Hi All: I am faced with a new option this year for winter storage of Morning Star. I have always had my boats hauled and stored on the hard. I am interested in hearing the pros and cons of wet(in the water) storage of a fiberglas boat in the cold waters of Maine. I am at a facility that charges $200 for dry storage and $300 for wet. Of course the charges for haulout, launch and jackstand rental wuld be saved by leaving Morning Star in a slip. My primary concern or motive is not the cost but any possible negative or positive impacts on my boat. What is your experience? What are your thoughts on the choices. Thanks to all who respond! Regards, Steve
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Timely issue
Always a good time to have this disvcussion for us up north. I guess the issues are: 1. Possible ice /freeze damage vs. haulout damage (the latter being a valid concern anywhere), 2. Opportunity to dry out the hull/rudder - not an issue if the hull/rudder aren't prone to blisters and water permeation, 3. Insurance requirements - many underwritters don't cover freeze damage, 4. Need for maintenace work on the bottom or parts below the waterline, 5. Habit - we always did it that way behavior. We have them haul our 40.5 every other year Steve and do a short haul in the summer on the wet storage years just to clean the botton, check the hull paint and re-zinc. The bay typically freezes here but the fans do a good job of keeing the slips free of ice with emergency back-up power if/when needed. Despite the meticulous job the marina tries to do, inevitably some damage is done to at least one boat by virtue of the haulout process so we choose to minimize that possibility by staying in except in the years we have to redo the bottom or thruhull work. Bottom line is there is no definitively best practice. Have a fast winter Don
Always a good time to have this disvcussion for us up north. I guess the issues are: 1. Possible ice /freeze damage vs. haulout damage (the latter being a valid concern anywhere), 2. Opportunity to dry out the hull/rudder - not an issue if the hull/rudder aren't prone to blisters and water permeation, 3. Insurance requirements - many underwritters don't cover freeze damage, 4. Need for maintenace work on the bottom or parts below the waterline, 5. Habit - we always did it that way behavior. We have them haul our 40.5 every other year Steve and do a short haul in the summer on the wet storage years just to clean the botton, check the hull paint and re-zinc. The bay typically freezes here but the fans do a good job of keeing the slips free of ice with emergency back-up power if/when needed. Despite the meticulous job the marina tries to do, inevitably some damage is done to at least one boat by virtue of the haulout process so we choose to minimize that possibility by staying in except in the years we have to redo the bottom or thruhull work. Bottom line is there is no definitively best practice. Have a fast winter Don
thanks
THanks Don: Warwick is a bit warmer than Kittery but I have never seen the waters feeze at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard so I will hope this winter wont be the first
Do you shrink wrap when you wet store?
THanks Don: Warwick is a bit warmer than Kittery but I have never seen the waters feeze at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard so I will hope this winter wont be the first
Do you shrink wrap when you wet store?More questions about wet storage
We have a 40.5, and are pondering the same question in Michigan- wet or dry. HUmbug Marina has a natural current that keeps the water from freezing. We are wondering whether or not we need to shrink wrap. Cost differences- $1300 haul out and dry dock, $600 in water storage (but if we add ~$500 for shrink wrap, they are close again). Are there other benefits to staying in water? We just had the boat shipped up from SC, so she was out and had a quick bottom paint touch up and new zinc this past sping. Thanks for suggestions.
We have a 40.5, and are pondering the same question in Michigan- wet or dry. HUmbug Marina has a natural current that keeps the water from freezing. We are wondering whether or not we need to shrink wrap. Cost differences- $1300 haul out and dry dock, $600 in water storage (but if we add ~$500 for shrink wrap, they are close again). Are there other benefits to staying in water? We just had the boat shipped up from SC, so she was out and had a quick bottom paint touch up and new zinc this past sping. Thanks for suggestions.
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