Keeping boat in water all year round

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atelford

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I am about to launch my boat for the season. This year I have covered the hatch wood in coelan which apparently is UV resistant and should be good for a couple of seasons. The other wood such as gunwhales etc dont get much wear so have just a few coats of yacht varnish. My boat is on a tidal mooring in a sea lough. I plan to take it out around late september...... quick scrub down and new antifoul and varnish..... then plan to put if into a sheltered marina for the winter.

My question is this ? What are the adverse effects of keeping a boat in the water year round ? Its only a small Leisure 17SL and there isnt a load of fancy gear or canvas's on deck.

Can someone sum up the pros and cons for me ?
 
For a small relatively inexpensive boat I think it fine to stay in the water all year depending on how sheltered your mooring is and the terms of insurance. I keep my Corribee in the water all year on a sheltered tidal mooring. When I stop sailing in the winter (end of Nov usually) I take the sails, sheets, dodgers etc off the boat. Come the spring the boat comes out of the water for a jet wash, polish, antifoul, general maintenance and re-rig ready for the new season. This works for me and extends my sailing season. The downside is the green algae that seems to want to grow everywhere.
 
Miko, exactly as I thought. My hard standing costs as much as putting it in the marina... the amount of times Ive seen great sailing days in the winter to be spoiled by the fact the boat is on shore is worth the algae. For the amount of time spent the sails can easily be put on and off for the occasional days sailing. The marina is Bangor marina in Northern Ireland. Its very sheltered and would be a good refuge even to spend a few still (yet cold) nights onboard.
 
We keep our boat afloat all winter. I feel happier with her in the the water for the winter as I feel she is (a) less likely to sustain damage or theft and (b) she is moored in a bath of "warm" water, so is very unlikely to suffer freeze damage.

We fetch her out for a few days each spring for antifoul and have not noticed any Osmosis (touch wood) and even if we did the money we have saved in hard standing fees would cover the osmosis repairs.

The only reservation I do have is in very strong winds, however I would be equally concerned if she was ashore.
 
I once kept a H22 afloat in Brixham outer harbour all year round...never rested easy.
So I took to keeping her ashore and worried about theft and falling over.
So I built a big cradle and upped the insurance.
I now keep my boat afloat in a well sheltered marina, double up the lines and make sure she is fully insured. I still worry but at least I get to sail when the solent is empty.

As for osmosis, check out London Apprentice the Sabre 27 sailed by Ken Endean, he brought her before I had my fiirst, which is over 20 years ago, and she had the signs of the big O when he got her. Still going strong.
 
I always feel it`s such a waste having your boat ashore ,especially when you plan a visit and the weather turns out very good , and there are many times even in the uk when "out of season " sailing can be just great. Yachts are to be sailed ,not stuck up on a metal lump for half their lives imho.
 
I've kept two 18 foot grp boats on the (fresh) water all year.
At that kind of age, if there isn't any osmosis, it's not particularly likely to start now. If it does, it's not the end of the world. On salt water it's probably less likely to develop, or get much worse too quickly.
The only thing to be wary of is forgetting to check up on it. The warps, pump out, etc. need regular attention. Does anyone else leave boats on the moorings? Maybe the marina may be worse from the point of view of chafing and general scuffing.
 
One tip is to stretch a cheap tarpaulin over the coachroof and secure it with bungies - you can get a small one for less than £5. This keeps the bird crap and sunlight off the hatch and coachroof top which keeps some of the algae at bay. At the end of the winter you just throw the tarp away because the wind will have made a bit of a mess of it!
 
In some ways it's better for the boat to be in the water as the hull is properly supported. The main downside we find is that the interior is more likely to get damp, so you either need a dehumidifier or to take extra care with ventilation.
 
I've left mine in the last 3 years with no adverse affect.
Keep it in and sail.
Don't worry about osmosis - fact of life but not fatal.
Do strip out the cabin cushions etc in winter.
Use a flask rather thank kettle to keep condensation down.
Do run the engine every so often - hand cranking a few turns first, if possible will save your batteries a bit.
Remember to close the sea cocks.
Realistically there are fairly few opportunities to sail in winter given weather, tides, life etc but each time you do you will be living !
Then do your maintainance in the spring when the weather is good and you can enjoy a /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif.
 
Kept mine on a swinging mooring for a couple of years, now in a more sheltered location on a fore & aft trot. I remove sails & dodgers & visit most months to take her for a motor around to recharge batteries & vent her properly.

You will always get the odd nice few days to go out. On a small boat like yours it would be simple to set the sails too. Mine is a 31' ketch and takes a couple of hours to get the sails bent on & set up properly & then removed /folded & rebagged so I don't bother.

Make sure you can get to her easily when the weather is good, you won't get a lot of notice! AND DO IT!

Oh, & you will need warm clothing, extra blankets & some basic form of heater. In a marina with shore power use a cheap fan heater or similar.
 
Ours has been on the lake for at least the last two years and won't be out until sometime over the summer, or if no time then next winter.

Advantage is that it get used all year round and we have had some of our best days sailing over the winter.

Moored up on a swinging mooring with 16mm with snubber and 25mm backup, auto-bilge pump.
 
Lift in and lift out with mast erection etc. are such a hastle and last year there seemed to be more sailing days available after lift out than there had been all spring and summer, so I really had already determined to keep mine on my mooring all winter in future, in spite of all the forebodings of my fellow club members - all this confirms me in my 'foolishness'. My concern is mostly about damp and condensation - but que sera sera.
 
"the interior is more likely to get damp"
I am on a fore and aft mooring on a river, so have this problem. No access to mains and can't be faffed with those tidally crystal dehumidifiers so it means more end of season prep:
Wipe the walls and headlining down with a liquid surface cleaner and dettol.
Stand all the seats and backrests on end away from the walls.
Take bilge access covers off.
Open storage lockers.
Use external covers over cockpit and hatches.
 
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