Leaving boat in water
- Thread starter Cmp1110
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The first problem is growth on the hull. We keep ours in the water all the time and the growth is pretty substantial. It does come off pretty easily with a brush on a dock pole, but it's still something that has to be dealt with.
Don't know how you'll have it secured, but you have potential damage from the dock. (Yes we use fenders and have never had any damage, but the potential is there.) You also have debris than can hit your boat whether is docked or moored on a ball.
I'm sure there are a million other disadvantages that others will list. The biggest advantage for us is convenience. The boat is in the water and ready to sail in 10 minutes or less.
Kermit
Don't know how you'll have it secured, but you have potential damage from the dock. (Yes we use fenders and have never had any damage, but the potential is there.) You also have debris than can hit your boat whether is docked or moored on a ball.
I'm sure there are a million other disadvantages that others will list. The biggest advantage for us is convenience. The boat is in the water and ready to sail in 10 minutes or less.
Kermit
Ditto on the convenience. My trailerable boat has been in the water for over a year now. I had planned on pulling it out once a year for bottom and mast maintenance - stuff you can't do in the water.
Untold tens of thousands of boats sit in the water all the time, pull it out ever year (or so) for bottom inspection, cleaning and work and I don't see any problem.
Of course, that's assuming you don't have any leaks...
Untold tens of thousands of boats sit in the water all the time, pull it out ever year (or so) for bottom inspection, cleaning and work and I don't see any problem.
Of course, that's assuming you don't have any leaks...
I am leaving mine in the water this winter in MD and I notice you are in PA so you might want to consider doing some of the same things you do out of the water. Drain or winterizing systems that have raw water and might freeze solid doing damage. engine, aircond, thruhulls (have water above valve), and look out for any thruhull that is located around the waterline. I have a friend whose A/C discharge is at the waterline (done by PO). Because of this he worries about the surface of the water freezing and damaging the discharge thruhull. Do not know if this is truly an issue or just him being over concerned. My marina will not allow any kinda space heater to keep the cabin above freezing unless you are in it. I use several 60W light bulbs plugged into a thermostat that turns on about at 35 - old pump house trick. Also might want to consider tidal range. Just reread an article in a mag talking about living aboard in the NE and having the boat rest on the ice as the water under it goes out with the tide, then dropping as the ice cracks and cannot hold the full weight of the boat.
Sure I have several things in error but it should get more discussion going.
Sure I have several things in error but it should get more discussion going.
Just a little off topic here but..................... Someone once asked a similar question here for Sodus Bay on Ontario. He was instructed to slip his boat in water shallower than his mast height so he could find his sunken vessel in the spring
. All sarcasm aside, If ice and snow wasn't an issue I'd leave her in the water year round except for cleaning and maintenance requirements.
. All sarcasm aside, If ice and snow wasn't an issue I'd leave her in the water year round except for cleaning and maintenance requirements.In the long term, water and sun are destructive. Water can cause osmosis blistering, and the sun will eventually get to any finish. The more time a boat spends out of the water and out of the sun, the longer it will last.
The question is how much longer, and the relative costs of sitting on a mooring all winter, and hauling, shrink wrapping, storage and launching.
Of course one frozen fresh water cooling loop, dead battery, unnoticed popped GFI breaker and/or burned out bilge pump could seriously change the cost equation.
I own two 'glass boats, 40 and 50 years old, the older with lots of wood trim. I suspect they would both be trash if they had spent every winter on a mooring. They both can be hauled onto a trailer and up the ramp with a Japanese 4 banger, and have no engines or electrical systems, but still, as long as they winter in the barn, reasonably dried out, there's no reason they won't last as long again.
Allan
in the hills
The question is how much longer, and the relative costs of sitting on a mooring all winter, and hauling, shrink wrapping, storage and launching.
Of course one frozen fresh water cooling loop, dead battery, unnoticed popped GFI breaker and/or burned out bilge pump could seriously change the cost equation.
