Pro's and Con's of storage on the hard

Gulfislander · #1 10-07-2012

I have stored my boat through out the winter in its slip. Recently my marina has offered winter storage on the hard at no extra charge. I'm wondering what the pro and con's are and how would the winterizing change??

Green Eyes · #2 10-07-2012

Easier to keep up with all that maintenance you keep putting off till later. Servicing your seacocks, replacing zincs, scraping and painting the bottom, checking for blisters

CalebD · #3 10-07-2012

Besides giving you access to your prop, rudder and bottom, hauling the boat allows it to dry out for a while.
Boats that are stored in the water year in and year out are more likely to develop blisters then boats that are allowed to dry out for a bit.

Anecdote: A friend was kept his 1982 Endeavor 32' in the water for about 5 years because it was cheaper then paying for a haul out. When they hauled the boat last spring for bottom painting they found, guess what? Blisters.
My boat is 45 years old (1967) and has been hauled out every year as far as I know. It shows no sign of blistering.

kd3pc · #4 10-07-2012

boats were built to float...not sit on the keel and 4 - 18" patches of wood...

oil canning, falling over, missing stands, guy next to you DIY, yard traffic, etc...

the biggie for me, you can just show up and live aboard or day sail on those beautiful winter days and nights if she is in the water

marcusc130 · #5 10-07-2012

Leaving the boat in isn't really an option where I am, but I like hauling it out anyway. With the boat out of the water I can really give it a good once over and address all the things on my punch list from the season.

If a boat gets dimpled or falls over, it's because someone screwed up, not because it's not designed for it. You could get beat to hell at the dock in a winter storm too. I would say that most of the go fast boats up here spend more time on their keels then they do in the water.

Sabreman · #6 10-07-2012

I feel that the boat weathers harder in the water than out. We've onluy winter stored once and won't do it again.

Pros to Dry Winter Storage
1. Hull dries out, reducing the chance of blisters
2. More leisurely spring commissioning
3. Less likely to sink
4. Piece of mind such that I can afford to not visit for a month or so.

Cons:
1. Expensive. I pay for a year round slip and also for hauling and dry storage at another marina. At other marinas, I've paid a flat rate for storage, in or out of the water, with a fee only for the haul, cleaning, and relaunch.

chef2sail · #7 10-08-2012

Let me add another con to Sabremans thread. Many people who put their boats on the hard leave their masts up. The wind hitting the masts transfers vibrations though the boat and this energy is transferred where. Normally when a boats in the water the wind hits the mast the boat heels a little the energy is transferred into the water and dissipated by the boats roll. In stands it is rigid. I have felt the vibrations though the boat as well as in the stands while my boat was on the hard mast up.

Dave

PCP · #8 10-08-2012

Even the best gelcoat is not completely impermeable and the epoxy coat does not last forever so water and humidity will slowly enter the hull. On the hard the boat will dry each season (hopefully) the water and humidity that entered during the season.

As a negative side, the weight of the boat is much better distributed in the water than by any stand.

Of course, on the hard (if the job is well done) you will get less worried every time a storm hits the place where you have the boat except if you live in places where earthquakes are frequent. That was the case last time I had the boat on the hard and with earthquakes all around I was not filling at ease with the situation

Regards

Paulo

PaulinVictoria · #9 10-08-2012

Cons: it's much harder to sail, which up here is a massive con since the winter offers lots of lovely days with much better wind than the summer. In my marina, my slip is more sheltered than out on the hard too. (And there's the earthquake thing!)
Pros: It's much easier to work on the boat.

overbored · #10 10-08-2012

Here we sail all year, can't relate to putting the boat away for the winter. every year we get a group of people together and go spring snow sking ( only good until noon) in the morning and off road on the way to the beach where we go sailing until dark. and then to the club for a beer or two