Dry storage vs dock

[specialk]

For the last year, I haved kept my boat at the dry storage facility which is only about 200 yards from the boat ramp. I am thinking about moving lakes next season, and they only have the standard cover docks. Price is about equal. My delimma is that currently I have load and unload the boat to the trailer everytime we go out (we put over 90hours on last season, so we are pretty efficient), park the trailer ect. The pros are that the boat stays clean, I don't have to put the cover on and we can hang up all of the wet stuff off of the boat, so it is a grabl and go situation. All in all, it takes us about 15 each way. We are looking at a lake that is a 20 minute further drive, but we would keep the boat on the dock. The question that I have, how much more maintance, does keeping the boat at the dock require, how much time does it take to load and unload, assuming you put your cover on ect. Most importantly, given the option would you rather keep you boat close to the lake in dry storage or at the dock.

Thanks for the information and opinions.

[da.bell]

Are you also talking about purchasing a lift for the boat or keeping it in the water?

Keeping the boat in the water might have issues with the gelcoat blistering.

[yllw20]

If you keep in water - definately keep it on a lift.
- you should take the wet stuff and hang in garage at house
- never been a fan of leaving my good stuff on the boat for some meth-head to steal while Im not at the lake.

[Moki]

I have seen boats that are stored in the water at our lakes, if you don't have a lift, be prepared to have a lot of growth on your hull and maybe consider painting with antifouling marine paint.

[dogbert]

I think you'll be cleaning it more often. Boat docks attract spiders and birds (who poop all over your nice clean boat)

[specialk]

Definitely would be purchasing a lift, still torn on what is the best decision, I like a clean boat, but I also like to use it as much as possible, and as easily as possible.

Given the option, those who have thier boats at the dock and on a lift, would you change to a dry storage located at the lake.

[mcd]

I've done both. Not the same setup as you though. We trailered from home for years. Now we are on a lake. The first couple of years we didn't have a lift. Now we do. I love the ability to just lower it and go. The down side for the boat is it is never as clean as when we trailered it. It also takes a lot longer to dry out. Eventhough it is under a canopy and I use the mooring cover. For us the convience of being on the water far outweighs the loading and unloading the boat from the trailer.

[MoneyPity]

We have a covered lift at my dads home lake and when we are there for the weekend or a week we will use the lift and wipe down the hull once on the lift which with the shore land lift is a pain. Even though the lift has a cover we still put on my cockpit and bow covers to avoid bird poo and we land up wiping down the moisture off the boat every morning.

I commute my boat which means when I head home back to the Chicago area the boat goes home 75% of the time and is parked in a stall in the garage so I can clean and wax as the season progresses. It also allows me to check out other lakes in a 2-4 hour ride from home on adventure weekends. My dad has been at the lake in Indiana for about 35 years so they lake itself is old hat. I started going there at age 14 so we know they 2 lakes rather well and we like exploring.

If we know we are absolutely going back the next weekend there are times we will leave the boat out at my dads but we put her on the trailer and get her away from the water and inadvertent water spots from splashing waves and duck crud on my covers. The lift makes it convenient for use if we are there a couple of days to get the boat out of the waves on the North shore.

[c_hotshot]

Growing up, we had it both ways depending on the boat (bass vs ski). Trailer it about a mile to the marina vs leaving it on the lift year round. Living in Houston, we always had significant cleaning every Spring to get all of the bird stuff and spiders build up off the boat when left on the lift year round...and spent significant time cleaning the interior too. After that initial cleaning, it wasn't any worse than when it was in dry storage.

As far as loading it up, I found it more convenient to transfer goodies at the dry storage vs hauling it from the car to the lift. Also, in the dry storage, we always stocked up every spring at Sams/Costco on drinks and left it in the storage which made it that much more convenient in getting the boat ready for the day on the lake.

Lastly, a growing concern of ours was security...which you didnt mention in your original post. We determined that the boat & equipment was much more secure in dry storage vs the lift. Perhaps the marina you are considering has significant security or deterants, but with the investments in equipment (riding and sound) having the added security that dry storage provide is an added benefit.

[murphini]

Used to trailer my old boat, got good at it and liked the fact I could clean at my leisure in my garage & dry everything out.

W/our 24ve, we have it in a lift in a slip. Like much better. Don't have to deal with the ramp, instructing guests what to do, the car dance of putting in, then having someone park, etc.

I always wipe it down on the lift, which keeps most of the waterspots away, and put the cover on loosely to semi-retard the spiders. When I come back next, I always have to take a broom to get rid of spider webs and sometimes the carpet is damp, but not bad.

1 week a year I go to a Lake Okoboji in Iowa and leave it in water all week and have a MAJOR cleaning job when I take it out. HARD water spots. Starting of growth. If you are doing a slip you need a lift.

Actually it seems to take about the same amount of time to get boat lifted out of water, wiped, patrolled on the inside and covered as it took to get onto trailer. But the real benefit is when you get home; you just walk in your house vs. then doing the cleaning at home AFTER you spent the time getting on the trailer out of the water.

The deciding factor for us was it made life so much easier deciding to go anytime/anywhere/anyone. My wife can go now without worrying about loading/unloading. My son could go with his friends without me worrying about him loading/unloading.

[Bakes5]

How dirty it gets depends on the lake. I leave mine in the slip most of the summer and it stays pretty clean taking it out every week or two to give it a cleaning and fuel up. Anything that is wet is taken home and dried. During the week I'll get a session in before work several times a week and my wife will take the kids out in the afternoons while I'm stuck at work. She likes the ability to just drive up with her friends and take the boat out without the logistics of hooking up, backing up and driving it onto the trailer. There is no way we would have done as much boating this year without the slip. The double triple bonus is that I minimize my time with the idiots on the ramp.

[Guapo]

I'll be trying a slip for the first time this upcoming season. I bought a used lift from the marina. I have 4 young kids and seems to be so much less work to not have to deal with the boat ramp and all that is involved there. We'll see how it goes. Though I guess that doesn't help you much.