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.

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.

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.

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.

"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

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...