removehtml]When I started sailing about 35 years ago the conventional wisdom was that you had to haul every year to let the hull dry out. Since we hauled in the winter there was not a lot of heat to help the hull dry out. Over the years I have gotten into the habit of hauling every other year for the winter and to have the bottom redone. This has worked well for me and in the years when the boat spends the winter in the water we have a diver clean the bottom and replace the zincs in the spring. Recently I have noticed that most of the boats in our marina spend every winter in the water and just get hauled for bottom work in the spring. Our boat, a 2003 Hunter 356, is pretty much bone dry and has a dripless shaft seal so I am not worried about water in the interior. My question is this: Is it necessary or desireable to haul the boat every year or every other year to be stored in the yard, i.e., is the "drying out" a necessary process?Error: Error: expected [/URL], but found [/removehtml] instead[/removehtml]
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I haul every year
on the Chesapeake. It may not be necessary, and it is certainly more expensive, but I do it for a number of reasons. Letting the boat "dry out" is only part of my thought process in doing this and one I don't know to be necessary. But I have a 21 year old boat and so I want to check a lot of below-the-waterline stuff that I otherwise would not be able to check. I like checking the rudder, the condition of the prop/shaft/and cutless bearing. I like checking all the through hulls and greasing the seacocks from the outside. I like checking the keel/hull joint. I like checking my iron keel. I could go on. But the primary reason I haul is so that I don't have to worry about the boat if it snows hard or ices up. The one season I left the boat in the water over the winter, about 20 miles southwest of you, it of course snowed a lot and the boats froze in their slips. I drove out to the marina, only to find that I had to park outside and trudge through snow to the docks. I then had to carefully navigate a very slippery dock. When I got to the boat, it was very hard to get on as I could not pull it to the finger pier (it was frozen in place). When I did get on board, I had nothing with me to remove a LOT of snow from the cockpit and decks....yada, yada, yada.... Is it worth it to me to leave the boat in the water? I don't think so.
on the Chesapeake. It may not be necessary, and it is certainly more expensive, but I do it for a number of reasons. Letting the boat "dry out" is only part of my thought process in doing this and one I don't know to be necessary. But I have a 21 year old boat and so I want to check a lot of below-the-waterline stuff that I otherwise would not be able to check. I like checking the rudder, the condition of the prop/shaft/and cutless bearing. I like checking all the through hulls and greasing the seacocks from the outside. I like checking the keel/hull joint. I like checking my iron keel. I could go on. But the primary reason I haul is so that I don't have to worry about the boat if it snows hard or ices up. The one season I left the boat in the water over the winter, about 20 miles southwest of you, it of course snowed a lot and the boats froze in their slips. I drove out to the marina, only to find that I had to park outside and trudge through snow to the docks. I then had to carefully navigate a very slippery dock. When I got to the boat, it was very hard to get on as I could not pull it to the finger pier (it was frozen in place). When I did get on board, I had nothing with me to remove a LOT of snow from the cockpit and decks....yada, yada, yada.... Is it worth it to me to leave the boat in the water? I don't think so.
Warren, a (stupid?) question...
Could you describe how you grease the seacocks from outside? Is it a two-person job? One inside to turn and one to spread grease? Do you just slather in what you can reach on the end of a stick (tongue depresser?), or use a grease gun? Thanks for the info.
Could you describe how you grease the seacocks from outside? Is it a two-person job? One inside to turn and one to spread grease? Do you just slather in what you can reach on the end of a stick (tongue depresser?), or use a grease gun? Thanks for the info.
I don't know
I struggle with this. On LI ice can be a problem. Well use ice eaters they say. But it seems to me if the power will fail it will be during a storm ie blizzard and what would I do then? However, this year it doesn't appear there'll be very much ice. I notice more boats overwintering in the water with a cover and I wonder. My yard is actively promoting it. Its a lot cheaper. They say the insurance companies are looking at it more favorably. They also claim its less strain on the hull compared to lifting the boat and then setting on the ground. I have no trouble believing that. Just watch the hull deform as the boat is set on its keel. I do think there is value in drying the fiberglass. No science here but it makes intuitive sense. From what I remember about chemistry, which isn't much and a lot of that was erroneous, when there is an osmotic gradient some molecules are going to penetrate a barrier. Drying good. Deformation bad. I guess an every other year program may be a good compromise. Zincs are a several a season event for me here. Bottom paint is every other year - I clean the bottom semi monthly over the summer. Checking thru hulls, rudder etc. by hauling the boat might be OK every other year as long as you have a look at them from time to time.
I struggle with this. On LI ice can be a problem. Well use ice eaters they say. But it seems to me if the power will fail it will be during a storm ie blizzard and what would I do then? However, this year it doesn't appear there'll be very much ice. I notice more boats overwintering in the water with a cover and I wonder. My yard is actively promoting it. Its a lot cheaper. They say the insurance companies are looking at it more favorably. They also claim its less strain on the hull compared to lifting the boat and then setting on the ground. I have no trouble believing that. Just watch the hull deform as the boat is set on its keel. I do think there is value in drying the fiberglass. No science here but it makes intuitive sense. From what I remember about chemistry, which isn't much and a lot of that was erroneous, when there is an osmotic gradient some molecules are going to penetrate a barrier. Drying good. Deformation bad. I guess an every other year program may be a good compromise. Zincs are a several a season event for me here. Bottom paint is every other year - I clean the bottom semi monthly over the summer. Checking thru hulls, rudder etc. by hauling the boat might be OK every other year as long as you have a look at them from time to time.
