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View Full Version : Leaving your boat in the water all summer



ryan_8099
03-08-2012, 04:27 PM
So we have been going back and forth on whether or not we need a boat lift. We will leave our boat in the water all summer (May-ish - Sept) and we don't have a vehicle to just pull it out for it to dry out during the week if we are not there.

I'm worried about the gel coat developing blisters and then having a major problem on our hands.

I have seen this discussed before (mainly here: https://forum.moomba.com/showthread.php?11468-What-do-I-do!!!!! ) ,but was hoping to get some feedback from people who leave their boat in all summer. Do you have a lift? Does anyone leave their boat in the water without one?

We are leaning towards getting a lift with no canopy since we have a custom cover provided we can find a used one for a reasonable price.

Thanks! Hoping this great weather continues with 60s in the forecast for next week!

KG's Supra24
03-08-2012, 05:32 PM
I, personally, wouldn't leave it in the water without a lift.

Our lakes typically have covered slips but it sounds like yours is different? Regardless, aside from the hull constantly sitting in the water I'd be concerned with it getting banged up against the dock in bad weather and other times water is rough. I'd also always wonder if the rope broke or came untied and it was floating in the middle of the lake. Or if a leak developed and it sunk .... etc

Paranoid much? Maybe

ian ashton
03-08-2012, 05:50 PM
I have had mine in the water for 4 years without a slip and have not had any signs of blisters or anything bad at all really. We pull it out every few weeks to scrub it down as it gets crusty, but other than that, it has been fine.

Now, if I had the ability to keep my boat on a lift I 150% would, but I can't fit a lift in our marina slip, so she stays wet.

deerfield
03-08-2012, 07:02 PM
We are leaning towards getting a lift with no canopy.....


Ryan - If you can afford it, get a canopy. A canopy measuring 10' X 24' (standard size) will provide 240 square feet of shade on a blistering hot day or shelter from a passing rain storm. Slide your boat onto the bunks, raise them just enough to take the weight, and you have a slice of heaven right on the water. Sometimes I grab a bucket of wings, cold drinks, reading material and just hang out on the boat. Turn on the tunes and its a great, relaxing time. Could not get the same experience if no canopy. Poor man's version of waterfront property. But for an investment of $1,000 it makes me feel like a million! Wife, kids, their friends, everyone loves the canopy!! - Deerfield

muehlcj
03-08-2012, 07:27 PM
We keep ours in the water all season (May-Sept). No gel coat issues. I end up spending a ton of time cleaning the hull at the end of the year. If a lift were an option at the marina I would be all over it.

BensonWdby
03-08-2012, 08:53 PM
Leaving in the water has potential issues.
1. If your battery goes dead your bilge will quit. During a heavy rain or if your shaft seal decides to leak you could have a problem - sinking - or getting enough wwater in the boat to threaten the tranny or possible the engine and/or some underfloor wiring.
2. If you cover the boat all the time - then it does not dry out and mildew is a problem - I know that first hand. This is independent of being on a lift unless you include a canopy which can make it unnecessary to cover. Ironically being on a lift with a canopy can also be a problem when it comes to drying out, even with the cover off.
3. If you don't cover your boat then you have to deal with the sun. From what it sounds so far the gel coat does not have a problem. But I am not so sure about your vinyl. I have seen the result of severe sun exposure on vinyl - not pretty.

I recommend a lift. Start without the canopy if you must, but you will eventually get one. Keep in mind that there are probably more used lifts and canopies at marine stores than you might think. If you are not in a hurry you could have a local guy keep an eye out for you. Just don't skimp on the lift, i.e., don't try to get by with a 2500 lb lift to save money. Minimum is 3500lb. And never put your boat on the lift with ballast filled.

usaski1
03-08-2012, 10:57 PM
A lift is a must. mine sits on a lift almost year round. If i had to choose, lift before canopy. You are prob looking for a hydrohoist, but I would choose any other lift system. (no air tanks) You may not have a choice, and have to go hydrohoist.

ryan_8099
03-08-2012, 11:15 PM
Our lakes typically have covered slips but it sounds like yours is different?

We have a private dock outside our cottage, I think there is a picture in my profile. We are thinking lift before canopy since we just spent a lot on a cover unless it is included. Is it possible to lift the boat without having to fold down the tower if there is a canopy? Or do people just deal with folding it down?

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk

BensonWdby
03-09-2012, 08:43 AM
Actually I leave my tower up. I struggled with that for a long time before I got a canopy. My canopy has reasonably deep sides, but not enough to really protect from side blown rain like yo would like. But I leave the boat uncovered under the canopy year round so it can dry out. Work reasonably well, but not ideal. There are some dealers that make canopy extensions, but they are nto cheap either. The biggest issue was actually adjusting the depth at the deep water end. My lift is out far enough so that the deep legs are fully extended. At my prefered depth in the front, the tower barely clears the bottom edge of the current canopy height. I can move it up but that means more crankning ( by hand).

bzubke1
03-09-2012, 02:43 PM
When we lived in wisconsin we kept our boat in all summer and it did develop blisters in the gelcoat. We also sunk it at one point and idk if that had anything to do with the gelcoat blisters.lol It was a 1975 that we got for $1100 so it might not be a good comparison. This was the boat. Let's just say I don't take the moomba and supra we're about to get for granted.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k58/bzubke1/boat010.jpg

ryan_8099
03-09-2012, 03:59 PM
This was the boat. Let's just say I don't take the moomba and supra we're about to get for granted.


