Leaving my boat in the water all season

[F14CRAZY]

Due to family problems, the family cottage is being put up for sale. During the Michigan boating season I keep my Bayliner there under a carport and use that as my base, towing it to wherever in northern Michigan. Its worked out alright since I don't have to tow it home which is about 3 hours south of the cottage, and I always take the boat north of the cottage anyway.

I've been considering renting a slip for the season (haven't decided where yet) and keep my boat there. I have a factory canopy and camper top so it'll stay dry and I have no doubts in my vessel's watertight-ness. Sterndrive boot is good, new seals, etc etc.

What are the cons of keeping the my boat in the water for a few months? Will it ruin the gelcoat? One of my buddies is certain that it'll get a nasty algae buildup that will never come off.

Anything else I should know? Since the cottage will be gone ( ) it'd be nice to have a "base" of sorts up north anyway

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

I am not a great believer in bottom paint but what I do as I dock on Lake St Clair and it gets a good amount of algae build up over time is pull it out regularly for a power wash. Usually it comes out about once a month anyway when we go elsewhere for a long weekend or vacation. Takes about 10 to 15 minutes to do. If you don't have a power washer available trailer it to a car wash and do it there. A good wax job slows it down as well.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

Ayuh,... The Slime comes off Real Easy,... If it's power washed immediately when hauled...
The next day, you might as well wait til spring when it'll rub off...

A secured storage lot might work out better for you, with the history you've stated...

 

[rjwoodrome]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

I guess you will be ok as long as your bilge pump and battery hold out. Is'nt there a yard with space to rent in your area? they are every where around our lakes here and dont seem to be expensive either. Sorry I dont think I could be comfortable storing mine long term even if the outdrive boot is in solid condition. but maybe I worry too much.. Rich W

 

[truckermatt]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

in the marina's around my part people with i/o boats store the in the water all summer and have no problems.... Expect the algae, but that comes off.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

I do not know what a marina slip would cost there but, I would be asking around and renting a parking spot in someones yard for far less money.....

The hull will stay cleaner too!

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

thanks for the points guys. It sounds like algae build up isn't that much of a problem.

I'm planning on installing a shore power setup (that's right, on a 19' ) so the battery would be kept charged to keep the bilge pump active. It'd seem like a good idea to install an extra in case the primary decided to crap out.

I'll look into a storage lot in the area too. Do you suppose they would allow me to set up my 10x20' carport? I usually have that plus the snap on cover, with the bow tilted up and plug removed.

The seasonal slip idea was also to have like a "base" in northern MI, you know, like a place to head to after I get out of work late on a Friday and drive up and get up there around midnight and don't feel like having to launch the boat and all, at midnight, and would rather just crash in the cuddy. The past few years I've been used to heading up to our place in Mancelona, MI (again like 3 hours or 1800 miles north of Lansing), but that's being put back on the market due to my parents splitting up (another story). Even if it's a weekend where I don't take the boat out it's still a place to stay and obviously I'd have access to the bathroom facilities and all.

I don't have a problem with keeping the Bayliner down state but my towing rig, the fabled '74 Buick LeSabre gets around 5 mpg or so towing it, so considering I like to get on the boat every-other summer weekend, and figure around 500 miles each weekend...it'll get expensive quick. My Subaru will get close to 30 plus I have access to several other 30+ mpg vehicles in the family. I figure I can put this gas money into renting a slip.

When the marinas start to open back up I'll call and see what they charge for a seasonal slip. I was expecting it to be around $1k on the low end but I really don't have an idea. I've googled the sites of several marinas up there but none really give a rate. I'm open to the idea of renting just an outdoor storage lot as long as I can keep my vessel protecting from the elements...I've replaced my deck and stringers on the Boat Restoration and Building forum (been there, done that, don't want do to it again anytime soon )

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

Sorry to hear about the loss of your cottage, OMC. Cottages and families can be emotionally charged issues, especially if the place has been in the family for a long time. My mother and her brother have stopped speaking to each other over the sale of their parents' place a few years ago.

Anyway, as for keeping a boat in the water all season - we've done it for decades. Sure, you get a scumline built up. And in my experience, even powerwashing the instant you pull it out of the water doesn't clean the crud. However, there are plenty of good hull cleaners on the market that will have the boat shiny as new with very little work.

So, it becomes a tradeoff between convenience and cost, assuming you've got your bilge pump (better yet, two pumps) in top shape along with your battery (again, two is even better).

Certainly knowing it's out of the water when you aren't there adds some piece of mind.

Glad to hear you can keep boating even if the cottage is gone.

*Edit* Sorry, slow on the draw. I see your post about shore power, etc. That's a great idea. There's a lot to be said for having the boat ready to sleep in when you've just rolled in at midnight. Of course, I guess you could still sleep in it on the trailer... Shop around for in-water slips. You might be surprised and get a deal. In water slips near the city (Toronto) can easily top a grand - three hours north and the rate can drop to half that, depending on the lake. - Good luck!

