Boat slip vs dry dock

This summer I have the opportunity to keep my boat in a wet slip at our local marina and wanted to get some general opinions about it. I have always dry docked (inside) or at least had it garaged, so having a wet slip would be new to me. Only issue is that I wouldn't have a lift or canopy, so I'm having trouble deciding if it's worth the convenience or not. It would be great to just jump in and head out, but also seems like a lot of wear and tear leaving it in the water full time. I would definitely invest in a better cover, but am more concerned with hull fading and stuff.

Fiberglass could possibly blister. Water will do that.

IMO, if there's no lift or canopy it's not worth it to me. You'd have to pull the boat out every few weeks to prevent blistering as stated before and wash the underside because lake/river grime and crap will accumulate. The sun will be hard on your cover and gel that is visible. Plus you have to lug your stuff each time to the boat anyways, and if you have speakers/stereo equipment then there's always the chance for theft.

Up to you, different pro's/con's.

Don't listen to these guys, having a wet slip was the best thing we did last year. Just the amount of time/headache you save from not dealing with people at the ramp is priceless.

I highly doubt blistering is a real concern, it could happen, that's a concern for boats in the water for years at a time, a few months is nothing. How many boats are made of gel coat/fiberglass? I had mine in for months, so does everyone else.

What problems you will have are, you'll use the boat more, anyone can get the boat ready or put away. And a scum line, which can be very icky depending on the water. Plan on having the hull acid washed at the end of the season..$200?





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Make sure you introduce yourself to the other slip owners, we tend to keep an eye on each others boats. I'm changing locations this year so I may be back to storage and ramping every time, it's going to suck..



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I would agree with parrothd -- it really comes down to convenience vs. the small impact to the boat.

We have had boats (many different ones, but our Moomba for only 1 yr) in our wet dock for 25+ yrs at our private residence. The convenience is unmatched -- 5 minutes to being out on the water (with 4 of those minutes in packing up the cooler!! :)) vs. 30+ minutes when having to deal with the ramp, crowds at the ramp, grumpy kids wanting to be out on the lake NOW, unloading, etc.

As for the downside, I have never seen any blistering but I would typically pull the boat from the water if it wasn't going to be used for more than 2 weeks. The scumline can also be a problem, but a little elbow grease and a good cleaning could easily take care of that.

I love to keep my boat in great shape like anyone else, but I don't want to sacrifice spending more precious time on the water just to keep the boat in pristine condition. It's like the guy with the beautiful car who only takes it out of the garage to clean it and then it goes right back in -- how much fun is that? Is it great to look at -- sure, but I'm more about USING the boat than worrying about resale value. But that's just me and everyone has different thoughts on that.

So, IMO, the convenience definitely outweighs the downsides.

Thanks for the advice. I have the option of installing a lift and canopy, but would have to buy it 3-5k and not sure how long I intend to stay in the area. Would be a lot of cash if I only needed it for a season or 2.

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Originally Posted by smitty75

Thanks for the advice. I have the option of installing a lift and canopy, but would have to buy it 3-5k and not sure how long I intend to stay in the area. Would be a lot of cash if I only needed it for a season or 2.

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Smitty, I totally disagree with these guys saying to leave the boat in the water. I don't see the actual boat you own as part of your profile but I am willing to bet that if its a Moomba inboard boat its worth quite a bit of money. I left my boat in the water on lake wylie for 3-4 months and I got blisters in the gel coat. I sold that boat immediately after I realized what they were. Yes it is convenient but gel coat blisters are not something that you can just fix easily.

I would highly recommend you finding a marina that has dry storage racks. I have my boat stored at one of these facilities here on Lake Lanier and it is totally awesome. I have to call them 1 hour before I want to go boating and they have it in the water waiting for me when I get there. No tipping or extra charges for dropping it in the water. I have priced wet slip places in the local area and they are actually more expensive. When the boat is take out it goes in a dry storage rack out of the sun and weather

Now you guys have me interested........as I said I've been doing this for many years and never had any blistering before but now you have me worried :confused:

What causes the blistering? Does it happen to have anything to do with the temperature of the water (all of our boating is in MI where water temps never get very high) or some sort of factor of the water's acidic factor or just that its "wet"? Or maybe it has something to do with darker colors that might attract more sunlight??

Inquiry minds (me) want to know.....

