Boat wear & tear question

[PAkev]

I was tying down my boat after pulling it out of the water the other day when a guy came up to look over my rig. Upon a compliment and after a brief and polite discussion he suggested that most boat wear and tear occurs during loadint, unloading, and trailering. He continued to suggest I consider a seasonal slip to maintain the new condition of my boat. I returned a polite comment that he only needs to look at the bottom of boats coming out of the water that have been in a slip all summer to get an idea of some of the additional required maintenance. On top of that you can add the dock rash from wake and the fact that necessary repairs may go unnoticed until the boat comes out of the water. <br /><br />Since I only have to drive less than a mile to the launch, I really have no problem trailering the boat along and it is on the trailer in my yard where I can keep an eye on it. Plus, it is ready to go to any other lake I may decide to boat or fish on. <br /><br /> Although I have no intention of putting my boat in a seasonal slip, I would just like to hear some thoughts on the issue of which causes more wear and tear. <br /><br />Kevin

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Boat wear & tear question

Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on it. Personally, I would trailer my boat if I could. Your worry about dock rash is unfounded. If properly tied with fenders/bumpers there is no dock rash. It takes a minimum of four dock lines and two fenders to properly secure a vessel to a dock. I'm also of the opinion you cannot get fenders that are too big.

 

[gsbodine]

Re: Boat wear & tear question

If I could afford it, I would certainly want to keep my boat in a slip. Of course, I like being out on the water year-round, and with the family, it is so much nicer not to have to hassle with trailing when you can just load at the dock for a quick trip out. I have a watermark on my hull from when it did spend its life in a slip, but it is at the waterline at not really noticeable. Of course I'm talking about freshwater too. Other than that, I haven't found any difference, as long as you have a trailer to pull it out for work when necessary.<br /><br />The time savings for me would definitely be worth it.

 

[wvit100]

Re: Boat wear & tear question

I live about a mile away from the lake. I used to keep my boat on a trailer but it was a hassle to have to haul it down, launch it, and the recover it at the end of the day. So last year I put it in a wet slip - I ended up using the boat a lot more since I could go down and take it out for an hour ride park it and go home. Plus I got to know a bunch of the people who dock their boat at the marina. This year I put my boat into inside storage at the marina. I stays a lot cleaner without all the spiders and stuff that hang around at the wet slips and is almost as handy. There is a boat ramp at the marina so if I go to another lake all I have to do is take my trailer with me to the marina, load it and go.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Boat wear & tear question

Until I got my own dock, I was a trailer-er as well. It is true that leaving it in all season results in scum buildup, but being able to just jump in and go is well worth the extra work to get it off at the end of the season. There is an increased possibiliy of damage trailering just due to the odds. A person could forget the drain plug, they could get in an accident driving to the ramp, they could have their oudrive stolen off the boat as it sits in their driveway, they could forget to strap it on when retrieving rsulting in it falling off the trailer. There are a whole host of possibilities compared to just leaving it in the slip. Of course, things could happen at the slip as well. I think it just comes down to personal preference and what gets a person out on the water the easiest. I use my boat a lot more now that I can leave it in the water, and after all, thats what having a boat is all about, not keeping it clean 24/7...

 

[Neverhome]

Re: Boat wear & tear question

I have trailered and now keep the boat in a slip. I guess it just depends how busy the ramps are and the size of the boat, realtive to ease of launch and retrevial. My preference is for the slip. I fnd I use it a lot more and if it is rough on the water, the boat is a nice place to spend the day socializing at the dock. <br /><br />As to more wear, I also don't see much of a difference. As long as the dock is properly buffered and enough fenders and dock lines are used, rash is not a problem. I keep mine on a river that gets a lot of use and by a lot of people who do not honor no wake zones. After five years I can say I have had no damage by keeping it in a slip.<br /><br />Neverhome

 

[swist]

Re: Boat wear & tear question

In another forum someone made the point that a floating boat is ideally supported - equal pressure everywhere whereas a boat on a trailer is supported at only discrete points where there is obviously a lot more force. I'm not sure if this argument amounts to anything in reality unless your boat is really big - near max trailerable size, and has a thin hull layup (won't mention any brands....).<br /><br />In any case, the subject being debated here is very dependent on the size of the boat. Although trailerable, my boat is 25' long with an 8'6" beam and weighs about 4500 lbs. Once in the water and once out per season is all I can deal with....

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: Boat wear & tear question

I have a 30ft Regal that is in all season and a 17ft Mako that I Planned on trailering but it also stays in all season.Both are tied up properly with fenders where they belong and covers on the fenders.I also leave a string of good size fenders floating along side the pier(I have a corner slip)so she cant hit the pier.Fenders touch boat at water line on bottom paint so they cant chaffe anything.Not a mark on my boat anywhere .AS LONG AS YOU TIE IT UP RIGHT EVERY TIME.I use the Mako so much more when it is in the water already.There are plenty of times like yesterday where my wife and I got back to the dock a little earlier then we planned and got the Regal cleaned up fast so we hopped on the Mako and caught the sunset.The Mako takes about 5 minutes to rinse off and flush the Regal takes more like half hour to 45 minutes to get cleaned ,zipped and flushed so it is way easier to use the Mako for a quick run.I highly recommend keeping it in the water if you want to get the most out of your boating season.Charlie