I own two 'glass boats, 40 and 50 years old, the older with lots of wood trim. I suspect they would both be trash if they had spent every winter on a mooring. They both can be hauled onto a trailer and up the ramp with a Japanese 4 banger, and have no engines or electrical systems, but still, as long as they winter in the barn, reasonably dried out, there's no reason they won't last as long again.
Allan
in the hills
Oh, my! How ever do those people in Florida keep their boats in the water year round, year after year? Their boats must be completely disintegrating by now...
Water does not cause blistering, poor manufacturing "causes" it, water just takes advantage of it.
I also disagree with the last statement, as boats are designed, built and maintained to be kept in the water, whether fiberglass or wood. The hulls are supported 100% whilst in the water and are free to float. Artificial supports force the boat to sit a certain way, often not supported where it should be.
Leaving a wooden boat ashore causes it to dry out completely, and anyone who owns one - knows that it must then slowly be placed in the water, else it will sink, before swelling and clinking correctly....worse yet are the wooden boats kept covered...the tops sides, any canvas and the decks are subject to the drying and will leak like a sieve when rained upon. I have even seen wooden boats sit in the slip so long that one side dries out differently than the other, such that the hull leaks when turned around.
It is all in what floats your boat. My 20 year old, well maintained boat looked just as good as many new boats, poorly kept or left ashore several months of the year.
Boats were built to be used, not sit ashore.
I've written a lot about this topic. I tend to look at the question from the standpoint of the advantages of being hauled and sitting out a winter on the hard. I realize a lot depends on what kind of climate your boat is located in -- and your psychological disposition. By the latter, I mean how you may feel if leaving your boat in the water where the harbour may freeze and you get significant snow/ice. Having done that once, it snowed a lot that year and I had a hard time just getting to the marina to check on my boat. The marina turned off dockside power due to ice damage. No bubblers or shore power available for about 5 days. Once at the marina, it was hard and dangerous to navigate thru deep snow on the dock to get to the boat. Once at the boat, it was impossible to get on board as the boat was frozen into the middle of the slip -- with some tons of snow on it. I worried a lot about how the boat would fare. Having said all that, I had no damage to the boat in the spring. Only damage was to my psyche.....
So let me list what I think the advantages are of hauling out:
- boats don't ever sink on the hard,
- you have few worries about snow/ice damage,
- you probably won't have problems getting to or on your boat,
- most importantly, you are able to inspect the rudder, prop and shaft, keel/hull joint, condition of thru-hulls, and the overall condition of the underbelly of your boat that you otherwise would not see, and finally,
- you'll be able to repair and maintain anything underwater that needs attention.
In the end, its a cost-benefit decision: is it worth it to you to risk damage to your boat by wintering over in the water versus the cost of hauling and blocking? To me, it's an easy decision.
So let me list what I think the advantages are of hauling out:
- boats don't ever sink on the hard,
- you have few worries about snow/ice damage,
- you probably won't have problems getting to or on your boat,
- most importantly, you are able to inspect the rudder, prop and shaft, keel/hull joint, condition of thru-hulls, and the overall condition of the underbelly of your boat that you otherwise would not see, and finally,
- you'll be able to repair and maintain anything underwater that needs attention.
In the end, its a cost-benefit decision: is it worth it to you to risk damage to your boat by wintering over in the water versus the cost of hauling and blocking? To me, it's an easy decision.
My boat is in worton Maryland it will be on a de iced pier with power right in front of the marina owners house so I feel it will be safe from freezing and weather damage. It is less expensive staying in and who knows it could be nice in febuary!! Thanks everyone for your input
Just a different expereince, in the same harbor:
Non-problems:
- Boats do fall over in the water (several did last year at Herrington Harbor). I think this may be an even trade-off. My insurance thinks so, as the rates are the same.
- The only snow/ice damage I ever had was on the hard (3 seasons on the hard, 18 in the water, not counting trailer boats).
- Never had a real problem getting on my boat. Never had trouble driving to my boat. I slept on it, by coincidence (I was going to BWI), during one of the blizards a year back. Very quiet, once the snow built.
