Keeping your boat.

PhoenixPhire · #1 (**permalink**) 07-27-2006

Just out of curiosity, I would like some opinions on owning a boat.

For those of you who own boats, where do you keep them? What are the pros and cons of keeping a boat at your home, or at a slip? Which do you prefer?

Also, for those of you who DO keep your boat at your home, what are your thoughts on trailering your boat to places to sail? What is the biggest boat that can be safely trailered?

SailinJay · #2 (**permalink**) 07-27-2006

Where you keep a boat depends in large measure to how big the boat is. I have a 35-foot sailboat that is moored in a slip at a marina. There is no question about where that size boat would be kept, unless, of course, you happen to live on the water and can keep your boat at your own dock. Even then it is going to be in the water.

I have a 22-foot sailboat that I no longer use myself, but when I did, I kept it in a slip at a marina, even though it was trailerable and I had a trailer for it. I preferred the slip to keeping it at home because of the wear and tear on the towing vehicle that would have occurred and the time it took to raise and lower the mast and rig and unrig the boat prior to and after using it. In other words, I spent maybe 20 minutes getting it ready to sail single-handed versus up to two hours of labor that required more than one person.

jimforesman · #3 (**permalink**) 07-28-2006

I have a Thistle (17 ft) I keep at the house on a trailer. the first year I had it I took it out regularly. As time goes by I find I go out less and less. The problem is when you get to the boat ramp it takes almost a half hour to step the mast and get all the rigging ready to sail. Then once in the water I have to raise the sails and avoid the power boats to get to open water. Than after sailing for several hours I have to undo it all and put it away when I get home. The work to sail time ratio is not favorable.
The salusion is to rent a dry slip. A parking spot at a sailboat friendly marina so you can keep your mast steped. All you have to do is drop the boat in the water and raise your sails.
Just my thoughts.
Don Flores
Austin Texas

PBzeer · #4 (**permalink**) 07-28-2006

Unless you're taking the boat somewhere for a period of time (like a vacation), it becomes a hassle to rig and unrig it for just a few hours of sailing. Keeping it in a slip, or on a trailer I think comes down to a question of which is more important to you. The time you spend sailing, or the money you save by trailering.

Once you get over 25 feet though, trailering isn't really a good option. So mostly, it's a question of what size boat you have.

TejasSailer · #5 (**permalink**) 07-28-2006

Our current boat is 36', and we keep it in a slip at a marina. However, we have owned three smaller boats and keep them rigged, on a trailer, two at a yacht club and one at a marina. The combined time for maintenance and to launch for a small boat seemed to be much less than the time for maintenance on the current boat.

Blue Eagle · #6 (**permalink**) 07-28-2006

You're all very lucky to have the option of using a slip! Here in Hong Kong slips (by which I assume you mean moored to a pontoon) are very expensive and only available at the pricier yacht / boat clubs. The majority of boats are moored either on fore-and-aft buoy moorings in typhoon shelters, as mine is, or on swing moorings around the coast. It's not a problem in itself, but does necessitate a bit more organisation to get out to them - ie a water taxi (Sampan) or club launch.

Happy Sailing!

Blue Eagle

Jeff_H · #7 (**permalink**) 07-28-2006

I have owned or had use of both trailerables and boats that lived in the water. I really did not like owning trailerables. I found that the time to rig, launch, recover, and de-rig the boat meant that I lost a lot of sailing time and also meant that there were a days when I would not go out for a short sail because of the ratio of sailing time to prep time (1 hour plus round trip prepping and de-commissioning, vs and hour of sailing instead of a 1 1/2 hour sail.)

Other issues with trailering was that I could not launch and haul on my own, and the boats got beat up launching and retrieving. My biggest gripe with ramp launchable, pocket cruiser sized boats, was that these were clearly inferior boats in terms of sailing ability, seaworthiness, and build quality.

If you live in an area where you can leave the boat rigged and crane launch then dry sailing makes a lot more sense because riggging and unrigging time goes way down, and you can then dry sail better quality boats.

I currently own a 38' boat that is too large to dry sail, which I keep at home in the water at my dock.

Jeff

dave.verry · #8 (**permalink**) 07-28-2006

I have a 26’ Chrysler with an 8’ beam and swing keel and 5000 lbs. displacement that I have been told (unsubstantiated) is the largest boat that can be trailered without a special permit. While I have trailered this boat, I keep it in a slip to be able to get on the water ASAP. It takes about 1 hour to set up and launch.

sailingdog · #9 (**permalink**) 07-28-2006

Actually, most boats less than 8' 6" wide can be trailered without a permit, provided the trailer is less than about 35' long. It will vary a bit by state, as some states have 8' as the limit and others go up to 9'.

I keep my boat, which is trailerable, in a slip as it is far more convenient. Even though my boat has a decent mast-raising/lowering system, keeping it on a trailer would be a pain. As it is, it still takes a good 20-30 minutes to check/prep the boat for a sail, and at least that long to rinse her off after we get back. Having it on a trailer would increase those times to at least an hour each.

Also, the wear and tear on a boat stored in a marina slip is far lower, provided it is tied off and fendered properly, than it would be if I had to load it onto the trailer and off every time.