I hear ya, we had a 1989 Forester 90 HP before our Moomba. The motor would rarely run at full power. Most days we would drive it around the lake 5 times or so to try and get it so when we were skiing it would kick into the highest gear. I still managed to slalom behind it, it just took a lot of patience. Shocking that it still was worth over 2k when we sold it :D

bzubke1
03-09-2012, 05:28 PM
That boat was a forester too! 75 hp 2 stroke tho. I think spending so much time working on that boat is why I'm so into boats now. When we got the moomba I put it on craigslist at like noon and it was sold before the sun went down. Got $1000 for it. Not bad for 3 years on the water. We saw it on the side of the road a year or so after we sold it, that was pretty cool. As far as the blisters go I popped a couple of em before I realized it was a bad idea. Whoops.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k58/bzubke1/Wakeboarding031.jpg

davinci
03-25-2012, 09:34 PM
What about all the audio equipment sitting there all week ?

ryan_8099
03-26-2012, 09:24 AM
What about all the audio equipment sitting there all week ?

You bring up a good point, but we just have the stock in-boat speakers and no amp. I would definitely be concerned if we had a setup like many of the people do here on the forum. We are hoping that a good deal on a used lift comes up.

BensonWdby
03-26-2012, 08:57 PM
Having it on a lift does not change the exposure to theft ... The previous owner of my boat actually had the quick release feature of the speakers welded so it take an allen wrench to remove them...

ryan_8099
04-17-2012, 02:36 PM
Does anyone have a shorestation with a canopy? Are you able to lift the boat up without having to fold down the tower? I know that our tower is at a different height, but thought I'd see what everyone does.

This is what we are looking at:
http://madison.craigslist.org/boa/2947395431.html

bzubke1
04-17-2012, 07:11 PM
Looks like you might be able to fit under that canopy. If not I bet you could have it raised higher so it will fit.

deerfield
04-17-2012, 09:23 PM
Does anyone have a shorestation with a canopy? Are you able to lift the boat up without having to fold down the tower?[/url]

Yes and yes. Here you go. - Deerfield

ryan_8099
04-17-2012, 09:39 PM
Awesome, thanks!


Yes and yes. Here you go. - Deerfield

pogofx
04-19-2012, 11:56 AM
I'm sure your summer isn't as brutal up there, but you may want to keep this in mind. Over time, the sun will eventually destroy you custom cover and you'll be replacing it more frequently. It'll take a few years, but after buying a couple of covers you may have just paid for a cheap roof. I've been a boat owner for the last 15 yrs and I eventually learned my lesson. While I don't store my boat on the water, I stored my boats with a custom cover out in the sun for many years. I eventually got tired of replacing covers due to sun rot. Now I store my boat under roof and just use one of those cheap $80 Walmart covers to keep the dust off. I still have the custom cover for when I need it. Keep in mind, I was much further south - FL, MS, TX.

ryan_8099
04-19-2012, 01:09 PM
That is kind of what we were hoping the canopy cover would provide us, protection of our custom cover that was very expensive (even more than the evo covers that a lot of people buy). On the weekends when we are there (and no rain) we plan to use our cheapo cover just because it is oversized and easy to throw on quickly. During the off season our boat is stored in our garage.


I'm sure your summer isn't as brutal up there, but you may want to keep this in mind. Over time, the sun will eventually destroy you custom cover and you'll be replacing it more frequently. It'll take a few years, but after buying a couple of covers you may have just paid for a cheap roof. I've been a boat owner for the last 15 yrs and I eventually learned my lesson. While I don't store my boat on the water, I stored my boats with a custom cover out in the sun for many years. I eventually got tired of replacing covers due to sun rot. Now I store my boat under roof and just use one of those cheap $80 Walmart covers to keep the dust off. I still have the custom cover for when I need it. Keep in mind, I was much further south - FL, MS, TX.

oddos2525
04-22-2012, 04:04 PM
My 07 outback V has sat in the water from mid May through September for the last 5 seasons. I have no blisters or any gel coat issues. I usually hit the bottom and sides with a brush half way through the season when we are floating in a shallow area and clean it up. Then at the end of the season I've learned that as soon as u get your boat on the trailer while evrything is still wet hit it with a brush. The algae and build up will just fall off. If u let that stuff dry up, it turns into a full day of pressure washing and scrubbing. Also, my boat is open to the sun all year and my cover still looks great