How many are on the water all year round?

[gary3029]

I am the new owner of a wooden boat and have decided that this year she will stay on the water through winter and come out for some TLC when spring comes. Living only 4 minutes from the boatyard we are hoping to catch some of those clear frosty days!!! Just wondered how many other people out there with wooden boats stay out through winter?
Gary

 

[Kilter]

Loads of us!

 

[trouville]

In the med you have to stay in, as comeing out is resticted to 3 max4 days for topsides and antifouling and costs 150/200 Euros the 4th day in Italy cost 75Euros plus!!
For longer stays ashore there are yards as well as dry storage but not recomended for a wooden boat!!
I ONCE (was enough) left my boat out near cassis and when i reterned the seems were very open and i had to hose her down several times a day for a week before leaking away in the water again with a very large bilge pump and 2 BP 85w solar pannels!!ummm
Though i did get to know a wonderful girl on a catamaran who helped pump for the first hour!!!---

Wooden boats should be well protected and always afloat!! Besides if you have a plastic boat ashore you couldent tell your wife that you MUST leave the grey cold winter of the UK to check the boat in the sunny walm winter med!!!!!

 

[SP2]

We do - stay in all year and then a quick lift for a couple of weeks between bank holidays in May when the weather is better and the days longer. Quite enough to do the antifouling, props, etc etc.

Mike

 

[Gordonmc]

The first year I had my boat I made the fundamental error of taking her out in November for her refit.
The structural work was finished in a couple of weeks, including sterngear rebild and new bilge plates, but re-caulking and painting took forever, simply because of the weather. I couldn't even think about getting varnish on until April.
She stayed in the water all last winter... I even managed to paint the topsides hanging off the pontoon.
She will be in this winter as well and come out for the shortest possible period in the Spring... and no weekend tinkering. This will be a properly timed exercise with leave taken from work and sleeping on the boat until its done.

 

[teekay]

In past 12 years or so I have hauled-out in November and stored inside under cover, mainly because I found that the varnish areas suffered even with an overall cover, inevitable chafe etc., also my mooring is in fresh-water. The downside is, once inside the boat is there until the following March due to other boats blocking her in. On re-launch it doesen't take long for her to take up again and does not seem to affect her adversely. Are the previous posters laying up in salt water and is this a factor they consider?

 

[youngwrinkley]

I used to keep Tudor Rose in the water two years out of three - no problems at all - I use to freshen up her topsides from the dinghy each year and varnish brightwork May and September after a light rub down - the September one to provide frost protection.
If you have lots of brightwork, canvas covers held in place with bungy rubber will help preserve.

 

[swiseman]

Believe it or not there have been several wooden boat owners in northern Michigan(US) who have keep there boat in; one gentleman with a Dickerson for seventeen years. We sail Lake Michigan and her bays with harborages and marinas in protected water of course. The only way it's possible here is with "bubblers" at the docks which were primarily installed to protect the docks and pillings from ice damage. The bays ALWAYS freeze soild 6" to 12" and thicker in more protected areas but the bubblers prevent this at least where installed. We get 75"-175" of snow yearly and can have below zero temps but usually teens to 30's F. Due to our countries over abundance of attorneys the city marinas are frowning on this even though none I know of has had ice damage. We also have 3 Tall Ships (Great Lake Schooners) that also stay in the water. My Rhodes sloop was purchased in July so I was never able to get her in this summer/fall due to the need to replace rotted deadwood (past owner had epoxied the bottom which held fresh water against her!) and a wee bit of planking replacement. I, of course, heat-gunned the epoxy "skim coat" all off and am painting the bottom with red lead before the antifouling in spring and the topsides with PreKote primer. She was out of the water 10 + years and although Mahogany strip planked, has opened up because of this abuse!
I will keep her in as much as I can beginning in April...if the ice is gone by then. We have to be vigilant here due to the fresh water and I'm trying everything; Cuprinol, glycol, borates......

Love the forum and always look forward to my new issue of Classic Boat and learning a lot. Please help me with my mast storage question I will post next.

 

[sinna42]

Don't you have problems with insurance ?
I have my boat on a swinging mooring at Crinan (W Coast Scotland) and my insurance company insists on her being out of commission Nov to March.
Anyway my old girl has been out of the water for many years & under cover too, while she was being refurbished and hasn't suffered too much from drying out - mind you she's teak AND it is the West Coast of Scotland - all that lovely damp stuff called rain !!

 

[richardvaltos]

I'm also on the West Coast of Scotland, and there is no way I can get all year round insurance. Have to say though that six months out of the water in our damp climate means the boat has probably taken up more than if it was in the water! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif