Boating In Boston
Just started and ran my boat's engines for the first time this season. I am
lucky because I keep my boat in the water year round. The weather has been so lousy around here that most of the boats stored on land still have their covers on. Going for a shakedown cruise today while the temperature gets close to 55 degrees F. Sea temperature still in the high 30s. "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. |
Boating In Boston
Capt Lou wrote:
Just started and ran my boat's engines for the first time this season. I am lucky because I keep my boat in the water year round. The weather has been so lousy around here that most of the boats stored on land still have their covers on. Going for a shakedown cruise today while the temperature gets close to 55 degrees F. Sea temperature still in the high 30s. Hmmm. I think the worse thing you can do is keep a small boat "in the water" year-around. Other than abuse, nothing ages a small boat faster. Small boats last longer and look better when they're trailered or kept on a shore cradle or rack. I grew up in New England, and my daddy was a boat dealer. I can't recall anyone who kept a small boat "in the water" year around. Even the fire and rescue guys hauled their boat and kept it on a trailer at my dad's place during the winter months. Just a different opinion on this. |
Boating In Boston
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. |
Boating In Boston
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. |
Boating In Boston
"Harry Krause" wrote in message ... Capt Lou wrote: Just started and ran my boat's engines for the first time this season. I am lucky because I keep my boat in the water year round. The weather has been so lousy around here that most of the boats stored on land still have their covers on. Going for a shakedown cruise today while the temperature gets close to 55 degrees F. Sea temperature still in the high 30s. Hmmm. I think the worse thing you can do is keep a small boat "in the water" year-around. Other than abuse, nothing ages a small boat faster. Small boats last longer and look better when they're trailered or kept on a shore cradle or rack. I grew up in New England, and my daddy was a boat dealer. I can't recall anyone who kept a small boat "in the water" year around. Even the fire and rescue guys hauled their boat and kept it on a trailer at my dad's place during the winter months. Just a different opinion on this. I don't think Capt Lou's boat is *that* small, but I am curious as to why you think a boat is better stored on a rack or trailer. Seems to me the hull structure would be better supported in the water as it is designed to be supported. Eisboch |
Boating In Boston
Eisboch wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message ... Capt Lou wrote: Just started and ran my boat's engines for the first time this season. I am lucky because I keep my boat in the water year round. The weather has been so lousy around here that most of the boats stored on land still have their covers on. Going for a shakedown cruise today while the temperature gets close to 55 degrees F. Sea temperature still in the high 30s. Hmmm. I think the worse thing you can do is keep a small boat "in the water" year-around. Other than abuse, nothing ages a small boat faster. Small boats last longer and look better when they're trailered or kept on a shore cradle or rack. I grew up in New England, and my daddy was a boat dealer. I can't recall anyone who kept a small boat "in the water" year around. Even the fire and rescue guys hauled their boat and kept it on a trailer at my dad's place during the winter months. Just a different opinion on this. I don't think Capt Lou's boat is *that* small, but I am curious as to why you think a boat is better stored on a rack or trailer. Seems to me the hull structure would be better supported in the water as it is designed to be supported. Eisboch A rack, bunk trailer or cradle fully supports the boat's bottom. Our Parker trailer, for example, supports the bottom from the transom to just a few feet short of the bow, with two carpeted 2x12" bunks and two 2x8" bunks. The transom bracket and outboard are not supported, but they wouldn't be if the boat were in the water, either, although I suppose the leveraged stress might be less. A boat on a trailer is easier to maintain...to wash, to check over, to make sure there are no dings in the gelcoat below the waterline, et cetera. There's no galvanic action problems. There's no osmosis problem. You don't have to worry about bottom paint. Hey, I like the convenience of a boat in the water at the marina...it's great...but to keep a boat looking new, you're better off keeping it on a trailer. One of the marinas I frequent has covered slips with boat lifts...an interesting possibility for boat maintenance fanatics like me. The roof keeps the UV and bird crap off the boat, the lift keeps it out of the water... |
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