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View Full Version : Wet slips... Whats your thoughts



Gottop69
06-28-2011, 02:31 PM
Ok after wife Yelling and don't wanna learn to back the trailer.. What do you guys think of summer Wet slips..

Pros: ????/

Cons: I know one is taking it from lake to lake...What are some more..

This is really taking a toll on my boating and I don't wanna sell the boat to stop fights at home.. So whats your thoughts and how many of you keep your in the water

kaneboats
06-28-2011, 02:44 PM
I don't do that, but I do back the trailer down then let my wife back the last 10 feet while I jump in the boat. She is fine putting the trailer away and jumping in. When we get back to the dock I go back the truck down and jump in the boat to drive on the trailer-- if my 17 y/o daughter is there she will drive the boat on the trailer though. It's a slight PITA but I keep a good attitude about it all.

Gottop69
06-28-2011, 02:59 PM
I don't do that, but I do back the trailer down then let my wife back the last 10 feet while I jump in the boat. She is fine putting the trailer away and jumping in. When we get back to the dock I go back the truck down and jump in the boat to drive on the trailer-- if my 17 y/o daughter is there she will drive the boat on the trailer though. It's a slight PITA but I keep a good attitude about it all.

bad part all these lakes in dallas dont have court docks for you to do that unless you pay marina fee's at Hubard and that is $40 cheaper than a wet slip

dusty2221
06-28-2011, 03:05 PM
I back and my wife drives the boat, have you tried that?

ptcbtchr
06-28-2011, 03:41 PM
I have done every type of boat scenario possible from trailering, to a wet slip and hands down having it in the water is by far the most convenient. The major downsides are cost and wear on the boat. A boat sitting in the water is more prone to mildew etc and gel coat bubble and staining. If your area has a forklift service (where the boat is on a rack and put in when you want to use it and put away on the lift when you are done) then I would do that. Some slip owners will allow you to install a floating boat lift, again a bit pricey. That is what I have but I own my slip. The convenience factor of simply having to uncover your boat and go is one that I have enjoyed for many years and will never take for granted having spent a long time boating spending as much time trailering and storing as I did actually using it. Another suggestion is if you have any lakefront communities nearby, see if anyone there is renting a slip. One of my friends did that in my neighborhood and it worked quite well for a couple of years as the owners didn't own a boat, the slip came with the house. Just my opinion

Mark

Gottop69
06-28-2011, 03:46 PM
I have done every type of boat scenario possible from trailering, to a wet slip and hands down having it in the water is by far the most convenient. The major downsides are cost and wear on the boat. A boat sitting in the water is more prone to mildew etc and gel coat bubble and staining. If your area has a forklift service (where the boat is on a rack and put in when you want to use it and put away on the lift when you are done) then I would do that. Some slip owners will allow you to install a floating boat lift, again a bit pricey. That is what I have but I own my slip. The convenience factor of simply having to uncover your boat and go is one that I have enjoyed for many years and will never take for granted having spent a long time boating spending as much time trailering and storing as I did actually using it. Another suggestion is if you have any lakefront communities nearby, see if anyone there is renting a slip. One of my friends did that in my neighborhood and it worked quite well for a couple of years as the owners didn't own a boat, the slip came with the house. Just my opinion

Mark

I found one that will lift it out.. But said they only do 21 foot.. Said mine may be to big.. That was the option I liked the most though.. The other 2 i found you leave it in and don't have to sign a contract and can pull it out in the winter.. I like that too..

ptcbtchr
06-28-2011, 03:56 PM
If not too far away you might take your boat there and have them see if they can lift it. How big is it? Most places here are doing boats in 23-24 foot range and some marina's can do larger boats. Once you are in the water or near it your wife will certainly enjoy the experience better as it will take the "pressure" off of her at launch.

Mark

ptcbtchr
06-28-2011, 03:58 PM
One other thought, if you leave the boat in the water, try to pull it a few times during the season to clean the hull. See if they have pressure washing or water available at the marina so you can do it yourself. Makes the clean up in the fall much easier.

Mark

Gottop69
06-28-2011, 04:03 PM
One other thought, if you leave the boat in the water, try to pull it a few times during the season to clean the hull. See if they have pressure washing or water available at the marina so you can do it yourself. Makes the clean up in the fall much easier.

Mark

one of the Marinas. Said to buy a pool brush and use that everyother time its used to keep hull clean..???

Would that help

you da man
06-28-2011, 04:31 PM
The black hull is gonna be hard to keep clean and will look gray after a couple weeks. My new boat is 90% black and it's a chore to keep it spotless. Boatlift is the only way I would consider it but then you have to worry about thieves and your stereo. Believe me, I've seen a few highend boats getting new equipment because their stuff got jacked from a "secured" marina.

ian ashton
06-28-2011, 04:32 PM
I've kept my boat in the water for the last 3 seasons (going on 4 now). Every few weeks we pull it out and give it a scrub with white vinegar and now TotallyAwesome cleaner, get the lake grunge off and it looks good as new. We use the boat several times a week, much more during the week after work than we would if we were trailering.