I think
if boats were hauled out for a few months every year, we wouldnt'even know what blistering was...
if boats were hauled out for a few months every year, we wouldnt'even know what blistering was...
I can respond to Warrens question...
yes you are on the right track. Close all seacocks and put a dab of grease (non water soluable) on the end of a dowel... insert into seacock till you hit the ball... try to get that wad off and you are allset (one man job). You could use a grease gun too (you don't need a lot!). You can get at the topside of that ball in much the same way. Slather the side of the dowel with grease... close the seacock... run dowel up seacock till it hits... open seacock half way... insert dowel another couple of inches... and try to wipe grease off side of dowel in a turning motion while you pull dowel back out (two man job)... or you could "try" and take hose off seacock on the inside... and repeat exterior procedure on interior. Rich
yes you are on the right track. Close all seacocks and put a dab of grease (non water soluable) on the end of a dowel... insert into seacock till you hit the ball... try to get that wad off and you are allset (one man job). You could use a grease gun too (you don't need a lot!). You can get at the topside of that ball in much the same way. Slather the side of the dowel with grease... close the seacock... run dowel up seacock till it hits... open seacock half way... insert dowel another couple of inches... and try to wipe grease off side of dowel in a turning motion while you pull dowel back out (two man job)... or you could "try" and take hose off seacock on the inside... and repeat exterior procedure on interior. Rich
Steve, just curious...
I keep Dreamboat in Queens Landing opposite the Castle Marina fuel dock from April to November. Any chance that's where you are? If it is, you should recognize my Avatar as you'd pass it everytime you leave. As to your question, I'm with Warren, I like not having to worry about her all winter while I'm hard at work doing other people's tax returns. She goes back in April 16th every year.
I keep Dreamboat in Queens Landing opposite the Castle Marina fuel dock from April to November. Any chance that's where you are? If it is, you should recognize my Avatar as you'd pass it everytime you leave. As to your question, I'm with Warren, I like not having to worry about her all winter while I'm hard at work doing other people's tax returns. She goes back in April 16th every year.
Grease
Greasing the seacocks makes sense. I have an automotive grease gun with a hose that would make the job easy. But - how about that grease getting sucked into the engine?
Greasing the seacocks makes sense. I have an automotive grease gun with a hose that would make the job easy. But - how about that grease getting sucked into the engine?
Keep it wet
I think you either have a moisture problem (i.e. blisters) or you don’t. If you do have a moisture problem – then you should have that corrected. I wet-store my Catalina 30 up here in NY/LI and have never had a problem (knock on wood). I use an ice-eater when ice forms. After 3 winters – I hauled for a winter on the hard and then the yard painted the bottom for me in the spring. I felt this was a waste as they could have just pulled it out in the spring, painted and dropped it right back in. If you grease your sea cocks when you get painted then you should be fine. I have a diver clean the bottom every spring for growth and zincs while in the water.
I think you either have a moisture problem (i.e. blisters) or you don’t. If you do have a moisture problem – then you should have that corrected. I wet-store my Catalina 30 up here in NY/LI and have never had a problem (knock on wood). I use an ice-eater when ice forms. After 3 winters – I hauled for a winter on the hard and then the yard painted the bottom for me in the spring. I felt this was a waste as they could have just pulled it out in the spring, painted and dropped it right back in. If you grease your sea cocks when you get painted then you should be fine. I have a diver clean the bottom every spring for growth and zincs while in the water.
Drying out?
Some additional thoughts on this topic. My dad has a 1972 Bristol 40. He is the original owner. All but a few yrs the boat has been hauled out for the winter on Long Island, NY. Never had an epoxy bottomw job. Never had a single blister, yet the hull has read wet with a moisture meter for many yrs! The way I lubricate my seacocks is to use lithium grease in a spray can, applied from outside while someone works the valve from the inside.
Some additional thoughts on this topic. My dad has a 1972 Bristol 40. He is the original owner. All but a few yrs the boat has been hauled out for the winter on Long Island, NY. Never had an epoxy bottomw job. Never had a single blister, yet the hull has read wet with a moisture meter for many yrs! The way I lubricate my seacocks is to use lithium grease in a spray can, applied from outside while someone works the valve from the inside.
I haul out every 7 years. It usually needs it.
I check my bottom each year to determine its condition. In my area we seldom have barnacles. We do get some fresh water slim so this is taken care of when we go swimming. After 7 years I like to haul out to check for blisters and electrolis. Over the years I have had a few blisters but none requiring bottom sealing.
I check my bottom each year to determine its condition. In my area we seldom have barnacles. We do get some fresh water slim so this is taken care of when we go swimming. After 7 years I like to haul out to check for blisters and electrolis. Over the years I have had a few blisters but none requiring bottom sealing.
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