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View Full Version : to dock..or not to dock?



ajmoritz17
03-20-2009, 08:12 AM
I think I actually posted a similar thread before i put my boat in last year....

Last Season I decided to get a dock at our local lake and leave it down there as opposed to trailoring everytime. Due to my crazy work schedule in the summer I find this to be the only way to get the most out of my boat in the summer. In the begining this was no problem I just pulled the boat out every other week and gave it a good scrub. Towards the end of the year I got a little lazy and got quite a bit of build up on the bottom. I left it be because it was so close to the end of the season. Everything came off great with the help of a hoist and and some serious cleaning. when all the junk was on the bottom of the boat I couldn't get my perfect pass to read the right speed at all. Im assuming that all the build up on the bottom restricted the spinner to move accurately. Im praying that now that its back to new again I wont have any problems with the MPH reading correct.
I know that a lot of boaters put that paint on the bottom of there boat. is this a big "no no" for wakeboard boats? My boat is all white and i really don't want to put that paint from the waterline down on it but our lake is very dirty and i can't justify the payment if I dont leave it there. Anybody else leave there boats in and have issues?

any comments appreciated
aj
________
Yamaha R5 (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Yamaha_R5)

ian ashton
03-20-2009, 09:25 AM
I don't know about bottom-paint your boat. I keep my boat in the water from May to October, I usually will take white vinegar to it at the sand bar once a week. I'll get the bottom as much as possible with the 'dive & wipe' method. I don't have PP, but we've never had any issues with the speedo, which I believe uses a similar spinner-type wheel.

jclay5
03-20-2009, 11:08 AM
Most people well I'd say 95% of the people that keep their boats at the marinas or lakes around here rent hydro lifts. They are easily removable and a great way to keep the boat looking clean. They are pretty pricey I think around $130-$175. additional a month on top of your slip fee. I guess it depends on how big of a pain in the ass it is to clean the bottom of the boat once a season. I don't think leaving the boat in the water for the whole summer is going to do any harm though.

I'm sure you've seen these before and have thought about this as a resolution, but I thought I'd chime in in case you hadn't.

Also I'm not sure what the marinas are like around you, but a lot of marinas around here have dry storage. All you do is call 30 min a head of time and they will grab the fork lift pull the boat off the rack and set it in the water for you. They will even top the tank off if you so desire they'll charge you for it of course =D This option is also by far the cheapest way to go as far as keeping your boat at a marina is concerned.

Chad M
03-20-2009, 11:50 AM
Regarding your speedo. I keep my boat in dry stack storage and I killed a speedo paddlewheel from either the storage bunks or the forklift. The axle got bent from one of these, so I now remove it and replace it with the blank everytime it goes onto the lift. You can buy a service kit that includes a paddlewheel, axle and o-rings. About a 5 minute job.

jester
03-20-2009, 11:53 AM
I kept my boat in the water this last summer and did not have an issue with the PP. One thing i did do was grab my scuba mask and went for a little swim under the boat to cean it.

Razzman
03-20-2009, 03:08 PM
A lot of that would depend on your lake i guess as well. I also know of many cases where leaving it in the water for the summer reslulted in blisters on the bottom too.