Capt Lou wrote:

My boat is too big to trailer. I have been keeping my (inboard) boats in the
water year round since 1986 along with about 25 other boat owners. In the
winter time "ice eaters" around the boats and docks keep the water moving. The
boats in the water don't get the "spider" cracks in their gel coat like the
boats stored on jack stands on land. Everyone agrees that the topsides and
decks stay much cleaner ad are free of leaves and dirt. Another advantage to
keeping the boat in the water is I am not "blocked in" on land waiting for the
the 3 or 4 boats in front of me to get waxed and bottom painted. My boat
usually sleeps (winterized) from December to March 15th. This year it slept a
little later! By the way, I haul it out the end of June every year. It is much
more comfortable working in warmer weather to bottom paint and wax it, plus the
yard is empty except for a few boats on land.



The season is really extended this way.

"Listen to the live broadcast of 'Nautical Talk Radio' with Captain Lou every
Sunday afternoon from 4 - 5 (Eastern Standard Time) on the web at
www.959watd.com or if you are in Boston or Cape Cod set your radio dial to
95.9FM.



Oh, I appreciate the "upside" of "waterbound" boats...but the wear and
tear of being in the water takes a toll on small boats.

I don't recommend jackstand storage for any boat, but that's how most of
the bigger ones are stored, and all that weight resting on three or four
"points" does more than produce spider cracks. Most boats that are on
shore should be stored on bunk trailers, bunk racks or cradles, or on
some device that more fully supports the bottom.

It certainly is much more convenient to have your boat sitting in a slip
in a marina.