Hanger storage

petem

petem

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Joined
16 May 2001
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Location
Cotswolds / Altea
www.fairlineownersclub.com
Last winter we kept the boat in the water with the intention of occasionally staying on it. Of course, nobody did and it sat there in the water from December to Easter (which was very stormy).

Talking to a fellow berth holder he reckons that we could have it lifted and stored in a shed for the same prices as we pay for our berth over the winter months. Considering we'll need a lift for anodes in the Autumn this almost feels like a no-brainer. The only risk being that we won't be able to secure a space in our current marina (that we like a lot) come the Spring.

What do you reckon?
 
I didi it in La Rochelle on a 10m boat - E1000 stay for upto 12 months.

To me a no brainier if .....

- storage available ( nothing for larger boats in Mallorca)
- you won't loose your berth ( or need to keep paying for it to retain)
 
That is what we do, not by choice, mind :). If you can secure a berth to your liking for the next season, it is in my view a no-brainer. The hull has a change to dry out a bit, it's not sat in corroding salt water and is also protected from the sun/rain/dust. Also, depending on the shed, you have guaranteed conditions in which to work on the boat, should you travel over for some off season maintenance. Your boat will be in better condition down the years compared to those kept in the water.
 
I dont know if there are any further options to consider but I suppose it comes down to how you view your boat. Investment in resale / return or investment for pleasure. If the former no brainer, but if you stand to lose your berth or risk it considerably then pleasure must come first and trust to the integrity of the marina and your insurance policy. This is one of the reasons I did not want to pay hand over fist for something I would be afraid to use to it's fullest. I see so much of that in the marina's already and am of a view that perhaps an investment in return only makes for a bad investment period. Boats are a consumable, use it to it's fullest. Or wear it like jewellery, pride of ownership counts a lot until you're berthed next to a something better, and you invariably are.
 
Italian marinas seem keen on it along the Ligurian coast .
I’ve seen bigger stuff than 78 ft inside and although not quite as good as inside shrink wrapped out side .
A lot of Italians just boat for a few weeks in the summer and additionally have other motives for hiding high value assets.

Sort of thought about it as Arie d Boom have hangers a short distance inland in a cost neutral sort of way in the sense the winter tenant would sub the hangarage.
 
Id be concerned by being unable to run up systems , engines , pumps ,valves etc even the windlass and turn the shafts etc etc if it was forgotten in a hanger over the winter .
You are relying on 3 rd parties to check basic stuff like even if the bats are trickled or not .
Currently I regularly rtn in the winter off season and run / operate every system up .Thinking rubber seals , o rings impeller longevity etc .

Also blocking off correctly issues leading to potential hull sagging leaky port holes or busted windows , you are rolling the dice more often so eventually are likely to get a double 6 .

Anecdotally last Jan I remove a valve cover ( rocker box in old money ) with a view to reccy a spring valve clearance/ adjust job .
The engines hadn’t run for over 6 weeks + .
Inside it was virtually bone dry .As if all the oil not even a film left ,had run down to the sump .
In May we removed the same covers to do the valves 12 in all 3 days after a run and they were dripping in oil so much so we needed rags to contain the drips .

Similar thing with winter lay ups with 70 s Ferrari’s .The diff and synchros share the same box and oil .
If left over the winter laid up the diff plates are 1/2 submerged and the oil drains from the top 1/2 .There a vent and air gets in and the now dry top 1/2 s get surface corrosion.
This manifests it’s self in the spring with diff chatter , they grind doing slow speed turns .Sometimes if lucky and only mild it wears off on a couple 100 miles .
If unlucky it’s an expensive repair as a result of attempting to be kind to it .
And that’s not in a salty environment.

So for me with mech stuff I,am in the” use it or loose it camp “

And there’s a lot on a boat to loose .
 
Portofino said:
Id be concerned by being unable to run up systems , engines , pumps ,valves etc even the windlass and turn the shafts etc etc if it was forgotten in a hanger over the winter .
You are relying on 3 rd parties to check basic stuff like even if the bats are trickled or not .
Currently I regularly rtn in the winter off season and run / operate every system up .Thinking rubber seals , o rings impeller longevity etc .

Also blocking off correctly issues leading to potential hull sagging leaky port holes or busted windows , you are rolling the dice more often so eventually are likely to get a double 6 .

Anecdotally last Jan I remove a valve cover ( rocker box in old money ) with a view to reccy a spring valve clearance/ adjust job .
The engines hadn’t run for over 6 weeks + .
Inside it was virtually bone dry .As if all the oil not even a film left ,had run down to the sump .
In May we removed the same covers to do the valves 12 in all 3 days after a run and they were dripping in oil so much so we needed rags to contain the drips .

Similar thing with winter lay ups with 70 s Ferrari’s .The diff and synchros share the same box and oil .
If left over the winter laid up the diff plates are 1/2 submerged and the oil drains from the top 1/2 .There a vent and air gets in and the now dry top 1/2 s get surface corrosion.
This manifests it’s self in the spring with diff chatter , they grind doing slow speed turns .Sometimes if lucky and only mild it wears off on a couple 100 miles .
If unlucky it’s an expensive repair as a result of attempting to be kind to it .
And that’s not in a salty environment.

So for me with mech stuff I,am in the” use it or loose it camp “

And there’s a lot on a boat to loose .
Click to expand...

