Storing Your Boat without a lift?

[Mosnowman]

I'm curious if it is a bad idea to store my boat in a wet slip without a lift during the season?

It is a brand new boat that has been stored inside and I trailer it after every use. As you veterans know that gets old fast....so....I am considering renting a slip for the season but would most likely not buy a lift for it due to cost. I'm planning on keeping the boat for 20 years or the pearly gates....whichever comes first. Does storing it in the water cause excessive wear or potential damage? If you have a new boat would you do it? As always I appreciate the advice I receive here thus my silly questions as a newb.....thanks!

[realter]

Looking at your boat, I'm guessing it might be hard to attach the cover at a slip. Mine would have been a bear. With that in mind, we never used it, SO hard to trailer and launch, and it was brand new looking for the next owner. I don't know that I got much more $ when I sold it 6 years later. Looking back I'd say go for the slip so you can just drive to the lake and jump in the boat and take off. (find a way to lock up your battery). A slip around here is $1,000 for the short summer season, and they are at a public state park with no security.

[MH Hawker]

I keep mine on a uncovered wet slip around 10 months out of the year and yes it has a snap on dock cover and while the type of water it sits in dose make a difference on how it needs to be prepared it wont hurt it one bit. The real damage is from sun and rain on a unprotected deck and furniture. A few years and it can be trashed out so a dock cover saves all of that. The motor and logs will do just fine. I am in fresh water so a time or two as the season goes along I will scrub off the logs and motor mainly for appearance to keep the green hair off of it but it dose not hurt a thing. Some of the boats at my marina haven't been out of the water since brand new and some are 20 years old and if they have been kept covered they look just fine. I bring mine home over the winter so I can do maintenance I am to cheep to pay for that.

Mine is kept at a private marina so security is provided and I pay for a year round slip and so far its been very convenient I can be on the boat cruzing out to a beach or fishing in about 15 to 20 minutes and we are out on it a lot my wife and I like to stop and get a breakfast to go and ride out some place quiet and start the day like that, or in the evening for a T bone on the grill, and with 9 grand kids I have lost track of the thousands of dogs and burgers burnt. Its just so much easier.

Yea the snap on cover is a pain, but its put it on at the dock or in the yard I vote for at the dock. Year before last I dropped 5000 in a full deck rebuild and it looks brand new today.

[jrolin1]

Mine has lived in the water since 2005 with no problems. Just keep it covered when you are not using it.

[STEVEBRENDA]

side note; alot of cheap used lifts are for sale over at Lake of The Ozarks. They are pretty easy to haul.

[badmoonrising]

If you are concerned about the logs corroding, you could always use anti-fouling paint. It's a common myth that freshwater boats don't need it. If your water is acidic, thew logs can corrode although nowhere near as fast as salt or brackish water. Keep it covered. The sun will destroy seats fast. Always use 303 protectant (it had UV inhibitors). My boat has been slipped since brand new, painted since new, covered since new and 303'd since new. Seats look almost new but the protective canvas had to be replaced this year after 6 1/2 seasons. Covers are cheaper to replace than seating/carpet.

[jimrs]

Every lake is different in how it will affect your boat. I have left mine in for the whole summer and won't do it again as it gets too dirty and there is some salt in our lake. Three days in our lake is like months in some other lakes. Check around and ask boaters and see what they say. Like BMR said you can paint the bottom of your toons with anti fowling paint.

[Tully]

Glad to see this being discussed as I just moved to Table Rock Lack and will soon have my boat in a wet slip. The one thing i wondered most about was the water in the engine during freezing temps. I've got a 60 hp outboard on mine. Does enough of it drain out to not be an issue?

[badmoonrising]

Usually outboards (always leave the lower unit in the water if you expect freezing temps) are ok in freezing temps (to a point) upper 20s, you'll be fine. If lower than that, I'd pull it. If your lake freezes, definitely.

[evinrude2stroke]

Get the slip! Having done both, trailering and using a slip, I don't think I can ever go back to trailering. using a slip will eventually mark up your boat over time. You know, storms, boat traffic, birds, spiders, fenders rubbing against the boat etc.... But, being able to walk right on and go or even just hanging out at the dock in the water is worth it.

[STEVEBRENDA]

Another plus to a lift is that the lift takes the beating from the big waves if you are near any boat traffic.

[OK Toon]

We only leave our pontoon in the water when we are at the lake over the weekend or for a week - tied to our dock. Otherwise it is stored on the trailer. I'm in the process of fixing/converting our hydrohoist to a pontoon set up. But even then, I won't leave the pontoon down there if we aren't at the lake -- too many things come up missing out of boats around our place. I guess if you are in a secured marina, that might be different since they have people/cameras that can sort of keep an eye out for your stuff.

[RonKMiller]

I remember reading *somewhere* that leaving boats/campers, etc. outside ages them 5 times as fast as if they are covered and kept out of the sun/acid rain, etc. I'm fortunate to rent half a pole barn that I store mine in for peanuts. If I didn't have access to the barn I would have built one in a heartbeat.

If you leave it in a slip a high quality waterproof cover with vents would be essential - and the are silly expensive. If you get one made from Sunbrella you could count on it lasting up to 10 years - since that's what their premium fabrics are warrantied for...

Her's another excellent choice that is very lightweight, easy to handle and VERY tough as well. It may not have the same warranty as Sunbrella but if I lived in a climate with moderate sun intensity it would be my choice hands down. You can wash it yearly and it will look like new:

http://www.lightweightmanufacturing.com/Ferrari702.html

Ultra high quality thread using French felled seams and a double needle machine is also essential if you have someone make your cover - thread will fail before the fabric - however it can be re-stitched. Demand YKK brand zippers.

[wrd1972]

I kept mine in a covered wet slip March thru November last year and the biggest issue I had was the green growth on the logs and discoloration of the aluminum. I also kept it covered with the ST morring cover when not in use. I am now in a dry dock where they remove the boat from the water and put in a warehouse but if that was not available, I would still be in a wet slip.

If you have a covered slip, you will be fine but be prepared to do a ton of cleaning if your sensitive to howit looks. Uncovered slip is going to kill your boat IMO.

[Gonefishing]

I have done both. The slip is the best, in fact I just purchased a new toon myself and when march gets here I will be renting a slip for the summer. Mine will be in salt/ brackish water so I had the toons painted and will make sure I keep the cover on it even that the slip is covered. Will take it out every two weeks and clean the tons and keep the seats clean and 303 treated. Just remember the sun is no friend to the interior. It is great to be able to go down to the slip and jump on and go. You will use it more if in a slip also. Many days after work we use it. When if not n slip use only on weekends.