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

Sorry to hear about the loss of your cottage, OMC. Cottages and families can be emotionally charged issues, especially if the place has been in the family for a long time. My mother and her brother have stopped speaking to each other over the sale of their parents' place a few years ago.

Anyway, as for keeping a boat in the water all season - we've done it for decades. Sure, you get a scumline built up. And in my experience, even powerwashing the instant you pull it out of the water doesn't clean the crud. However, there are plenty of good hull cleaners on the market that will have the boat shiny as new with very little work.

So, it becomes a tradeoff between convenience and cost, assuming you've got your bilge pump (better yet, two pumps) in top shape along with your battery (again, two is even better).

Certainly knowing it's out of the water when you aren't there adds some piece of mind.

Glad to hear you can keep boating even if the cottage is gone.

We haven't had the cottage long, coming on 5 years maybe, but being up there got me into being on the water and in northern Michigan. It's not an obsession by any means but definitely something along the lines of a passion. It's part of a "perfect vacation", my retirement plans someday (I'm 22 so I've got a while lol), that kind of thing. I'm always watered up to get back up there. The cottage itself is a nice little house on a couple acres on a small, "quiet" lake. This serves as basecamp for the boat. I trailer it from there to various spots on Lake Michigan and Superior.

The first Jet Ski I bought was kept in the water and the algae only came off when I tried On and Off (that was my very first time in a West Marine). I haven't had to use that since cuz I picked up a less-harsh hull cleaner to take off the water line after 3 day weekend excursions. I didn't think it would be a problem but my buddy's parents had a 30' Cruisers, I guess, and he talked up the gloom and doom that awaits my gelcoat, but it sounds like it'll be fine lol. If all else fails I can haul it out and clean it off in a couple hours (I'm guessing).

I should be able to store the trailer itself if I end up leaving the boat in the water.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

Just one note about installing shore power. Have a cetified marine electrician do it, or at least inspect your work. This isn't as big an issue in fresh water as it is in salt, but an improperly grounded system will eat the metal on your boat and your neighbors', too.

I saw an outdrive (not mine, thank goodness) turned into powder in a few weeks due to galvanic corrosion from a faulty shore power setup. The guy who owned it was also taken to court and had to pay out thousands in damages to the owner of the boat docked next to his.

Make sure you have the right anodes (freah water) installed on your boat, and inspect them when you haul the boat to wash it. That'll tell you if you or a neighbor has any issues. Shore power is a big deal and needs to be done right.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

if you are that far away, I'd dry slip it. No matter what you do, stuff happens, quickly. Plus it's cheaper, easier to grab and go. Most marina's rent out dry slips.

 

[avenger79]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

i would look into having it stored at a local marina in a dry dock. here skipper bud's houses boats for people. they just call ahead and the boat is ready to go when they get there. less expensive then an in water slip I would think and you won't have to worry about the boat that way. plus it saves the extra cost of shore power set up.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

I've read about improperly ground shore power systems and will keep that in mind...

With a "dry slip", is that when they haul your boat out with a forklift and keep it in a big rack for you?

 

[izoomie]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

A friend of mine keeps his boat at a marina on the trailer when not in use. He calls ahead and it's sitting in the water tied to the dock when we wants to use it. When he's done they take it out and put it back on the trailer and park it in their lot.

I think he pays $20 per shot for that. Not much more than using the ramp.

 

[RepoMan207]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

i would look into having it stored at a local marina in a dry dock. here skipper bud's houses boats for people. they just call ahead and the boat is ready to go when they get there. less expensive then an in water slip I would think and you won't have to worry about the boat that way. plus it saves the extra cost of shore power set up.

A friend of mine keeps his boat at a marina on the trailer when not in use. He calls ahead and it's sitting in the water tied to the dock when we wants to use it. When he's done they take it out and put it back on the trailer and park it in their lot.

I think he pays $20 per shot for that. Not much more than using the ramp.

Exactly my thoughts: Valet service. Leave it on the trailer. That way you can pull it further north or dip it in the water right there. Some Marinas will store it right inside for you during the season at a cheap rate. Slips can get pricey, especially with shore power.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

A "dry slip" is a parking place at a marina for a boat on a trailer, at least around here; not the same as rack storage. If you go with rack storage you have to store your trailer somewhere, too.

 

[RepoMan207]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

A "dry slip" is a parking place at a marina for a boat on a trailer, at least around here; not the same as rack storage. If you go with rack storage you have to store your trailer somewhere, too.

I think we'll find the terminology and definitions different from region to region, and even marina to marina. Around here the majority of marinas offer storage & valet service through out the season on top of there slips. The cool thing with my local marina's is they prefer to put their valet boats on their racks inside and store the trailer in an other location on their property. they do this for no extra cost. I think their reasoning is it takes less time to launch with a lift then it does with a trailer. Where as the storage only offers you an outdoor location in most circumstances and you are responsible for launching, fueling and washing. Which is why it is obviously even cheaper. If recall, valet service for my 24' is $550 for the season.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Leaving my boat in the water all season

I'll look into having a "dry slip" too. $550/season seems reasonable to me