I wish I would have “_________” before I put my boat in the Slip for the season.

[BobbyD]

Guys,
I need to know the things I should take care of before I put my new 22ve in my slip for the Season. It is a new boat and will be on a lift.

What are the things I am not thinking about that I will later say I wish I would have done before I put the boat in the slip on the lift for the season? Other than gas it up…

[wrangler]

Wax the hull... Crawl under there and get a good coat of wax on the bottom...everywhere there's gelcoat exposed for that matter... Check the fluids regularly until you get to your 20 hour service... Put an extra fire extinguisher in for good measure...

[pwhicks]

I would consider installing a trickle charger for the battery(ies). The other option is to keep a charged jump starter. It is a real pain to have dead batteries in the slip, especially when you have a group of people standing there ready to hit the lake.

Oil both sides of your teak deck too, it is kind of awkward to do it on a lift.

[BobbyD]

Great Info,
Wrangler I will get to waxing it. any recco on a quality wax or will any work.

pwhick - thanks I will look into the trikle charger.

will I need any type of fan / vent with the regular cover or anything like that.

[pwhicks]

You're almost always going to have a damp boat when you put it away.

Always open (or crack) all storage areas, seat cusions (some Tige models have a collection point under the front right bow seat), etc. When water sits between the vinyl of cusions or in a storage area, it will mold really fast. I have a small (hand held) wet vac, which I use in the boat too. I use that more for clean up than drying.

You'll want to drain your bilge. At the very least run the pump. In my model, it is easiest to take the T-handle out to drain it. Always put it back in. You never want to leave your boat in a condition that if the floater fails, that the boat would sink. I also put a clip to the bow eye attached to the dock, just in case the floater fails and my boat wanted to wander away.

My cover lets enough air in to dry things out with everything cracked. Some have very tight covers and they swear by those vent contraptions that retro-fit onto covers. Try it and adjust if you need to.

Its also a good habit to have a towel for the hull after a day out. Wipe it down, so it doesn't spot. We've got hard water, which leaves marks and stains if you don't get it off before it dries. It makes waxing much easier.

My dock is covered, but certain times of the day, the sun still works really hard on the boat. That's where wax is really important. I also found that things do fade through the cover. I try to leave my vests, etc inside out to dry. Skis, etc, I put upside down. Bindings hate the sun. If you're in full sun, throw a towel over your guage panel and other things that would tick you off if it fades.

We've also go spider problems. We've found that by hanging tarps from the beams over the boat, it keeps them from being able to build webs above the boat...and therefore no droppings. Its not pretty, but streamers or similar down and verticals near the boat also reduce spider problems. If it is moving, they won't put a web on it.

I've also found some people do some pretty illogical things with their tarps. Your boat cover/tarp should be attached to the boat. I've seen people tying it to their boat floats and docks like a tent. Think through what will happen if your floater fails with the tarp on...will it rip, fall off and sink, etc. You may need those support straps to keep it from pocketing water during rain. Water in puddles stretches the covers, and will eventually dampen the boat and cause mold. Also, big gaps might sound great for air, but bees and mud dobbers (sp?) love those entry points and quiet places for nests.

I've also had problems with ducks. I used to store my bimini in such a way that it made a great perch for ducks. The dang things would line up on it. They eventually broke the brackets. Now it is stored under the tarp supports, where nothing (especially ducks) can put pressure on it.

On water gas is a rip off too. Some days it seems worth it for convenience. You'll want to develop a system to bring cheap(er) gas to your boat. One of my friends has the gas dolly on wheels. It's great and pays for itself in a season or less. Cans also work. One thing that most people don't know is that many states refund your highway taxes on gas used off road (i.e. boats, lawn mowers, four wheelers, etc.). Texas is an example state. You can send in copies of your receipts up to a year out. They refund the tax.

Paul

[Wake Havasu]

Still love your boat man!

Be bold!

Great colors!

[lee]

You might want to get a Happy's Air Dryer to help control moisture.

[raythompson]

That warms and circulates the air. If that air stays under the cover the moisture is still there suspended as water vapor in the air under the cover. A better solution, IMHO, is to get a constant supply of fresh air under the cover and exhaust the stale air.

I would like to make a cover for sale to others that would provide a small blower that would constantly push air under the cover, say at the back of the boat. There would be a vent up front designed to exclude rain (baffled and facing down. Air entering the back would cause an airflow toward the front of the cover. A small squirrel cage blower (quiet and moves a lot of air) would probably work fine. The air inlet would need to be rain protected again with baffles and a downward facing inlet.

The fan would run on 110V and would require shore power (or house power). An optional blower could be provided that would run on 12 volt although I would not see much use for that as some means would be required to recharge the batteries on the boat. This could be done with an intelligent charger that would keep the boat batteries charged (I currently have one hardwired into my boat) and would not overcharge the batteries. A 12 volt model could also be rigged to run off solar panels but this adds to the cost.

It would not add a lot to the price of the cover, probably less than $100.00 and that is not a lot relative to the price of the cover. The boat, and cover, would also remain cooler during the summer when the sun beats down one the cover.

I currently have rigged a system that uses a blower that sits on the ground and uses 3" bilge vent tube to direct the air from the blower under the cover. The blower is under my swim platform and the hose runs under the cover from the side of the boat. It works well.

I do not see any reason this could not be applied to the cover as a purchased product. The blower would be removable so when the cover is replaced the blower could be transferred cuttong down on the cost of the replacement cover.

The electrical useage would be minor as the blower would draw less power than a 50 watt light bulb. Should operate at less than $3.00 per month.

[MOTLEY CREW]

YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY GET THE AIR DRYER. I HAVE USED THEM ON MY TIGE AND HAVE NEVER HAD A MOISTURE OR MILDEW ISSUE. EVEN AFTER GETTING SOAKED IN A STORM LAST SEASON THAT KEPT THE BILGE RUNNING FOR 40 MINUTES. MAKE SURE YOU PLUG IN TO A GFI OUTLET.

THEY WILL NOT HELP WHEN SOME PUNKS EMPTY A CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER UNDER THE COVER!

SPIDERS SUCK, THEY ALSO BITE. WORST IS THE STAIN DAMAGE THEY CAN CAUSE TO THE VINYL.

HAVE A CANVAS SHOP MAKE A COVER FOR THE SWIM PLATFORM. THIS WILL HELP KEEP IT FROM DRYING OUT AND FADING.

[lee]

Happy's Air-Dryr™ Mildew Fighter

Happy's Air-Dryr™ Mildew Fighter
Say Goodbye to Mold, Mildew and Moisture
Air-Dryrª is an inexpensive and effective way to fight moisture problems, cold drafts, and corrosion. Designed to operate anywhere, 24 hours a day. Place Air-Dryr on the floor in any damp, enclosed space and plug into a 110/120 volt outlet. The damp air is heated to the point moisture is held in suspension (above dew point), then released through the top vents of the device. As warmed air rises, cooler damp air is drawn in, where it too is heated. Air-Dryr costs no more to operate than the burning of a light bulb. A thermal cutoff turns the unit off should air flow be impeded.

[MOTLEY CREW]

JUST DON'T TOUCH THE METAL BOTTOM WHEN REMOVING THE UNIT OR IT MAY CREATE SOME UNWANTED MOISTURE. I HAVE A LARGE ONE CENTERED IN THE FLOOR ABOUT 2 FEET BEHIND THE COOLER AND A SMALLER ONE IN THE BOW.