Leave it in or pull it out?

[gulfcoastsailor]

Originally Posted by oldcal46skipper

Another solution is to cruise down to Florida and sail all winter.

Hey! Hush with that kinda talk I tell people: "Sorry, Florida is all full up"

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by oldcal46skipper

Another solution is to cruise down to Florida and sail all winter.

But I would probably pull it out in the summer (too hot!).

[Elie]

In Upstate New York, close to the Canadian border where winter is a serious matter, in the water winter storage is becoming a good option. Gaines marina had been offering this option for years. Naturally, preparation of the boat for winter is required, as it is for land storage. Bublers keeps the water free of ice around the boats and there is no problems with frost. I believe that in the water storage provides much better protection against the windssits much lower then boats on their cradles) and provide a good damping effect. As far as I know, there is problem for in the water winterising in our very cold climat.

[valhalla360]

Bottom growth can be a factor if you are letting her sit for months.

[Craig_B]

Originally Posted by bmz

There is no need to take your boat out of the water regardless how much ice there is. If water is confined within a closed area such as a bottle or a hose, it will expand when frozen and damage the container. But if a boat is floating on a waterway that then freezes, it will simply freeze around the boat without damaging the hull. In the 37 years that I've owned it, I have never taken my boat out of the water, even though it has been iced in for weeks--no damage.

I disagree.
Try that where I am. 5 months of ice usually about 2-4 feet thick or more. Your boat would be sitting on the bottom once the ice let it go, after thoroughly crushing it. We (Canadians) even pull our docks out in the winter. The ice destroys them if left in.

[hobsonlea]

Our decision to take it out is based on our boat wintering over in the Med, while we have another summer back home in NZ. It's not affordable to visit the boat from NZ so we can't use it, nor can we quickly get to it in the event of an on the water issue. So we haulout Sept /Oct and back in water Early May. About the same price as a marina. We also need to haulout each year for AF and anodes..

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Andy Todd

What are the pros and cons of overwintering your boat in the water Vs hauling out?


...And what do you look for in a yard?


What do you do before you leave it?


Any hints and tips welcome?

Here in Puget Sound I leave my boat in the water the entire year connected to my buoy. I do drain the fresh water tanks to guard against the once in a 100 year freeze that might burst the tanks.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[oldcal46skipper]

Thanks for a lot of good info. I have never suffered a winter north of the Mason Dixon and at age 81 never intend to...



As another person posted,"We are full in Florida", but if one leaves there is space available. My neighbor on Bayou Chico was just over and shared he is leaving the bayou, so his Cal 35 and house 2 east of mine with a 100' dock & lift for a 20' is available.


We want good sailboater neighbors, so if you may be interested in NEVER hauling your boat for the winter, Email me 2dogsfishin@gmail.com


Tom & Bobbie, Cal 46 SATORI for 37 years now!

[DKArnold]

Adding to the "In" crowd. Even here on Narragansett Bay. Our marina is fully occupied over winter with roughly 20% are liveaboards (which to me is crazy and worthy of its own thread). We winterize all systems, remove the sails and shrink-wrap to keet the snow at bay. We've had no issues and have saved $$$. We have diver rub the bottom 2x per year and haul every third summer for bottom paint. An arrangement that works for us.

[AJ-SeaChange]

The OP's profile shows a location of northern Spain. We are currently in the Mediterranean in Greece. We are full time livaboards.



Last winter (2018/2019) we spent 5 months in Kas town harbour in Turkey the only time we had to go into the marina was when we were advised to by the harbour master. A huge storm blew in for 3 days and we were very glad we followed his advice. We would not like to leave her alone under those conditions.



After 5 months of sitting in one place there was a lot of silt and growth on her bottom, keel, rudder and prop. Fortunately I am a scuba diver and was able to clean her very well and the antifouling was in good shape for another season.


This winter (2019/2020) we plan to haul her out in a small yard in the Evia channel of Greece. We need to put new antifoul paint on and a whole heap of other jobs.


It will be cold but we are not expecting anything lower than 10C so no need to worry about water freezing.

[bmz]

Originally Posted by Craig_B

I disagree.
Try that where I am. 5 months of ice usually about 2-4 feet thick or more. Your boat would be sitting on the bottom once the ice let it go, after thoroughly crushing it. We (Canadians) even pull our docks out in the winter. The ice destroys them if left in.

Ice will definitely destroy a dock if there is a tide; the rising and falling tide can jack the pilings right out of the ground. But as I said before, freezing water into ice will not crush a hull because the ice is not confined. Ice flows can scratch your hull; but the mere act of freezing will not crush it--even for five months.

[Craig_B]

Originally Posted by bmz

Ice will definitely destroy a dock if there is a tide; the rising and falling tide can jack the pilings right out of the ground. But as I said before, freezing water into ice will not crush a hull because the ice is not confined. Ice flows can scratch your hull; but the mere act of freezing will not crush it--even for five months.

The sheer weight and mass of 2-4 foot thick ice several miles across will definatley crush your boat when it shifts. No tide necessary. Either that or drag it out to "sea" and then sink it.

The point is that leaving a boat in the water where real ice is made will have dire consequences.

[bmz]

Originally Posted by Craig_B

The sheer weight and mass of 2-4 foot thick ice several miles across will definatley crush your boat when it shifts. No tide necessary. Either that or drag it out to "sea" and then sink it.

The point is that leaving a boat in the water where real ice is made will have dire consequences.

I think you are missing the issue. Many erroneously believe that ice forming around the hull of the boat will damage it like ice forming within a bottle or a hose. Of course moving ice, especially a lot of it, can damage the hull; but I don't think that's what the original question was all about. It doesn't matter how much ice forms around the hull, unless that ice moves, it will not damage the hull. My boat has been in ice thick enough to drive a car on it--but it has been in very slow moving water, hence, no damage.

[ranger58sb]

Boats we've seen frozen in on the South River or in our little Bay usually just lift straight up with the ice, then go back in the water as the ice melts from around the hulls...

-Chris

[dfelsent]

Originally Posted by bmz

Ice will definitely destroy a dock if there is a tide; the rising and falling tide can jack the pilings right out of the ground. But as I said before, freezing water into ice will not crush a hull because the ice is not confined. Ice flows can scratch your hull; but the mere act of freezing will not crush it--even for five months.

Tell that to Ernest Shackleton.