Winter moorage land or sea

[morganic]

Hi guys. I'm just curious as to your guys thoughts on keeping a boat in the water over winter. I had the opportunity to keep my boat moored in bamfield (grappler inlet)for the summer .My trailer is in Port Alberni and I have a place I can store on land there.
So I could leave boat on dock over winter or drive down the canal and store on land in Port. There's allot more informed guys on this site so just wondering what other people might do. Thanks mo

 

[Saxe Point]

Seems to me that it makes sense to keep it in the water if you're going to be using it regularly, otherwise why pay for the moorage? Other than the fact I like fishing year round, it's also healthier for motors to be run rather than sitting. That's why I leave mine in all year, taking it out for cleaning and maintenance once or twice a year.

 

[ericl]

If in the water you will need bottom paint, proper zinc's, and a battery charger so that the massive amounts of rain don't sink your boat. Should be checked on regulary. Sometimes mink & other critters take up residence in your boat. Mink crap where they live.

 

[morganic]

Thanks for replies. I've always kept my boat on a friend's farm in Surrey but rats got in last year and destroyed the cuddy. That's one reason I'm thinking of leaving in water. But not sure how often I can get to bamfield over winter to check on things. Storage in Port is free

 

[Oly1]

The place that you have constant access to check on your boat throughout the winter would be my choice. Even if it’s friends checking on it. Sounds like you’re not planning on taking the boat out much during the winter months anyways.

Oly

 

[gungadin]

Put your boat onshore for the winter, Cover it with shrink wrap or a well secured tarp. Inside some kind of moisture absorbent device, Dry-Eze or one of those plug in ones on a timer, if you have access to power. Put some aluminium pie tins with moth balls in them in the cuddy. Top up the batteries with distilled water, if you have power use a battery maintainer, or take them home and keep them charged up. Mark all the wires you take off and take pictures of how they are connected to the battery.

 

[Rockfish]

Even with good bottom paint you will still get a lot of growth over the winter and especially on things like the external transducer and outboard mounts etc. I would only leave it in the water if you will be using it a lot over the winter so that water friction keeps the growth down and even then you would want to pull it a time or two for a pressure wash. Keep checking you auto rain water bilge pumps are operating correctly. Then there is the big winter storms. Lots of boats have been damaged, even in reasonably well protected marinas.

 

[profisher]

Ask yourself, during a 60 mph winter storm will you sleep better with your boat on land or at the dock? Mine is on the trailer in the driveway right under my bedroom window all winter. I don't worry abut theft as winter is when most of that happens as fewer people are around to keep an eye on things. I don't worry about somneone boat that had ****** lines or wasn't tied well crashing into mine during a blow. Or just a big floating log banging up against it in the wind. The other bonus of having it home is all the chores you can pick away at when the time presents itself. It only takes a few minutes to dump it in the water and go fishing.

 

[alyaz]

Too many variables leaving it in all winter. If you can be around it or have someone that can yank it should a huge storm be coming that is one thing... Also, I have found leaving a boat in for more than four or five months (even properly bottom painted) just causes way too much work. Yank it every three or four months and give it a good clean and flush. Otherwise just keep it on the hard. That’s my 2 cents, fwiw.