- I inspect the rudder etc. every 2 years during short (5 day) hauls to paint and deal with things. It's easier to work in fair summer weather.
- Dock power failures don't really matter in most of the Chesapeake, as the ice does not get thick enough to cause damage. I bought a bubbler years ago but very seldom have used it. Most cruisers have solar now.
Advantages:
- I sail all year. The cost per hour, thus figured, in the winter is nearly zero.
- Anchoring is SO peaceful in the off season. No crowds. No need for AC. Always cozy, with the wife and with the heater running. We take shorter trips.
- There is no spring commissioning hassle. She's always ready to go.
- Equipment is more reliable, as it never goes too long without use. Fewer fuel or corrosion problems.
- Very little winterizing to do. Some. The boat does not see as much temperature cycling, as it is in the water. The cabin only goes below freezing a few nights each year.
- No risk of freezing water in the keel or rudder, causing splits.
- No trying to get jobs done when it is really not warn enough for paint or epoxy. No waiting for the travel lift or contractors, as you have skipped the rush season.
- Cost savings. No hauling or dry land fee. I still get 2 years on the paint.
I usually miss about 2-3 weeks of sailing due to ice in the harbor. Oh well. So for me, it's an easy call. I've no interest in hauling, not for free.
I'm in Georgetown, SC about which I will post soon. I asked Phil to move this thread to the appropriate place. We didn't think to get me set up as a moderator for this forum so that I can do that myself. I've also asked if he could set that up.
I usually leave the boat in-water for 2-3 consecutive winters and then haul for one winter. There's a marine one harbor away from her summer home mooring (2 hr sail) that offers in-water slips for winter storage. They've got a bubbling system which keeps the area around the hull ice-free.
The important thing is to insure 1) you completely winterize all systems and 2) insure all thru-hulls are closed. After that, depending on annual snowfall, you should invest in a good winter cover which extends over the toerail if your's is a bolt on type. You want over the toerail so snow doesn't work its way under the rail. Repeated freeze/thaws over the winter could lift the toerail and cause leaks down the road. If (like mine) you've got a molded toerail then your cover can just extend to the rail and doesn't have to be over it.
I invested in a Fairclough type over-boom cover. About an hour and a half to install.
The odd years I haul, I do so in order to pull the mast and check all standing rigging and the mast itself. It's also a good opportunity to check all electric connections and replace lights, etc., while it's on a rack waist high.
And there's the economic consideration. For my 376, the difference is about $975 for in-water storage (plus any electric consumed) as against close to $4,500 for on-the-hard storage with the mast down. A no-brainer in my estimation.
The important thing is to insure 1) you completely winterize all systems and 2) insure all thru-hulls are closed. After that, depending on annual snowfall, you should invest in a good winter cover which extends over the toerail if your's is a bolt on type. You want over the toerail so snow doesn't work its way under the rail. Repeated freeze/thaws over the winter could lift the toerail and cause leaks down the road. If (like mine) you've got a molded toerail then your cover can just extend to the rail and doesn't have to be over it.
I invested in a Fairclough type over-boom cover. About an hour and a half to install.
The odd years I haul, I do so in order to pull the mast and check all standing rigging and the mast itself. It's also a good opportunity to check all electric connections and replace lights, etc., while it's on a rack waist high.
And there's the economic consideration. For my 376, the difference is about $975 for in-water storage (plus any electric consumed) as against close to $4,500 for on-the-hard storage with the mast down. A no-brainer in my estimation.
A disadvantage - you can not go sailing when the boat is not in the water. Main issue is do you have a ice free slip? My slip is all salt water with no meaningful ice formation in a reported 30 years. Would you, could you sail in the winter? Certainly not crowded out there. But as a sailing buddy said last time we were out ant it was cold, if you had a problem, there is no one in sight and who's coming to help you? But when everyone is gettin thier boat ready in the spring, I'll be all set.
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