortuneate.

 

[mavryk]

Re: In-season in-water storage

Not too worried about salt water.... I'm a lonnngggg way from the Gulf here. I was concerned about the water from the Mississippi scummming up the finish below the waterline if I don't pull it out to wash it on occasion. Should I be concerned about this? Or would any discoloration be taken care of by a good cleaning/buffing/polishing when she comes out in the fall for winterizing and dry storage?

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: In-season in-water storage

I would pull it out after the first month and check it out. The advice about what the neighbors do is good advice.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: In-season in-water storage

Mine will have a nice green algae growth after about a mouth or so, it wipes off with a reg, I wipe it off a few times over the summer while beached up some place, it dosnt hurt any thing just looks bad. Their some boats at my marine that haven't been pulled out in 5 years.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: In-season in-water storage

you may end up with staining below the waterline but the fish don't care, so why should you? The only issue is growth that slows you down--that's why you need local advice.

And I don't go for the line of "thinking" that fiberglas isn't waterproof although there are some around here who do. If it were true, the bottoms of the lakes would be full of boats.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: In-season in-water storage

Not too worried about salt water.... I'm a lonnngggg way from the Gulf here. I was concerned about the water from the Mississippi scummming up the finish below the waterline if I don't pull it out to wash it on occasion. Should I be concerned about this? Or would any discoloration be taken care of by a good cleaning/buffing/polishing when she comes out in the fall for winterizing and dry storage?

The bottom will have a nice rusty look to it. The water in the Mississippi is pretty nasty and scums up the boat even in one day.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: In-season in-water storage

Not too worried about salt water.... I'm a lonnngggg way from the Gulf here. I was concerned about the water from the Mississippi scummming up the finish below the waterline if I don't pull it out to wash it on occasion. Should I be concerned about this? Or would any discoloration be taken care of by a good cleaning/buffing/polishing when she comes out in the fall for winterizing and dry storage?

If you are concerned about how the bottom looks, you might want to reconsider slipping. Doesn't matter how often you pull it out, its going to be scummy and covered with algae. At least up here on the missouri, boats that are slipped all season come out 'furry'.

 

[lakegeorge]

Re: In-season in-water storage

Not too worried about salt water.... I'm a lonnngggg way from the Gulf here. I was concerned about the water from the Mississippi scummming up the finish below the waterline if I don't pull it out to wash it on occasion. Should I be concerned about this? Or would any discoloration be taken care of by a good cleaning/buffing/polishing when she comes out in the fall for winterizing and dry storage?

I would put a coat of bottom paint on it and once a month when swimming clean the bottom with a scrub brush. I have done this for years and it always worked.
It's very hard buffing & polishing the bottom of a boat and fiberglass is porous and darn near impossible to get the scum stains out.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: In-season in-water storage

Yes and that 'furry' stuff is ugly. Slows the boat, wastes fuel too. I never liked a painted bottom as once done not only does it mahe the boat look ugly but in many places drops resale value too. Once done painting becomes a repetitive process and expense. I like mine at the indoor dry slip I bought, nothing grows on the bottom and no bird poop on top.

If you are concerned about how the bottom looks, you might want to reconsider slipping. Doesn't matter how often you pull it out, its going to be scummy and covered with algae. At least up here on the missouri, boats that are slipped all season come out 'furry'.