For what its worth, with some practice I'm positive you could get good at launching and retrieving by yourself - I do it all the time. Just take your time.

ptcbtchr
06-28-2011, 04:38 PM
Definitely need a good stiff scrub brush. Black is tough to keep clean but can be done. Good luck

Mark

skiyaker
06-28-2011, 04:49 PM
it sounds like you're in a situation where you need to do whatever takes stress off your wife and maximizes your boating- even if it puts a little more wear on your boat. The first few times my wife and I took the boat out we thought "man what were we thinking" but once you find your system it will go smoothly. Still, maybe take this summer to get your wife hooked on boating- let her see what a great family time it will be and maybe she'll be a more willing participant next summer. You want boating to build up your marriage not tear it apart.

May no man ever have to choose between his boat and his wife.

kaneboats
06-28-2011, 04:58 PM
May no man ever have to choose between his boat and his wife.

That's for sure. Think of the poor kids with no mom.

Jceclipse01
06-28-2011, 05:30 PM
That's for sure. Think of the poor kids with no mom.

Yeah six kids need there boat and there mom. I back the boat in and my wife drives the boat around and comes back in to pick me up if she can do it any women can do it. It just takes time you are Will be a pro

sandm
06-28-2011, 05:43 PM
personally, I'd never leave mine in the water all the time. I'd be too worried about it. you mentioned that they do have docks at one of the marinas. it's real easy to launch/retrieve your ride from one of these. pay the fees for that and be done.
back it down, pull it off, have your wife hold the lines while you go park so she feels some sense of contribution. when returning, reverse the roles. I see that same scenario played out every day at our marina docks.

best of both worlds. your wife gets to help in a way that does not put her on the spot nor embarrass her and you don't have to worry about leaving it in the water with theft/cleaning/bilge battery dead issues..

my .02

bergermaister
06-28-2011, 06:42 PM
I like SandM's simplicity here as well. Good price for peace of mind.

For a couple years now I launch and load by myself unless a buddy is able to back down confidently. You get a system down that works and become pretty fluid and confident. I'll be training my kids to drive the boat too as soon as their feet can "reach the pedals"...

Gottop69
06-28-2011, 06:52 PM
Black is a pain either way. I just want it to be pleasant instead of another full time job. And fighting over it is not fun at all

rdlangston13
06-28-2011, 07:06 PM
when i get home from work next week i am going to teach my girl how to back the trailer up. i say this everytime i go home but this time i am serious! lol

she really wants to help me with boating stuff and we actually had a fight a few weeks ago because i was asking other people to do things instead of her.

im pretty lucky to have a girl who is so enthusiastic about the whole boating experience and one who is willing and wants to help out with things. she still gets a little nervous driving the boat so i think backing up the trailer will be a good first step. once we get the boat in the water we will be doing the boat driving lessons.

on topic: i would love to have a lift on the water for my boat. it would save so much time and head ache

bergermaister
06-28-2011, 07:19 PM
Sort of on-topic. School's out - lots of empty parking lots with painted stripes just waiting for someone to go practice some backing skills.

Most of the places around here with a slip have a year+ waiting list and we have a pretty short boating season compared to some. I personally can't stand the launch marina where the slips are. The lanes are ridiculously narrow and it is always packed with way overly anxious people wanting in or out.

There is a little on-the-water restaurant/bar with outdoor seating right next to the launch that is always full in the evenings. Great place to sit and take in the mayhem. I believe most of the people that go there have slips in the marina. Pull in, tie up, get a drink and pull up a chair and get ready for some laughs...

Gottop69
06-28-2011, 07:42 PM
Sort of on-topic. School's out - lots of empty parking lots with painted stripes just waiting for someone to go practice some backing skills.

Most of the places around here with a slip have a year+ waiting list and we have a pretty short boating season compared to some. I personally can't stand the launch marina where the slips are. The lanes are ridiculously narrow and it is always packed with way overly anxious people wanting in or out.

There is a little on-the-water restaurant/bar with outdoor seating right next to the launch that is always full in the evenings. Great place to sit and take in the mayhem. I believe most of the people that go there have slips in the marina. Pull in, tie up, get a drink and pull up a chair and get ready for some laughs...

It's a little diffrent here. Lake ray hubard has tons of bars and restraunts on it. And you can get a slip covered for about $130 for a 25x11. I just wanna make sure the boat will be ok. Theft not that big of a deal they can steal stuff while it's in front of my house. Thing is if they want it they will get it. That's why we have insurance.