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Originally Posted by mikenehrkorn

Now you guys have me interested........as I said I've been doing this for many years and never had any blistering before but now you have me worried :confused:

What causes the blistering? Does it happen to have anything to do with the temperature of the water (all of our boating is in MI where water temps never get very high) or some sort of factor of the water's acidic factor or just that its "wet"? Or maybe it has something to do with darker colors that might attract more sunlight??

Inquiry minds (me) want to know.....

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I had a white hull on the boat that blistered so the darker color had nothing to do with it, I actually did a lot of research and never really found out what specifically causes it from a resin / color / water perspective. I do know that its water that gets absorbed into the gel coat and gets trapped between the gel coat and fiberglass. It literally looks like your boat has blisters all over the bottom. The boat I had that did this was a monterey (before seeing the inboard light) and I don't know if the materials used are inferior but I do know that monterey makes a good boat for an IO.

If your going to leave the boat in the water you should seal the hull and paint it with defouling (?) paint. This is a process that needs to be redone at a specific duration.

I absolutely refuse to paint that crap on the bottom of my baby so I choose to go dry storage and make that phone call. Just my experience though.

I don't have it in me to paint up my supra lol. We have bottom paint on our fishing boat and that's hard enough to get over. It definitely helps with the scum though

If I had to trailer every time, I would not boat, so wet slip is the only option!!!

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Originally Posted by jmvotto

If I had to trailer every time, I would not boat, so wet slip is the only option!!!

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I get the feeling some people own boats but are afraid to use them. I spend my time using the boat rather than worrying about something that might happen, and if it does you fix it and move on...

I put 120+ hours last season, if you want to spend as much time possible boating, a slip is the best way.. No one says you need to leave it in the slip continuously, pull it out whenever you want..The first few times I left it in I was nervous, but doing anything new that's too be expected.. :D







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smitty, I hope you're happy................it seems you have started the next holy war!!! :D

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Originally Posted by parrothd

I get the feeling some people own boats but are afraid to use them. I spend my time using the boat rather than worrying about something that might happen, and if it does you fix it and move on...

I put 120+ hours last season, if you want to spend as much time possible boating, a slip is the best way.. No one says you need to leave it in the slip continuously, pull it out whenever you want..The first few times I left it in I was nervous, but doing anything new that's too be expected.. :D







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sorry I am spoiled:cool:. I use the trailer twice a year. and it sits in our hoist at the lake house in between weekends and vacation use

Can we move onto something more important?!?! Like trailing with the cover on vs off... lol..

Haha. Well hopefully I'll be living on a lake in the next couple years so won't have to worry about it. Just need to decide where...

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Originally Posted by mikenehrkorn

smitty, I hope you're happy................it seems you have started the next holy war!!! :D

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Just be happy I didn't ask which is better, exile or wetsounds lol.

In better news, just finished installing my new sub and custom box. Onto the ballast upgrade and I'll be set for summer. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/28/egepybet.jpg

For those of you speaking about wet-slipping AT YOUR RESIDENCE on the water need not contribute, come on that is a whole different story than wet-slipping at a marina. Not even in the same realm. Consider yourselves very fortunate. OP, you're going to get two sides of opinions on this or any question you ask. Decide for yourself.

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Originally Posted by parrothd

Can we move onto something more important?!?! Like trailing with the cover on vs off... lol..

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I'll bite and derail the thread.

After towing the boat back from the river in a sand storm outside of Palm Springs yesterday I recommend towing with a cover on. I have spent hours today removing sand from every nook and cranny.

I completely agree with your statement if you are looking at the convenience factor. And I definitely consider myself lucky to have a place right on the water -- it pays to marry into the right family!! :)

But if the main issue is the blistering then it would make absolutely no difference whether the wet-slip was at a marina or at a residence.

And I also agree with your "decide for yourself" comment...........this is getting close to the religious or political question in which the only real opinion that matters is yours and no one else's opinion makes any difference in the least.

I could never leave my boat out, in the elements, with dang near anyone having access to it at the marina. I'm somewhat fortunate to live a mile from the ramp and my storage unit is just a mile further than that. don't even get me on gas prices at marinas vs. gas stations on the side of the toad


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kinda wish I had this problem

Nothing like the shock of a $179 stop at the gas dock...

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My lake is too small for a marina / gas dock, but I would probably be too cheap anyway..........I just haul my 4-5 6gal gas cans back and forth to the gas station. That shock is more than enough for me, especially with multiple trips on a busy weekend!!

I have my regular riders trained, they bring 5 gallons, even got them quick fill cans..

