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zedohsix
05-19-2009, 07:59 AM
have a 1995 sweet 16 (no bottom paint) and room in a slip for her, what are the thoughts on keeping it in the water for the summer, boat is outside Toronto (lake Ontario, Bronte) would be able to find shalow water to clean bottom,
Thanks :canada:

mattyboy
05-19-2009, 08:08 AM
there are 3 issues with leaving the boat in the water, and how you boat might make them more of an issue or not


1. always a possibility of taking on water a leaky bellows a bad rain weak battery now if it is in front of your house or you can check in on it from time to time not really a big issue if it is un attended for weeks at a time could be a problem.


2. cleaning not sure of the water up there but the bottom can get dirty in my lake especially so if you don't mind spending time cleaning and not boating not a big issue if you want to boat alot and not clean then it is an issue

3. blisters well no matter what and how you use the boat dunking her for the season this will be an issue on the paint or gel , with paint being worse


so if you can answer how you want to use her maybe the little time it takes to trailer and dunk her is worth it instead of cleaning and eventually having to deal with the blisters or maybe not

zedohsix
05-19-2009, 08:16 AM
thanks Mattyboy
boat is kept at a busy marina and I am there every two or 3 days, cleaning is not an issue as it is something I enjoy

mattyboy
05-19-2009, 08:17 AM
thanks Mattyboy
boat is kept at a busy marina and I am there every two or 3 days, cleaning is not an issue as it is something I enjoy



then you have you answer ;) enjoy :)

BigGrizzly
05-19-2009, 09:44 AM
Actually our 16 remained in the water for 11 seasons at the jersey shore, with no blistering problems and still doesn't. No the most important thing is GOOD bottom paint. there are two types one for fresh and one for salt. We did ours every year and prepped it according to the instructions. the problem is most professionals DO NOT. Ours is baby blue and my sister matched it (BTW you can do this) perfectly. I will say we were on top of it every weekend. the bottom did not take too much care. With good paint you do not be aggressive cleaning it. We only used the people pit cover and left the vents opened. OH yes automattic bildge pump is mandatory as well as Interlux Bildgcoat. We still have the boat and bough it new in 1966.

Lenny
05-19-2009, 10:28 AM
I'd buy a used lift and not worry about any of these things. I could NOT leave mine at a dock for more than overnight without getting "wierd" . I am in salt water tho.

BigGrizzly
05-19-2009, 10:40 AM
Now I have a lift so it does not matter either.

zelatore
05-19-2009, 11:19 AM
A lift is certainly the best way to go if you can get one.

Blistering may or may not occur. I wouldn't expect it, but I also wouldn't be shocked if a minor case did develop. Assuming you pull it out in the off-season, most likely any minor blisters that did develop would dry out anyway after a couple weeks out of the water. Anything that didn't dry would require some repair work.

You also need to be away of the possibility of corrosion. The drive in particular. Even if you don't have your boat plugged into shore power, another boat near-by or problems with the dock's wiring can lead to big problems for you. Again, I'm not saying this will happen, only that it can happen.

Without bottom paint, you will get growth. Even in fresh water. With bottom paint, you will still get some growth just not nearly as much. You won't be able to fully clean it off with the boat in the water unless you can really hold your breath a long time or have a hooka or something to dive with. Even a little 16 will be a PITA to clean after a week or two in the water. Heck, some lakes will leave 'ring around the boat' in just a day or two in the water. While those sort of stains come off pretty easily, the stuff on the bottom and drive can be a little tougher to deal with.

Bottom paints come in a lot of varieties, and I can't recommend a specific brand or even style since I don't know your area and every place is a little different. Basically, you've got 'hard' and 'soft' paints. On our yachts we use the soft paints and do 2 coats. This sort of paint is designed to wear away with use, and since we have to paint the boats regularly (every 12-24 months) this helps prevent build-up and makes prep work for the next layer of paint easier and faster. The hard paints might be more applicable to your situation since they can be polished and take regular scrubbings a little better than the soft paints. The big sailboat racers tend to like hard paints for this reason. And those guys are really anal about getting rid of every ounce of drag from a dirty bottom!

But like I said at the beginning, if you can get a lift that's hand's down the best way to go! No maintenance worries, and you can just walk down to the boat, hit a switch to lower it, then take off.

mike o
05-19-2009, 12:39 PM
I live on a lake and leave in. But I put it back on the trailer ocassionally to let the gel get a break once in awhile when the weather not so great:yes: .....And slimy-e grimy-e.... the ring around the donzi.:kingme:. My lake is crystal and i still get the stain, even after a few days.:mad: Its organic something?