Wintering afloat

[Guest]

Can a GRP boat cope with regular wintering afloat on the South Coast, coming out once a year for a few weeks of maintenance? if so, when would the best time to take her out be - beginning or end of season?

 

[Guest]

There was a posting about this a few weeks back which drew quite a lot of positive responses.

Basically there is no reason why GRP boats need to be taken out of the water, other than postponing by a short period the possible onset of osmosis, which it seems will happen sooner or later whatever you do if the hull is susceptible to it. As far as I know, there is no way of knowing whether your particular hull will suffer this way, until it happens. There is a feeling that drying the hull out over winter every few years may be beneficial.

Remaining afloat has other hazards however: corrosion of metal fittings both directly and by elctrolysis continues unchecked, so you need to ensure that fittings are suitably protected.

Of prime importance is location. A marina is probably safest, but many S Coast moorings are too exposed to be tenable for winter storms and the exceptionally high tides that can go with them.

And when to lift out? Ideally in the autumn, so that if any major problems are developing with the hull or gear, you will not lose the decent spring weather sorting them! Also at that time of year suppliers and specialists are not under pressure as they are in spring when the rest of are waking up to the beginning of the sailing season and want all our repairs done yesterday!

 

[Guest]

My boat comes out every second year for winter months. It has at times suffered 3 years .... no detrimental effects observed. Just make sure that all is well stowed, sails etc. well furled and SECURED against weather damage and release etc. Best months for lifting ...... take your pick, as really there is no good / bad time ......depends on YOUR weather tolerance for working on the boat - if you plan a few weeks lift out and maintenance, then spring / autumn can be good, as it can be dry / sunny allowing reasonable work.

Many will advise against it ...... but many like I do it and I have no problems - so why should you ? Its even better if you are marina based afloat - quieter for the boat than a open harbour swinging mooring.

Finally check you insurance, many will require an increase on 'excess', eg. mine goes from £50 to $150, based on my old swinging morring .... now that I am a marina based, I hope that will change.

 

[Guest]

I have kept my yacht afloat for almost 10 years now, in Stockholm, Sweden, where she regulary freezes in. Despite the ice I never had any problems whatsoever. But, I suggest that preventive epoxy treatment should be done first. I usually hoist her every day in mid June for a day or two. Nice weather to do what have to be done under water and you begin the season with a shiny and polished hull. Good luck

 

[Guest]

The annual ritual of lift out and spring lift in appear to be a purely British phenomenem. In countries where you have freezing conditions during there is an obvious reason to take the boat out.

It is averred that annual lift out reduces the chance of osmosis - it is also held (in France) that rabbits and boats should never be mixed to avoid bad luck...

You take your pick...

 

[Guest]

In the year that we moved to Holland, 1997, there was a particularly severe winter. All non-cleared inland waterways froze to about 1 ft thick ice. 80% of boats remained in the water/ice with no negative effects. I asked around later and it seems that about this proportion over here never come out, except for a week or so per year for maintenance.

 

[Guest]

Ice a foot thick?

Vyv,

I was given to understand that thick ice was a big problem to wooden (and, I therefore assumed) GRP hulls, due to being “gripped” and crushed at the W/Line. Years ago (living aboard) I was even advised to stay on board and break any ice forming to prevent this?

Are you suggesting that a non-steel hull will also survive OK in such conditions as ice a foot thick? I would imagine that most of the Dutch boats (inland) would be steel in your area, since this seems to be the preferred construction material.

We, “Kahawi” survived a pretty severe winter a year or two back, with a good few inches of ice in the (Fresh-water) Marina. There was some concern by the managers about using the tug to break the ice due to the “shock-waves” sent out right on the W/Line, being the injurious part to GRP hulls.

Prettige weekend! CRB

 

[Guest]

But

A nearby berth-holder told me that many boats have been damaged in Baltic ports when iced up, not because of the ice itself but by northerly winds applying considerable pressure to it, in the form of piled up ice floes. This seems to be the mechanism by which some of the famous explorers' ships were lost in the Arctic and Antarctic. Maybe not on the Thames?

 

[Guest]

Re: Ice a foot thick?

Boats of every description were afloat (if that's the word, in ice) throughout that winter. There are very few steel ones around us, vast majority are GRP. The havenmeester at Hellevoetsluis told me that no damage had been reported on any of them.

 

[Guest]

Reassuring - thanks! (nm)

(nm)