LEAVING BOAT IN WATER

[DUCATIF1]

Is it a big deal to leave boat in salt water for season VS. keeping high and dry? Obviously keeping out of water is the ultimate but what are concerns with keeping boat in water for season. I really don't see any performance boats kept in water. Everybody seams to trailer??

[MOP]

Pros and Cons for both, Hi and dry I noticed over the years went through risers quicker than docked boats. Bottoms stay better out. Still best is trailer and flush plus the freedom to roam. In it might sink, bottom gets funky and AH's bang into you while doing their ever so skillful docking!

[Walt. H.]

Look at it this way = Keep in water is like keeping your car on at the shopping mall parking lot.Vs, Keeping either one safe in your back yard or garage! Plus you'll spend more time fussing over it where no-one is watching you pamper it with care. eek! ooh!!!!! wink

[MR MAGOO]

Also, if you keep the boat at a salt water slip you will have to paint the bottom with anti-fowling paint. This will drasticly lower the resale value of your Donzi.

[PaulO]

I waffle back and forth on this one but, here is the counterpoint:
All boats are made to be used and most if not all boats are way underutilized. If you could make arrangements that increased your amount of on-the-water time, what would that be worth? Certainly some degree of reduced resale value! Years ago we had to trailer the boat 25 minutes to use it. Then we rented a dock space that was 20 minutes travel time away, usage went way up. Then we moved to the water and had the boat in the backyard, another big jump in utiliztion.
Sometimes resale value decreases just because of wear-and-tear due to usage. I'll take that hit any day.
PaulO

[florida gator]

I'ld have to agree with Paul O. Last summer after being rear ended in my tow vehicle, it was either leave the Donzi in the back yard for what turned out to be 6 weeks or temporarily dry store it at a marina. I was able to use the boat much more even to the degree that sometimes I woud jump in and make a quick lunchrun at a waterfront restarant. And when everyone else was heading to the local ramps to fight the traffic and be out by dark I still had plenty of time to stay out on the water. If possible use a marina with a boat ramp so you can still travel when you want to.

[mattyboy]

I can't speak on the effects of long dips in salt water, But I was contimplating trailering this season not leaving it in the slip.
Here's what I came up with.
I enjoy coming home from work, on with the trunks and to the marina walking distance in 10 minutes I'm on the lake, if I had to hookup and trailer go to same marina then get stuck forever at the ramp would be atleast a half hour if not more.
so every 2 weeks on a thursday I pull the boat take her home clean the hull and drive.
I figure 3 to 4 nights a week if I had to trailer would be and 1 1/2 to 2 hours in my time so I'll leave her in and spend 2 hours every other week cleaning her.

salt water eeeeewwwwwwww!!!!!!


Matt

[boatnut]

Another alternative is one of the many devices on the market to raise the boat out of the water in the slip (e.g. hydrohoist). There are various types available and for about a 20' boat probably range in cost from about $2K to $8k or so?? Among the simplest and lowest cost is one called air dock that is pretty much some air bags that inflate under the boat and raise it out of the water (www.airdock.com). I've used an air dock for a year now with a 22' Whaler and am satisfied with it. They of course are not cheap but the biggest obstacle with either salt or fresh water is bottom growth and this solves the problem without bottom paint (which over several years would be more expensive than the lift). They also allow flushing the engine easily when in salt water.

[RPD]

There are 3 considerations, and you'll quickly see why performance boats are rarely kept in the water:

1) Fiberglas absorbs water. This makes the hull heavier and thus slower. It is the reason that sailboats have a different handicap if they are kept on a trailer than if kept in the water.

2) The absorption of water can cause blisters in the fiberglas. Minor blisters only affect the gelcoat but larger ones can actually delaminate the glass. Freshwater is worse than saltwater for this.

3) As everyone has stated above, the bottom becomes fouled with growth. Antifouling paint is heavy and expensive, typically $100 to $175 a gallon, and results in a bottom surface that is higher friction (slower)than a bare bottom. Plus, it still doesn't stop the growth, just slows it down, so the bottom still has to be cleaned regularly.

