Slip or in/out service

[ppkaprince98]

Hello everyone, just looking for some opinions here. Bought a 2003 260 DA at the end of the season last year and the wife and I are going back and forth on whether we get a slip for next summer or do in/out service. So I am looking for some pro's and con's of both.

BTW, cost is not a factor and the bottom of our boat is painted.

Thanks
Chris

 

[spfortjohn]

If you are in salt water the in/out dry storage is nice as they flush and wash the boat from the rub rail down. I keep mine for the summer in a indoor dry storage and love it. Give them a call and the boat is in the water in 10 min. I can keep it at the dock overnight if I want as they have a few spaces for that. The big plus is it is out of the weather no worries.

 

[mwph]

Do your best to determine how you will use the boat. Do you want to trailer it to different spots? Do you already have a trailer? Interested in marina life? Kids? These kinds of things should help you decide.

As for us... Hopefully, I will never have to trailer a boat. Way too much time loading, unloading, packing, unpacking. Tow vehicle needs/costs. We also love waking up on the boat and being able to go out on the water early with minimal effort. When its time to go home, we just carry dirty clothes & an empty cooler down the dock & we drive home.

The added expense of our slip is of little concern as we use the boat year round. The power is always on, fridge always cold, batteries always charged. Here in the south, our covered slip is invaluable when it comes to protecting the boat from rain & the blistering southern sun.

Again, talk with the Admiral about how you expect to use the boat & that will clear things up for you.

BTW....Welcome to CSR!

 

[tdschafer]

MWPH,
I think the OP is talking about rack storage vs dockage. I don't think he is referring to trailering the boat here.

Prince98,
I have always docked my boats. The main problem I had with rack storage is that it really eliminates the spontaneity of boating. There were many times over the years that it was such a beautiful night that I decided to run over to the beach for a cocktail or coffee and sunset walk on the beach with my significant other. The rack places by me usually close by 6pm. If your call wasn't in before then, you were out of luck for the night. There are also the nights where you just go down to the marina and end up sleeping there at your little condo on the water. These are all great parts of the boating experience to consider.

Now, if your not a spontaneous person and are sure of every time you will want to use your boat then the rack should be fine.
BTW: Don't forget to make the phone call!! The way I am running now, I probably would remember when it was too late. Good luck with your choice. I hope this helps and Welcome to CSR!

 

[Lord Farringdon]

I've just been away on business and was talking to a colleague on this very matter last night. He was a housing damage victim of the Christchurch earthquake and lives in an unsafe building because insurance will not pay out until all the "after shaking" stops. There have been a lot of added costs in his life and he has placed his yacht on the hard to try to releive some of the maintenance and cost pressure. We spoke about why we enjoyed the slip and 'mwph' nails a lot of them. My friend also said it was nice to go down to the marina in the evening, have meal and and a few drinks with the Admiral on the boat, followed up by a shag if things went that way That was probably more than I need to know but somehow it conveyed the essence of this condo on the water thing.

I also find it's great to go to the boat on an off day, run the engine and catch up with some maintenance. It's the utility of having complete and useful access to your expensive asset (including shorepower) that makes the slip the best choice but, it comes at extra vigilance and cost so far as underwater maintenance is concerned. But if, as you say, cost is not factor, then so long as the boat is hauled regularly, this does not need to be considered.

In the end it's about how you use your boat. Some people can afford to purchase an expensive boat just for the ocassioanl summer jaunt and the rest of the time the boat does zip and they have little interest in it. If that's you, then put it on the stack. If you really want to enjoy your asset then leave it in the slip. There is nothing more enjoyable than standing on the pier watching the reflected water ripples dance crazily on the side of the hull as the boat slowly jostles against the docking lines like a horse waiting for the starter gates to open.

Terry

 

[Phlorida]

Rack storage really works well for me with a similar sized boat. On a typical weekend I have them splash the boat on Friday afternoon and I put it into a slip for the weekend. On Sunday I back it into the loading area and they pull it, flush the engine, spray off the hull, turn off the batteries and put the cover back on it. The marina has racks for when I need to work on the boat. I live five minutes from the marina and they typically need no more than ten minutes notice to bring it down. We use our boat year round and it is currently in a slip.