I just want the warden to be happy if she is we all are. Don't want to tear up the hull though.

jmb
06-28-2011, 08:01 PM
I don't like leaving it in the water. My dad did it with his and it got bad with green goo after about 3 months. We have had the boat nearly 6 yrs and she just now drove her on the trailer for me las weekend. She did good. She is now putting it next to the dock too. Took a long time for her to do this so don't rush it. She drives all day too, love it. I just ride like I should. Thats what I bought it for.

Moseley618
06-28-2011, 08:10 PM
I have a slip I rent and I put a used lift in that I bought off a guy. My slip is $1130 a year and the lift was $2250 refurbished and installed. I have towed a boat to the lake and had one in a slip and I vote slip hands down. I have a locker on my dock and just lock up most my gear when I am done, throw on the cover and go home. So easy and really stress free. The down side is that spiders are horrible and you have to buy lake gas at $1 more a gallon, other than that it is sweet. Oh, my dock locks up with a key pad but if someone wants to steal your stuff they will find a way. I don't know if I would leave it sitting in the water all the time. What if a storm blows up and your boat is getting tossed around in the slip?

deepcove
06-28-2011, 08:17 PM
I keep my boat moored in the summer. Living 2 mins from my marina means I get a lot more use out of my boat.....like going out a couple mornings a week before work. I pull mine out every 10 days for a cleaning and put it back in. Having to launch and pull out and wash my boat ever ride is a lot of time that I do not have to spare.

Have the option to moore is a no brainer to me.......the down side is I have put 850 hrs on my 2004.

Gottop69
06-29-2011, 08:08 AM
man this is a split... some nthat have and do keep in a we slip say awesome.. i guess we will look at them and see..

jpetty3023
06-29-2011, 08:49 AM
^^ HuH?, spell check got ya i'm assuming!

Gottop69
06-29-2011, 08:51 AM
LOL.. Damn.. Yeah I didn't proof read.. Man I am stupid

jpetty3023
06-29-2011, 08:59 AM
naw not stupid brotha! what was it suppose to say. i think i got out of it "you and the wife talked and she is cool with a slip. even maybe excited about the boat again!

Gottop69
06-29-2011, 09:01 AM
naw not stupid brotha! what was it suppose to say. i think i got out of it "you and the wife talked and she is cool with a slip. even maybe excited about the boat again!

Yeah... I just want to check I think they will rent me a lift at the Marina.. That will Help me a ton..

iwaterskihard
06-29-2011, 12:13 PM
I don't know why your wife is so dead against driving the truck for you to put the boat in and out of the water? FEAR would be my biggest guess? I'm lucky as my wife will do it for us. She wouldn't at first so I gave her the option of driving it to the dock to drop me off and then onto the trailer. That scared her more. I told her lets go practice and you can see it's not as hard as you think?
Took her to a WalMart parking lot one evening when it was alomost empty. We went over to an area where we were all alone. I brought a few markers for her to try. Took 4 evenings of doing this and she was ready to try the launch. Her nerves got to her the first few times we were at the launch but now.......she swears at all the other people just like I do and I just smile!:p
Be patient and don't get upset with her while she's learning. She will get it!

Oh yeah here was my ultimate line: What are you going to do if I get hurt on the lake and there is nobody around to help us at the launch? I need you to learn honey for all of us! And it worked!:p

Good luck dude!

you da man
06-29-2011, 12:25 PM
I feel your pain about your wife not wanting to help with launch/loading. I see it almost everyday at the lake. The lake I use has small courtesy docks big enough for one boat (they dont stick out far enough to use 3 of the 4 sides of the dock). You will usually see a couple or family tie up to the dock and everyone will just sit in the boat tied up while the owner gets the trailer and sometimes has to wait in line before backing it down, then run back to the boat. I'm lucky as well cuz my girl unloads, loads, and drives the boat with confidence. I say you should get a lift if at all possible.

sailing217
06-29-2011, 01:42 PM
Been through your dilema. 4th year and I launch solo unless calm wind and no other boats the wife will pick me up off the dock. I got it down and tie off on the other side of the dock (no ramp). Only people faster are fishermen who power on with boat buddies.

If no curtosey dock (yeh sp), then forklift storage preferred, or wet slip with a lift. go see if the forklift will do your boat!

If my only option was wet slip or no boat, I'd sell my nice wakeboat and get something already beat up and has antifoul bottom paint on it. My relatives all wet slip and need to repaint their hulls every 2 years. Unless you live close to the lake and can pull it and clean it every 2 weeks or less?

