Boat Storage: Wet slip or Dry

Move, for $500. you can probably get a new house on the water. Add the $500. per month to your current morgage and compare carefully. The new waterfront home will certainly increase in value as dock availability becomes more of a problem. I have three boats and could not afford to store them if I wasn't on the water. I keep the Trawler in the water, the Whaler is on a lift and the inflatable either hanges from the davits on the trawler or sits on the dock. My total investment in the dock (65' x 12' including the lift was under $16,000. I also have two elctrical pedistals with water, one at each end of dock, two dock boxes and motion detector lights. From an insurance standpoint, the Whaler is "free" under my home owners policy (under 50 HP) the dink is included under the Trawler policy. My insurance premium is $1,600. in Florida.
 
We have been keeping our SR 280 in dry stack for 4 weeks now. We are in saltwater with outdrives so we didn't want to keep it wetslipped. I am already wondering if we should have gone with straight inboards a couple of years old for the money so we could wetslip it and not worry about the bottom so much. So far we use the boat more at the dock that out on the water. To us that's (almost) just as fun and relaxing since you're not having to do all of the other "work." One thing that we have found is that the dry stacks that are indoors keep the boat WAY dirtier than the ones that are covered top bottom front and sides. Reason being that most of the big forklifts are diesel and the dust settles on the boats more when indoors (no air flow).
By the way, why do the larger boats that are wetslipped have continuous (or intermittent) water discharge when no one is on them? If it is the float on the bilge, why is water taken in at all in the absence of a leak?
 
I kept my boat in a dry stack rack that I own on the coast of NC for ten years and never had a bit of damage done to it by people handling it with a forklift. If it had been damaged the marina would have fixed it at no cost to me. I agree with Servo they do get dirtier in an enclosed building if diesel forklifts are used. For that reason our marina changed to all propane units with non marking tires. As far as appreciation of the rack goes I paid less than $30K and it's now worth more than $125K. After I sold the boat and moved I let the marina rent the rack and have people standing in line wanting to rent. Maybe I lucked out and found a really good marina but could not have had a better boating experience.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Flutterby

Those waterside digs are great until Hurricane Season hits!
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Good point. Seven years ago, we bulkheaded our shoreline with stone for $60/ft. Lord knows what it would cost, today.
 
Sevo

The intermittant discharge you're seeing is most likely the AC unit.

Silver Duck
 
Silver, Do some folks keep the ac on all the time for airflow in the cabin (mold and mildew?)
On another note..one of the hardest things to get used to by dry stacking is having trust in the number of dockhands that work there and are pulling my boat in and out of the lift alley-way and around the docks. But I am slowly realizing, these guys are way better than I am. I am still fine-tuning my handling technique around the docks. They do it many many times a day everyday!
 
I agree with you John. For what slips are going for here in South Florida you can buy a nice house with a decent size yard for marina cost plus your current mortgage. Now if you have to live on the ICW in a 5/4 three story no way, but a 3/2 west of I95 is reasonable. No way could I also be able to keep my boats at a slip, which would be more than my mortgage. My property taxes and insurance is more than the mortgage. As we south Floridians know any larger boat is a lot better off in the water during a hurricane than any where else. A lift is the worst place your boat could be during a storm unless it is in a cement building. Most boats damaged were from falling objects or from owner's poor preparing for the storm. A number of those racks collapsed from the hurricanes. My boats had no damage but my house lost most of the shingles, had that new style blue trap roof for three months before new roof was put on. No power for 22 days. I sure am glad the boat was behind my waterfront gig so I could start the genset and take a hot shower and enjoy some AC.
 
Viper....I just skimmed the above thread; but I can tell you I just left Maximo Marina (St. Pete) last month after two winters in Florida with my 2003 Searay 300 Sundancer. I dry stored it a Maximo Marina. Brian is the manager and I was very satisfied with them. It never took long to get the boat in the water, just call before you go down. I also nver had a problem getting a wet slips for a night, or several nights. About $350 per month. The way to go with Bravo3's. Keep you eye on the hull though. the lift and the cradle can be a bit hard on the hull finish. All nicks wer quickly repaired by the marina without a hastle. Stephan
 
quote:
Originally posted by bpbh

Viper,

I have drystacked my 25' cuddy for the last three years. I'll sum up my experience.

The boat stays in relatively good condition when you dry stack. However, it's not without it's risks. Remember, each time you use the boat there's an opportunity for damage from the forklift. In two years, I have had my boat damaged twice. Once the prop was bent in from the fork lift, I presume as they were getting a boat from the spot above mine...I didn't find out until I was in the water and felt the vibration. Most recently, there was damage to the bottom of my boat from the rack. It appeared that the forklift bent a bracket on the rack creating a sharp edge. The sharp edged put a small gouge on the bottom. To their credit, the Marina took responsibility each time and took care of it, but it is still frustrating.

With my marina, when you come in after 7pm, you tie up and the boat is taken out the next morning. Not a problem...no different than tying up in a wet slip.

I think the socialization of a wet slip, and the ability to use the boat whenever is a huge advantage. Some marinas will put your boat in if you call ahead...mine will not, you have to be there. There are times that I want to use the boat but can't get there by 7pm...so I'm out of luck.

Just some additional things to consider...hope this is helpful.

Bob

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Bob,

I'm thinking of dry stacking my 30 foot Carver six months in the winter. Question....is it more cost effective to wetslip it vs. drystack it along with the cost of them launching it once or twice a month. Also, I presume there is no shorepower in dry storage, so how does one keep his boatsystem from freezing. Be a bummer to winterize after each use.
 
They did crack my swin platform when they drove my boat against the forklift when loading it for hauling one time. Not fun, and they didn't help pay for repairs. Tierra Verde forces you to include them as part of YOUR insurance policy so they can have you pay for everything.

Next time, they broke my trim tab.
 
If you have trim tabs and are going to be dry stacking, it is well worth the couple hundred bucks (cost me $180 for my SR 280) to have automatic risers (name?) installed. It automaticaly raises the trim tabs all the way up when the key is turned off. Keeps you from having to fight with the marina as to who broke them or who should have raised them (when it was the forklift).
 
I boat with a guy who does inside rack storage. We go out about 10-12 times a year and the boat stays very clean compared to leaving it in the water full time. Canvas takes less of a beating, glass holds a nice wax job longer because it's not in the sun full time, Hull is almost showroom new and the boat is a 99' ( not painted ). Less work before we head out for the day. If we don't go out for a couple weeks or longer we just rinse it down with a hose and go.

If your going to be a low use part time boater like my friend dry storage is better and you can enjoy the boat more when you do use it.

Good luck
 
It all depends on your circumstances. I live about 45 minutes from the water, so I call in, and by the time I arrive, my boat is in the water. I have 3 little kids, and a 29 foot bowrider, so "hanging out" at the dock is not very appealing. Love the fact that my boat sits out of the water. No bottom paint, no corrosion, a dry bilge, and no dock-rubbing. I even lucked out and got a lower rack spot so I can work on the boat without having it moved to a work rack.

If you want to hang out at the boat, then the dry store won't work out.

A lift slip seems to be the best of both worlds.
 
Greg,

Not sure which is more cost effective. It would depend on what you pay and the region you are boating in. I pay one price for the year, it includes everything...in and out service during the season, and inside winter storage. You are correct there's no shorepower on the drystack...but why would you need it? Hope this helps.

Bob
 
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