Opinions about covered vs. uncovered moorage

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Portland

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I'm currently in a covered moorage about 8 miles from my home. It's not fancy, but the people are great and the location is ideal to get to a variety of good boating areas.
I may be able to get into a marina that is not covered, but would be walking distance to my house.
I think I would use the boat more if I could walk to it, but I'm not sure about the longer term impact on the boat finishes, canvas, etc. from the sun exposure. My boat is a 1989 Regal that's in good condition and the location is Portland. We get lots of sun in the summer, but it's not like Arizona or Florida.
What's your opinion?
 
I have somewhat mixed feelings about this. We were in the open for the last two years but just had the opportunity to move under cover and did. In the winter time, I hate being under cover simply because of the lack of sun we can enjoy if we decide to hang out on the boat. In the summer, no doubt the covered slip makes a big difference in comfort when slipped. If your boating needs are mostly away from the dock, either should be fine and probably more of a financial decision (maintenance and slip fees) the cosmetics and related $$ to upkeep will be way lower with a covered slip. Also, consider the view whenever changing slips, our decision was based solely on a "jog" in the dock next to our slip that made for a great unobstructed view down the fairway from the back deck of our boat were we favor to hang out while slipped
 
When I had my 2465, I had a slip and covered rack storage. I kept it in the on weekends and holidays and in the rack during the week. The shade saved a ton of solar beating on the finish. Boats that went in to a slip for the summer fully polished in the spring looked "nyah" by fall. Very clean, but not the pop of a full fresh detail. My Regal didn't look much different than the day I splashed it in the spring.

My 2 cents
 
Portland;

the right answer for you is based on what your goals are. is it more important to use the boat more frequently, or spend less time or $ cleaning/polishing the boat. the farther north you are the less intense the sun is on the finishes. winter time you can probably use a cover instead of covered slip if you keep the boat in the water.

down here the sun is brutal and covered slips are rare, so we spend more $ on wax. every 3 months here, but its the only way to keep it looking sharp.
 
by being in florida and being rather anal about my boats finish i would jump on a covered slip. in fact the slip i use in boca grand is covered and i LOVE it as it keep the boat so much cleaner and neater.

vic has it right...it is more about your goals. uncovered will require more maintenance however if you are like me...i maintain the boat while i am using it. i wax the boat while on the hook, i have even changed my oil while anchored. so in my case using it more means more time for maintenace.
 
I think you'll find driving to the boat just as much because you'll get tired of carrying the Food and drink . Ed
 
I can only drool about you guys with covered slips. I wish they'd bring some to my area? Infact, I'd love to have a building to drive in s I'd never have to Winterize
 
Thanks to all of you for your replies - you've given me some good ideas to think about. It's true, we are lucky to have a lot of good marinas with covered slips in the Portland area. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experience.
 
Up here in North Idaho (Sandpoint) we have a short 4 month boating season. But what an incredible boating season it is!I have slips in 3 marinas and 2 of the marinas have covered slips. I'm always torn about whether to get a covered slip for my 3560 but the summer sun is not a real issue of concern here. What we have found is that a covered slip in these marinas have a horrible spider problem as they hang from their webs at night. Spider poop is all over the boat in the morning. It's hell to clean off. As such, I again decided to keep my boat in an uncovered slip where all I have to do is battle the birds! ts
 
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