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/28/na5uru9e.jpg

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Dry slip all the way. hahahha just kidding do what you want you heard my concerns. I am very fortunate that there is a marina that pulls it out of the water for me and puts it back in for less money than a typical wet slip. I am a little nervous seeing my boat get carried around by a guy on a fork lift though.

I like the gas can shift here, has anyone used one of those 15 gallon caddies with the built in pump thing? I was looking at them and wondered if I would be there all day trying to fill up the boat. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...5161_200325161

How fast is that VP can? I am also getting sick of paying 180 for a fill up. I hate paying for the extra expense but love the convenience and wont pull it out of the water just to refill.

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Originally Posted by chadjitsu1

Dry slip all the way. hahahha just kidding do what you want you heard my concerns. I am very fortunate that there is a marina that pulls it out of the water for me and puts it back in for less money than a typical wet slip. I am a little nervous seeing my boat get carried around by a guy on a fork lift though.

I like the gas can shift here, has anyone used one of those 15 gallon caddies with the built in pump thing? I was looking at them and wondered if I would be there all day trying to fill up the boat. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...5161_200325161

How fast is that VP can? I am also getting sick of paying 180 for a fill up. I hate paying for the extra expense but love the convenience and wont pull it out of the water just to refill.

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The VP cans are heavy duty and hold almost 6 gallons, a little on the expensive side but they last longer and are easier to use and no stupid EPA anti spilling devices to spill everything.

If you hold the can upright it'll empty pretty quick, 1-2 minutes? I'm not really sure, with a full can it seems like an eternity due to the weight. I usually kink the hose, insert the hose into the gas fill then lay the can on it's side, the can will drain by itself while I'm getting the boat ready..

I use the same VP gas cans and I have an automotive pump fuel pump with hoses attached to pump the fuel into the boat. I've had problems with the O ring seal popping out of the groove but a silicone spray fixed it.

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Originally Posted by zabooda

I use the same VP gas cans and I have an automotive pump fuel pump with hoses attached to pump the fuel into the boat. I've had problems with the O ring seal popping out of the groove but a silicone spray fixed it.

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What pump is that? Electric?

Be nice if you could mount the pump in the boat and use some sort of quick connect to the gas can..

I feel a mod coming...Must resist....

http://www.amazon.com/XtremepowerUS-...productDetails


http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/ite...0074&catid=743

Bullet number one was dont use it with gasoline. Looks like its made for diesel

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Originally Posted by parrothd

I feel a mod coming...Must resist....

http://www.amazon.com/XtremepowerUS-...productDetails


http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/ite...0074&catid=743

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http://www.amazon.com/Biodiesel-Pump...productDetails

I've already put a deposit on a newer LSV, I don't have any time or money for any mods... :)

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Originally Posted by parrothd

http://www.amazon.com/Biodiesel-Pump...productDetails

I've already put a deposit on a newer LSV, I don't have any time or money for any mods... :)

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Ahh..thats fuel oil...Bummer

I've been keeping our boats in the water my entire life. The convenience if being able to walk right down to the dock and go riding after work is unmatched by having to trailer it. Considering how much these boats cost I want to be able to use it as much as possible. Most of the risks of keeping it in the water can be eliminated simply by applying an epoxy barrier coat to the hull followed by an ablative anti fouling paint. Think of the Epoxy as up armoring the hull and is suggested by the manufacture to prevent blistering and the Anti fouling paint prevents marine growth. At the end of the season I simply spray it down with a pressure washer and rub off the water line. All said it takes me 30 min to clean up 7 months on the water. You can even buy this in a color to match most hulls (I've got a white LSV). I just bought my LSV last month but I've been through this process with 2 other boats and couldn't have been happier. I was also able to sell this as an upgrade to the next buyers.


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Not to revive this thread, but I spent most of the day yesterday cleaning the bottom of the hull. The previous owner must have stored in a slip for a period of time. I had to use Soft Scrub with bleach, a non-scratch scrubber and elbow grease just to get the scum off. After was cleaned had to wash it, then wax it and I only made it about half way.
https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/...28220114_n.jpg

Next time acid wash and be done in 10 minutes.. Lol

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Originally Posted by parrothd

Next time acid wash and be done in 10 minutes.. Lol

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Please explain more. Still have half the hull to do, what do I do? What acid, mixture with water etc....

http://www.starbrite.com/item/instan...ategory_id=566

Just spray it on, there's several brands or use muractic acid..

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