Todd pointed out the downside. If you want the boat outside of business hours you have no options.

 

[penguin]

I've done both and prefer keeping the boat in the water

Stack storage pros:
* boat is stored inside, away from weather, when not in use
* get the option of the "rack" to performance maintenance and cleaning
* security, building is locked when no one is around

Stack storage cons:
* Only get to use the boat on "their" hours. Can be difficult if you like cruising after Labor Day
* The boat takes a bigger beating. Not every fork lift operator values your boat
* The boat will get a black layer of soot over it from the diesel forklift running inside a closed building. DO NOT let it get on the seats!

Docking in a slip pros:
* Immediate access whenever you want.
* Power and hose at convenient spot. No need to "rack" the boat to wash.
* Easier to get your friends on/off the boat as you have the boat better tied in a slip

Docking in a slip cons:
* Boat gets dirty faster (not inside a building)
* Security if the ramps aren't locked
* Will have to pull the boat from time to time to replace zincs and keep bottom clean

After doing both, we are keeping our 240 in the water all the time. We had a few bad experiences with stack storage with hours at the marina post-labor day and the boat was getting more bangs and scratches from the constant up/down hauling part. We love being able to walk down the dock and have access to our boat on our schedule.

 

[D-Sill-D]

I have, and, have always had, small boats, relatively easy to move, trailer, launch, etc...I have done it all when it comes to getting boats in and out of the water......with all due respect, :huh: I don't care what anyone else says, during the summer months, especially, it is the difference of "day and night" between, parking your car near a dock, walking over to your boat, starting your engine, and UN-snapping 3 or 4 lines, that stay on the dock......as opposed to, thinking about calling someone, messing with different lines, maybe having to wait your turn, maybe not, concerning yourself, even, :wow: about "their hours", and, doing all the same, every time you're done, for the day, night, or whatever, I have been in the "line" when everyone else is done for the day also,......if money is truly not a factor, wet slip is "light years" better......IMHO....:smt043

 

[DarkJester]

Not to dig up an elderly thread here, but this one is right on. I have a 270SLX and am currently dry storing it. It's nice to have it winterized and "inside" but the storage building has no doors, so it's like it's outside. Is bottom painting a bow rider a bad idea? I don't want to hijack the thread, but I think I would like the freedom that wet slipping affords. Boating after hours, not having to stress about the fork lift, not having to wait in line. I wouldn't mind that part at all. However I have no trailer, and I would have to pull the beast from the water for outdrive maintenance etc. Is that a big deal?

I have just exposed the tip of the iceberg as it were I know, but I would really like to hear opinions, and from folks that have done this for a while.

Jester...Standing by

 

[mwph]

MWPH,
I think the OP is talking about rack storage vs dockage. I don't think he is referring to trailering the boat here.

Apologies. I obviously did not read the question through & had trailering on my mind as I recently had the conversation with a friend. I'm placing myself on idiot probation.

 

[comsnark]

Most of the main points have been hit.

I would like to emphasize, however, that from a long term maintenance perspective that dry stacking has some significant merits.
Bottom maintenance is a major chore. If you are not in the water more than 36 hours -> you may never need to paint the boat. If it is painted, the paint will last YEARS. For my salt water wet slipped boat, I have been doing riser/exhaust replacements every 5 years. That ain't cheap -> and would not be needed if the boat was stacked and flushed after every use. Also. . the bottom growth after several months can be quite outrageous. Yeah. . the bottom paint works fine on the hull -> outdrives, not so much.

Access to me is the key issue. How do the marina hours mesh with your life?

 

[brstephe]

Hey, nobody has mentioned corrosion here? I'm no expert and went with stack because of all the gunk and corrosion that I *thought* I had seen on friends slipped boats. Maybe I like the clean aspect of dry because I haven't yet seen the fork soot everyone talks about. Nor the hull buildup. And in the summer with no rain in sight we don't even bother putting on a cover... so it's real easy to just walk on. What are those that are slipped doing to deal with the gunk and corrosion... pulling out into a maint rack every now and then and polishing up? And are you leaving your boat in the water winterized during the winter or pulling and storing somewhere? I can't imagine what that hull would look like after a long winter!

