boat slip - need advice

sash · Newbie Joined: 07 May 2009 Posts: 2

i'm pretty new to boating.. i've had my '98 prostar 205 for about 3 years and had it in boat storage during the season.. this year i decided to get a covered slip to eliminate the hassle of putting in/out every couple of days..

i was pumped about the slip until after i talked to somebody who i perceived as credible.. the guy told me that slips are terrible for the boat and that after one season i would have sick damage to my hull from algae/worms, spiders?, birds would be weaving nests?, just seemed a little over the top.. is this guy for real? i already signed the contract on the slip - i can try to back out, but really want to try the slip thing - just seems so much more convenient.

what u think? thanks

Broccoli B · Posted: May 07, 2009 10:19 am Post subject:

When i was younger my parents always kept their boat in a slip. I can't remember there ever being any problems.

Commodore · Ladies Man Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 11636

sash, the person you talked to is half right. Those are problems that can very truley happen. But if you take a weekend each couple of months, you can prevent it.

1) Damage to hull: If you are leaving your boat in the water for a long period of time, algae will grow all over the bottom of it. Not only does it look bad, but it hinders performance. When the algae becomes enough that you can't stand it. Plan a day to clean it. Have it pulled out of the water, and WHILE IT'S STILL WET, wash the boat. Algae comes right off when it's still wet. But once it dries, it's a real pain in the butt to get off. Pull it, wash it, wax it, and put it back in. Not a big deal. The only damage it will do is possibly stain if the hull is white, and the water is nasty like ours. My friends boat is requiring an acid wash, light sanding, and serious polishing because he didn't once wash it last summer. And then pulled it and let the algae dry onto it.

2) Spiders: Yes, they are a very real problem in that their feces is acidic and will eat into gelcoat. It will stain gelcoat, and vinyl. Easily fixed. You can go get some serious spider killing spray from Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Get the kind for the outdoors because it's stronger. Remove your boat from the slip, and plan to take the boat out for the day. Once it kicks in you'll have dead spiders dropping for the next few hours. And the spray itself will be dripping. And then spray all over the rafters, rails, the inside of the roof of the slip, everywhere. This will prevent a lot of spiders from building nests and pooping all over the gelcoat. Definitely spray the hell out any lighting that might be around as spiders will nest where the bugs are. If you do get spider poop on your boat, which looks like little black dots all over, the fix is easy. Water and wash it off. As long as it doesn't sit on your gel coat for a long time, it won't do any damage. But leaving it for a month at a time, it will stain it.

3)Birds: Only really a problem for your tower, and if you are never on the boat. But they can nest above your boat in the rafters, then you have to get rid of the nest. Baby birds will make one helluva pile of bird crap outside of the nest. So if there is a nest over your boat. Better get rid of it. FAST. If there are babies, you may feel compasionate at first, but once you see how much those little suckers poop, you won't be. Ducks, Geese, and waterfowl are the real troublemakers. They love boats like ours because the platform makes it easy to get in and out of the water. Their poop will destroy vinyl and stain it. And the mess on the platform is just nasty. BIG fake snake on the back of your boat, no ducks. Many people don't have problems with ducks/geese. But if you come out to big piles of poop on your platform, you've got ducks. Don't let kids feed them either, or they will stay. And if you see your neighbors doing it, tell them why you want them to stop. Typically it's against the rules to feed them at marinas, just for that reason.

Slips are great to have, but they aren't completely maintenance free. That is unless you just don't care about your boat. A little bit of time and due dilligence will make you happy you have it. Get lazy, and you'll learn about what that guy was referring to.

I've had a boat in a slip for over 20yrs now, so I've seen it all. Laughing

Suprahunter · Soul Rider Joined: 28 Apr 2008 Posts: 486 City: Lowell

Leaving a boat in the water will deffantly put added wear on your boat.
You also risk blistering an the hull from extended time under water.
The best suggestion I can give you is to invest in a boat lift. If not
I would pull it a lot more often [Like every two weeks] for a complete detail.
My 89 Supra still looks new because it has never seen the outside unless
we were using it. If you want to keep it outside in the water it will need a lot
more cleaning and waxing to keep it looking good.

sstojak · Newbie Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 49 City: Keller, TX

Great advice so far. I would also suggest a good, well fitting, durable (but breathable) cover. Don't skimp on a cheap one. My last boat i had in a slip, my cover blew off and a crane or some other big bird took a huge dump on my sunpad on the back of the boat. It was a joy to clean that next satuday morning when we went out next. A slip is def convienent but having done both slip w/lift and a totally enclosed storage, I will stick with the enclosed storage. The boat just seems to take more abuse staying outside all the time.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

Great advice in this thread. I would not rent a slip without a lift. You can usually put these things in yourself. Buy used and when you sell it, it shouldn't depreciate much. If that is the case it's really not that expensive. These things are usually just 2 ballast tubes with a pump to inflate/deflate.

A boat I ride on frequently is kept at a slip all year, but every other weekend he pulls the boat out of the water and washes it. It's a hassle for sure but he keeps it in good shape. His is also on a lift.

Keep your cover on tight and that should protect against birds. Just make sure when you come out to the boat you allot an extra 30 minutes or so to clean the spiders off and you should be in good shape.

J.unio.R · Outlaw Joined: 23 Feb 2009 Posts: 154 City: E-City, NC

Good thread. I didnt realize spider poop causes gelcoat damage. I keep my boat in my back yard (acre lot near woods) and I have noticed I am getting wasps hanging around as well as spiders. haugy, thanks for the info.

sash · Newbie Joined: 07 May 2009 Posts: 2

really appreciate everyone's input! haugy, thanks for the great detail of your methods of fighting the elements! i'm going to give it a shot this year and pull it out every 2-3 weeks for a major clean.. i will take a look at boat lifts and might invest in one. thanks again!

boardordie · Posted: May 11, 2009 12:46 pm Post subject:

One other thing you can do to help keep the hull in good shape is to wipe the hull down when your just floating around. We typically ride and then drift for a while resting or find a cove to tie up in. I always keep a microfiber towel in the boat and while everyone is chilling in the water I casually float around the boat wiping the hull with one hand and trying not to spill my beer with the other! Cool

If I get really motivated I'll even free dive under the boat and wipe the center of the hull down.