Staying afloat - or not?

[Dougie_the_Mate]

We moved the boat from a swinging mooring at Rosneath to Kip Marina at the start of this season and consider it a wise decision as we advance in years. The insurance company have informed me that we can now stay afloat throughout the winter if we so choose and this was our intention.

When we were up at the boat earlier this week I noticed folk beginning to strip their vessels and somehow it felt odd not to be taking the sails, ropes, bimini, dodgers etc away for cleaning, getting the engiine serviced for the winter and cleaning the hull in prepation for anti-fouling. I had hoped to do a bit of winter sailing if the weather is not too bad but I am curious as to what a maintenance program for a marina based boat involves.

Can't shake the feeling that I am missing something.

Any advice?

 

[maby]

They are expensive things to own - should be used as much as possible! I reckon we're doing badly if it is out of the water for more than a week per year.

I guess maintenance is pretty much the same, marina based or not - it's the same boat after all. We just try to pack all the maintenance that can only be done out of the water into a single week. The rest gets done whenever the weather is too bad to sail.

 

[Nudge]

Just down the coast from you..

I tend to come out for 2 or 3 weeks in January or February, during which there is usually a decent enough day to get the antifouling done. The only other ashore tasks are service the feathering prop and seacocks. General hull, P bracket etc inspection. We seem to be racing up until the beginning of December and I like the short sharp canter round the buoys then back to a pub with a coal fire!

All other maintenance is carried out afloat and the advantages of have power in the Marina berth (after being a "swinger" so to speak) will not be lost on you I'm sure Dougie!

No rules for this - do what works for you.

Nudge

 

[pvb]

I just get the boat lifted out for a week once every 2 years, to antifoul and polish. I do it in the summer, when the marina has cheap liftout deals, and when the weather's much more pleasant for doing the hull.

 

[maby]

I just get the boat lifted out for a week once every 2 years, to antifoul and polish. I do it in the summer, when the marina has cheap liftout deals, and when the weather's much more pleasant for doing the hull.

I'm impressed you can get away with once every two years! Only about eight months after launch, we are noticing a drop in power and inspection with an underwater camera shows that the prop is caked!

 

[Cloven]

I use the same regime - out every two years as our marina does a free lift out/in & 3 week storage ashore at certain times of the year. However, I do not use the boat in the winter so normal winterisation is done - sails/dodgers/sprayhood etc all come off & engine/water system winterised etc. - just don't lift out.

I just get the boat lifted out for a week once every 2 years, to antifoul and polish. I do it in the summer, when the marina has cheap liftout deals, and when the weather's much more pleasant for doing the hull.

 

[Dougie_the_Mate]

I think this is my main concern. It may be that the Gareloch is mankier than the rest of the Clyde but my experience over the last 9 or so years has been that the biggest job I faced every year was cleaning the boat's bottom prior to anti-fouling. The last two seasons the prop was so fouled that she was struggling to go. She seems - touch wood - to be moving much easier this year - sailing nicely and very smooth under engine, but I still wonder what lies beneath.

 

[Nigel-in-Oxford]

I like to have my boat out of the water for about 5 months to help keep the grp dryer. As I enjoy the maintenance thing I spend as much time on the boat ashore as on the water, just don't go so far

 

[pvb]

I'm impressed you can get away with once every two years! Only about eight months after launch, we are noticing a drop in power and inspection with an underwater camera shows that the prop is caked!

I use the recommended quantity of Micron antifouling, and the hull stays clean. You can't do much about the prop, just polish it as much as possible and use the engine regularly.

 

[pvb]

I like to have my boat out of the water for about 5 months to help keep the grp dryer.

I reckon anyone who thinks fibreglass will dry out in UK winter weather certainly qualifies as an optimist.

 

[maby]

I reckon anyone who thinks fibreglass will dry out in UK winter weather certainly qualifies as an optimist.

Definitely! Modern GRP seems to be a lot more resistent to osmosis than the old stuff. The recommendations for drying a wet hull out prior to osmosis treatment seem to look for six months or more in a warm, dry environment.

 

[prv]

We're coming out briefly this winter to investigate a leak around the keel root, and possibly refurbish the saildrive (mechanicals, not the gaiter). Otherwise, with the Coppercoat, the plan is to have half an hour on the Sealift once or twice a year for a pressure-wash and prop anode check and otherwise remain in the water year-round.

Being a new (to us) boat, there are a lot of modifications and improvements that I want to do. So for the first couple of winters the boat will be laid up afloat in refit mode - it's much easier to work with most of the gear stripped out and the forepeak converted to a toolshed and materials store. After that the plan is to remain in commission year-round and I look forward to some pleasant winter sailing.

Pete

 

[prv]

You can't do much about the prop, just polish it as much as possible

I tried that with Ariam this year, since we had a brand-new prop so it really could be polished to a high shine. I got the Brasso out and had it like a mirror - could clearly see the whole of the yard reflected in it.

Still turned into a big ball of barnacles by the middle of the season, and I think it was getting reasonable use for a leisure boat.

Going to paint something nice and toxic on it this year.

Pete

 

[Slipperman]

I tried that with Ariam this year, since we had a brand-new prop so it really could be polished to a high shine. I got the Brasso out and had it like a mirror - could clearly see the whole of the yard reflected in it.

Still turned into a big ball of barnacles by the middle of the season, and I think it was getting reasonable use for a leisure boat.

Going to paint something nice and toxic on it this year.

Pete

Trilux keeps my saildrive leg and Kiwi prop beautifully clean - even better than the Coppercoat that surrounds it!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

We usually go two years between lift-outs; only really lift out to antifoul and polish the hull. Most jobs are harder to do on the hard than in the water, I find. However, we may stretch this - thinking of doing Coppercoat, which should last more of less indefinitely, so it will only be replacing the anode and cleaning the propellor and through-hulls.

We're currently at James Watt Dock Marina - fouling is a bit more than at Kip (which benefits from substantial fresh-water in the marina), but not enormously so.

 

[prv]

Trilux keeps my saildrive leg and Kiwi prop beautifully clean

Yep - it's what I used on our leg, and that was pretty clean when I swam under the boat to have a look in early September.

I would use the same on the prop this year, except that my dad at the Boat Show ended up buying some magic jollop so I guess we're using that

Pete

 

[prv]

Most jobs are harder to do on the hard than in the water, I find.

Yep - on the hard means everything has to go up and down a ladder. In my case it's a bit of a walk along the pontoons, but at least there's a trolley and then it's level access straight into the cockpit.

When it looked like we were going to spend the whole of this winter ashore, I was planning to build a wooden "goods lift" basket/platform to get my tools and materials up and down. It would have used a tackle at the end of the boom (possibly the mainsheet itself) and come up alongside the cockpit for access to its contents.

If I were to spend a winter carrying stuff up and down by hand, there's a fair chance I'd fall off the ladder at some point

Pete

 

[Puggy]

We are staying in the water this winter - we came out in August(!) to apply Copper Coat etc. we are moving into Port Solent for the winter. I find it much easier to work on the boat when she is afloat: easier to get on and off, and it can run the engine etc. maybe even get a nice sunny winter weekend sail?? Or maybe not..,

 

[Spyro]

I reckon anyone who thinks fibreglass will dry out in UK winter weather certainly qualifies as an optimist.

+1

 

[Spyro]

I would check with others at kip. I know it's frozen in there in the past due to freshwater from the river flowing in. I think I would be introducing some anti freeze into the cooling system fresh water side.