 

[tdschafer]

Apologies. I obviously did not read the question through & had trailering on my mind as I recently had the conversation with a friend. I'm placing myself on idiot probation.

No worries brother. Don't be so hard on yourself!!

 

[tdschafer]

Hey, nobody has mentioned corrosion here? I'm no expert and went with stack because of all the gunk and corrosion that I *thought* I had seen on friends slipped boats. Maybe I like the clean aspect of dry because I haven't yet seen the fork soot everyone talks about. Nor the hull buildup. And in the summer with no rain in sight we don't even bother putting on a cover... so it's real easy to just walk on. What are those that are slipped doing to deal with the gunk and corrosion... pulling out into a maint rack every now and then and polishing up? And are you leaving your boat in the water winterized during the winter or pulling and storing somewhere? I can't imagine what that hull would look like after a long winter!

To answer your question my boat is probably a little big for rack storage in my area. I agree with you that the rack marinas must have qualified forklift operators. They are way too busy and have too many customers to be regularly doing a poor job. If the hours of the rack service meet your schedule that is probably the way for you to go. When you get into the bigger cabin cruisers I think in water is the way to go. You can access the boat at all hours without concern for the forklift operator. I don't have outdrives so the corrosion concern is greatly reduced. This is also why we have zincs on out boats and Mercathodes to protect the outdrives.
I also use a multi-season high quality ablative paint on the bottom of my boat. I don't get any real growth on the bottom but, I have gotten barnacles on my running gear this summer due to non-use early in the season as a result of my kids sports schedule. I also do haul my boat for the winter and place it on stands with it shrinkwrapped for the winter. The marina powerwashes the bottom when it is hauled.

So, ultimately it is a personal preference along with a maintenance vs accessability vs lifestyle choice!

 

[Phlorida]

I am one of the dry storage advocates but I tend to doubt that it has much advantage for the life of the risers and exhaust. Even with flushing the system after every use I am only planning on a life of about five years. I agree with your other points - I have no bottom paint.

Most of the main points have been hit.

I would like to emphasize, however, that from a long term maintenance perspective that dry stacking has some significant merits.
Bottom maintenance is a major chore. If you are not in the water more than 36 hours -> you may never need to paint the boat. If it is painted, the paint will last YEARS. For my salt water wet slipped boat, I have been doing riser/exhaust replacements every 5 years. That ain't cheap -> and would not be needed if the boat was stacked and flushed after every use. Also. . the bottom growth after several months can be quite outrageous. Yeah. . the bottom paint works fine on the hull -> outdrives, not so much.

Access to me is the key issue. How do the marina hours mesh with your life?

 

[Sous]

Part of the allure of boating for us is the "marina lifestyle" so a slip is really the only way to go for us. The Admiral and I will often go to the boat and spend the night or go out for a quick cruise on a moments notice, and we will spend weekends on the boat at least 2-3 weekends a month so for us being racked isn't a great option. Not to mention the times when we will just go down to the boat after work have cocktail, watch the sunset, and then go home.

Its all about how you plan on using your boat that will dictate what is best for your storage options... of course the maintenance side of things can factor into that.

 

[ppkaprince98]

All good info thanks everyone. Im still leaninig towards the in/out service only because, I dont like the thought of having my big expensive boat sit outside in the water (I know that sounds crazy) where crap will grow on it, rain will soak it, the sun will eat it up th expensive top and fade the gel coat, birds poop on etc.... and the slip costs me more than the in/out service. So to have a little more availablity to use it, only to have to spend a bunch extra $$$$ to maintain it is just not worth it. Who knows though, if the wife says she wants a slip then slip it is!!! :lol:

 

[Georgia SeaDawg]

I will second the racked and covered storage. Yes, there are many cons, but your outdrive will thank you for it. Now if you have inboards or V drives, then it's a different story.