Finally, I agree that making the boat convenient and easy to use will increase usage, and the only way to keep your boat pristine is to never use it. But leaving a Donzi in the water isn't the solution.

<small>[ April 07, 2003, 06:47 PM: Message edited by: RPD ]</small>

[abelchinewalker]

I always thought that Hi & Dry was the way to go. Until I worked at a marina that offered this service. They tend to hire young kids making $7.00 an hour to move, drive and wash your boat. It's not so bad during the week, but on a weekend when there are close to 100 boats moved in and out of the water, damage occurs. They had hired a kid to drive and move boats on the fork-lift with no boat handeling experience. You could say that it must be a rinky dink dealership, but they where a Donzi and Fountain Dealer.

Trailer Trailer Trailer

[BigGrizzly]

We have kept the 16 in the Bay at Bay Head New Jersey(south of Pt Pleasant) with no problems except bottom paint and a set of exhaust. but after the second year we closed cooling system it and had no engine or boat problems.

[Moody Blu']

When your an avid boater like myself and go out on the boat every day(literally) You would want your boat in your back yard on a lagoon sitting on a hoist. wink (nothin like drivin over to the dutchmans quelle and havin a beer and snack after work)
I have the lagoon part I just need the hoist, then I can strip the bottom paint off my hull for that extra mph. :D Until then its bottom paint for me.

If I had a choice to keep my boat on a trailer or keep it in the water, It would still be in the water. I check the battery to make sure its fully charged so the bilge pump does it job while im away, Of course callin up the pops to check on the boats water line helps to. wink (I have sinking boat dreams :p )

I have used nothing but petit trinidad, and last year petit trinidad SR(the new formula). I must say both paints do more then slow down the growth it stops it COMPLETELY :cool: . The only places i have to clean junk off of my boat is by the water line from the junk. A brushing of the water line at a near by shoal takes that crap right off! :)


my .02$

[RPD]

Moody... I use trinidad on my sailboat and still have to pay a diver to clean it regularly.. differences: a)donzi vs sailboat speed and b) warmer water.

[MOP]

I used to leave my Star Boat in over long week end race events. I did the bag trick with Clorox, no slime and no fouling. If you want info on bagging, go to some of the local sailing clubs, I'll bet you will find several bagged boats. Not sure if the DEC frowns on the Clorox or not, we have a few in Deering Harbor that still bag rather than paint.

[Grip-it]

Hey MOP,

Can you explain what bagging is and how it is used? Thanks

[MOP]

Grip it you got mail!

[bjh517]

Here is my set-up. I purchased a used jet dock and keep it behind my house. It takes nothing to launch it (no davits or lift to mess with), just a little push. When I come back, I drive right up on the Jet Dock out of the water! I flush the engine, hose down the hull and put the cover on her. I'm done! The jet dock also supplies a wlak around platform for performing maintenance. I love it!

[HyperDonzi]

PaulO:
I waffle back and forth on this one but, here is the counterpoint:
All boats are made to be used and most if not all boats are way underutilized. If you could make arrangements that increased your amount of on-the-water time, what would that be worth? Certainly some degree of reduced resale value! Years ago we had to trailer the boat 25 minutes to use it. Then we rented a dock space that was 20 minutes travel time away, usage went way up. Then we moved to the water and had the boat in the backyard, another big jump in utiliztion.
Sometimes resale value decreases just because of wear-and-tear due to usage. I'll take that hit any day.
PaulO Before dock= weekend use
With Dock= I cant even say how many times a week. During the summer ATLEAST twice a day I was checking on the boat. (remember, this is a Baja too eek! ) Way to many countless, priceless memories were made during the past 5 years, you wouldnt believe this, as many were made on the water, as just sitting at the dock. The person docked next to us the first few years was my best friend, mentally had all the wisdom of his age, but could play harder than I could!!! Oh, he was 77 too!! People, memories, etc are all BIG + of having a dock.