Happy wife= Happy boating. That's why I got perfect pass, heater, tinted windows, volume controller.....

kaneboats
06-29-2011, 01:49 PM
LOL. One of my tricks when the ramps are busy is to wave people past and wait for the fisherman who ties up blocking the ramp while he goes to fetch his rig. Little do they know that guy is going to be gone in less than a minute while the guy with the 5 buddies is going to jack around loading coolers for 15 min.

sailing217
06-29-2011, 01:51 PM
I learned to scrap family outings if it didn't feel right on weekends. I get my boat fix during the week with the guys after work, and she goes out with the girls one night a week. It's worked out well. Don't force it.

Gottop69
06-29-2011, 04:19 PM
We haven't made up our minds yet.. So I am still up in the air..

jpetty3023
06-29-2011, 07:00 PM
Let us know how it plays out brotha

rdlangston13
06-29-2011, 07:54 PM
do yall think it is easier to teach yalls women how to back the trailer down or how to load the boat on the trailer? my girl really wants to be more helpful so i need to figure out the best thing that works for both of us.

sandm
06-29-2011, 09:19 PM
taught my gf to back the trailer in an abandoned kmart parking lot in 1hr. even with 2 cops shootin the breeze giving her the thumbs up for encouragement :)

I prefer loading the boat, so backing the trailer has been relegated to the boitches in my home....

last thing I need is someone loading the boat and forgetting to pull back on the throttle or going too fast and ending up hitting the truck..

rdlangston13
06-29-2011, 09:39 PM
taught my gf to back the trailer in an abandoned kmart parking lot in 1hr. even with 2 cops shootin the breeze giving her the thumbs up for encouragement :)

I prefer loading the boat, so backing the trailer has been relegated to the boitches in my home....

last thing I need is someone loading the boat and forgetting to pull back on the throttle or going too fast and ending up hitting the truck..

thats what i was leaning towards. problem is where we launch at there really is no good parking lot close by and the boat is stored like 2 miles from the launch. its not a busy launch so i bet i can teach her on the ramp

c.rix
06-29-2011, 09:52 PM
I got it good my wife can back a trailer and also drive the boat on so I let her pick what she wants to do

jpetty3023
06-29-2011, 11:33 PM
Shoot for your girl to back the trailer. Less to worry about, same thing every time where as with boat you have to worry about speed, water current direction, surrounding boats, etc... Too many variables with the boat whereas the truck/trailer is just reverse and steering control. Plus if she can back up to load, your unloads will be easier to. She backs in, you reverse boat, she drives away and your set brotha!!! Find you and her an open parking lot and school her

kaneboats
06-30-2011, 12:06 AM
I got it good my wife can back a trailer and also drive the boat on so I let her pick what she wants to do

Lemme know if you get tired of her.

Gottop69
07-05-2011, 10:58 AM
Ok just an update.. We ended up getting a slip with a lift in it For $185.00 a month.. So I think that will make this much easier... So thats just my update.. Thanks guys

jpetty3023
07-05-2011, 11:11 AM
Take some pics of the lift with your boat in and out. Haven't seen ya here in a while, did you get some good lake time in this weekend

kaneboats
07-05-2011, 11:11 AM
Good for you. I'm sure it will work out great.

Gottop69
07-05-2011, 11:27 AM
Take some pics of the lift with your boat in and out. Haven't seen ya here in a while, did you get some good lake time in this weekend

No been busy at work.. We kept the boat out of the water this weekend after a friends wife got hit in the lake swimming behind their boat.. Going on vacation next weekend and the lift will be in the end of this week.. So I can't wait.. I will take pics and get them up as soon as we get back..

And yeah his wife is fine..Real beat up but fine.. Just a lot of fools out on hubard this weekend.. Couldn't even take a boat out to party cove from what I was told..

dusty2221
07-05-2011, 11:33 AM
What lake did you get it on?

jpetty3023
07-05-2011, 11:34 AM
Cool, where y'all headed for vacation

Gottop69
07-05-2011, 11:47 AM
What lake did you get it on?

Lake Ray Hubard

Gottop69
07-05-2011, 11:48 AM
Cool, where y'all headed for vacation

Down your way I think New Bransfuls.. Schliterbahn next monday then open till Wen..

jpetty3023
07-05-2011, 02:47 PM
Yes sir you'll pass right thru Belton on I35. Schlitterbahn is great, kids will love it. Stand by for that awful Austin traffic brotha

Gottop69
07-05-2011, 02:51 PM
Yes sir you'll pass right thru Belton on I35. Schlitterbahn is great, kids will love it. Stand by for that awful Austin traffic brotha

Yeah we are going to Phlugerville Saturday for lunch with a friend.. Then drinking at Schliterbahn bar.. My daughter loves that place.. ( not the bar yet)

jpetty3023
07-05-2011, 11:00 PM
She'll love the bar before you know I'm afraid!!