Agreed, but if you're not going to use it, then it'll be much better off out of the salty environment.
Plus you won't feel the guilt of not using/checking it when you can't :-)
 
I think if you rent a mooring and you're certain you'll get another when spring comes round then you may as well do it, however there is (as portofino alludes to) a risk (probably small) of damage in the act of transporting it to/from the hanger and blocking it off .

When I looked into it in mallorca the cost of hangering was about the same as the cost of renting a mooring over winter, so I wouldnt save any money there.

There are lots of hangers in mallorca that offer this, but I dont use them because I bought the lease to the mooring, so hangering the boat would be an additional cost. I've been leaving this boat and my previous boat in the water all year round since 2006, with no (touch wood) issues yet.
 
Despite Porto's efforts to put me off, I think I'll make further enquiries into this. I do quite like the idea of the boat being tucked safely away for the winter and it will give me the opportunity to get various jobs done when things are quiet. I just need to butter up the lady in the marina to improve my chances of getting a berth.
 
I thought getting a berth was supposedly difficult, why would you risk losing yours or have I misread this and it's a particular berth in the marina that you stand to lose? I cant think of much worse than being in a shed with nowhere to put your boat back in.
 
petem said:
Last winter we kept the boat in the water with the intention of occasionally staying on it. Of course, nobody did and it sat there in the water from December to Easter (which was very stormy).

Talking to a fellow berth holder he reckons that we could have it lifted and stored in a shed for the same prices as we pay for our berth over the winter months. Considering we'll need a lift for anodes in the Autumn this almost feels like a no-brainer. The only risk being that we won't be able to secure a space in our current marina (that we like a lot) come the Spring.

What do you reckon?
Click to expand...

Pete, your worry to enjoyment ratio on you boat is all wrong.
Just go boating!!
 
Living the dream Pete. Here the weather for once has just been dire for this time of year and I have only managed 9 days this season so far. It's pretty grim with all the Northerlies we have been getting. They bring bumpy seas, cold and rain. Not much to look forward to in the boat unless we keep revisiting the South of the island then it's just cold and wet.
 
James L said:
Agreed, but if you're not going to use it, then it'll be much better off out of the salty environment.
Plus you won't feel the guilt of not using/checking it when you can't :-)
Click to expand...

Yes if you are unable to use it then I guess it’s better out of stormy weather and just accept some hassle with stuck , none functionality of a few systems in the following seasons .
I,d be weary with a big boat with bonded side windows- re inadequate blocking off ending up with a banana hull , trashing the seals or even breaking glass .

As you know fortunately I,am able to run up every system regularly over the close season .
I can get WOT in N gradually warming them up , get the oil hot ish .
Idea is to spread it to wet every gasket and turn every bearing to lub them .

I realise at the dock the EGT s under no load never get anywhere near 550 or what ever , but that’s a trade off I,am happy to make bearing in mind I do few D speed deliberate runs in the season anyhow .
Fresh oil every spring .
Fridges , toilets , seacocks , air co on H +C , water pumps , black tank pump m turn the shafts , turn the wheel lock to lock , operate the flaps + much more .
This has meant at the beginning of the season usually mid May ( we don’t do Easter on the boat ) it’s been turn key , press and go no woes everything works in the new season as it was left in the previous.

As I said earlier there are correct winterisation / decommissioning procedures in every manual and recommissioning .
We need to draw a distinction between hangering and proper professional winterisation.
This is totally different to having the boat dumped in a hanger by a 3 rd party or stood on the hard in the U.K.
Indeed let’s just pick a thermostat .
Correct winterisation usually they are removed dried and possibly never reused .
At least mine get exercised in the warm up cycle, so seem to last without staying stuck shut .

Scale / salt , hard substances in rubber impeller pumps , at least mine are run sos less likely for 8hit to harden off then abrade the softer rubber / neoprene.

Charge air coolers, do you realise how reliant on many gaskets they are stopping water entering the combustion cylinders?
Dry them out ain’t conducive to longevity.

Relays , solenoids left to jam ?

You not selling it to me PeteM

Outdrives
Dried up seals , hmm your shaft seals and any others .
Wouldn’t they maintain there integrity better in water ?
A lot of seals , o rings and such rely on the fluid they hold back be it oil or water to maintain the correct shape and dimensions to seal , sort of shrink if allowed to dry and permanently deform leading to leaks later on .
 
I always do hanger storage in south of France. If your boat fits, and you're not worried about getting your berth back then its a no brainer in terms of reducing UV and wind/rain wear and tear etc on your boat, the covers etc etc ..... On the other hand, you do still have to do all the normal winterisation processes..... A hanger is just a roof, not an alternative to maintenance.
If I was in the vicinity of the boat during the winter then I could see the benefits in regular running and maintenance but you really have to do it..... cleaning the boat or taking her out for a spin in the rain (because that's the only day you're there) is actually not much fun !!!
 
Boatbore said:
I always do hanger storage in south of France. If your boat fits, and you're not worried about getting your berth back then its a no brainer in terms of reducing UV and wind/rain wear and tear etc on your boat, the covers etc etc ..... On the other hand, you do still have to do all the normal winterisation processes..... A hanger is just a roof, not an alternative to maintenance.
If I was in the vicinity of the boat during the winter then I could see the benefits in regular running and maintenance but you really have to do it..... cleaning the boat or taking her out for a spin in the rain (because that's the only day you're there) is actually not much fun !!!
Click to expand...

Interesting. What do you do for your "winterisation process"?
 
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