Storage Wet or Dry?

Aloha,
My E27 is in Havre de Grace, MD, and I am trying to make a decision about storage. This is my first winter with the boat, (it was out last winter before I bought it). I had a rough summer due to a bad infection in my hand, and was never able to take boat out on the water. She has been sitting in the slip all this time. <O</O
I am tempted to leave the boat in the water this winter, so I can at least go down and sit on her. (A place to escape to) Maybe do a few things. Is this crazy? More trouble than it’s worth? Too hard on the boat?<O</O
I would appreciate any suggestions. You have all been very helpful in the past.<O</O
Thanks<O</O
Ian Bishop <O</O

Couple thoughts having done it both ways on the Chesapeake. If you are in a narrow slip, you might find setting your lines for the range of tide hard to do. I'm in a narrow slip for Emerald's beam, and have had to make several adjustments in the past couple days as we've gone from higher than normal to lower than normal tides.

We do sometimes get damaging ice. Be sure that your slip is protected with a de-icer. On a similar note, if your scupper drain lines are not up to snuff, I'd be hesitant to leave her in.

I usually go for a compromise of late haul and early launch. I'll go out the 2nd week in December and back in by the first week in March. Three months is about all I can stand to be boatless. :eek:

Thanks David,
Yea, that sounds like the safer thing to do. I don't need to cause more problems just to have her sitting in the water for three months. She can dry out and I can still work on her while she is out.

you'll be amazed what you can come up with to do once she's hauled. Then it will be a race to get it all done before going back in

I leave the boat in every other year. I have a Fairclough boom tent cover and an ice eater setup. Last year was no problem at all and the money saved from not hauling her was significant. Properly prepared for in water winter storage is a good thing if you can save a buck. RT

Hi Rob,

I've thought about going to the every other year routine for money savings. One of the things holding me back is loosing my spot where I haul out - I keep my boat at a neighborhood pier,so I don't have a marina with a spot on the hard tied to my slip, but I've become a regular so they hold me a spot where I do haul.

That all aside, have you noticed any issues with an increase in blisters on leaving it in? The one time I left a boat in for more than one season, I felt like the blisters (all small, like pencil eraser diameter), had increased dramatically. I know that people in the southern areas leave their boats in many seasons, but I am also under the impression that most people have blisters left and right when they do this. Thoughts? I'd like to be wrong on this, and I'm afraid the response is going to be split with some saying yes to causing blister problems and others saying no....

David,
This is only our second season with the E38. We were in March of '06 when we bought her and stayed in winter of '06/'07 then through this season. The bottom was checked/scrubbed in the spring of this year and no blisters were seen then by the diver nor by us this season. I'm not sure that you can see/feel them in the water but I would think you could..... The boat will be hauled this week or next so I guess I will see what happens. If all is well I am planning on a full barrier coat job in the spring prior to relaunching.

There is a guy in my club that has owned a Nonsuch 36 since new, some 20+ years ago. The boat has only been out 4-5 times in its life. No issues.

My thoughts are that, blister issues not withstanding, a boat belongs in the water. I am only hauling to do the keel job and standing rigging. As long as the blisters are not an issue I will keep her in. In future I am planning only quick hauls, just a week in summer to freshen up the bottom paint.

RT

dry hull

with the boat out of water that long, the hull should be nice and dry for barrier coating (if not already done).