Rhode Island Winter Storage

[thuss]

I'm purchasing a 47' sailboat that I'd like to store on the hard in Rhode Island this winter. I'm out of state so anywhere in Rhode Island is fine, can anyone suggest/recommend some yards or marinas that I should look at?

Thanks,
Todd

[savoir]

Stay away from the East Bay. $$$$

Take a look at the Greenwich area. There are 3 big marinas - Apponaug, Brewers and Nortons. There are also 3 marinas in Wickford - Shipyard, Brewers and Wickford. Wickford is prettier, Greenwich is closer to the airport.

The Brewers places tend to charge more.

[thuss]

savoir, thanks for the suggestions!

I called and Norton's is around $43/ft for winter storage and Brewer's Greenwich Bay Marina $42/ft so both of those seem like good options.

Shipyard said they can't haul sailboats, Appanaug can't do a 47' sailboat since it's too big, and Wickford doesn't do out of water storage.

Do you have any preference between Norton's or Brewers or are they about the same?

Thanks,
Todd

[savoir]

Careful with Brewers, they might have hidden extras like washdown or stand rental. Get a draft contract from them. At Nortons washdown and stands are included.

I spent last Winter at Nortons and paid $2500 including haulout and launch.

Brewers is newer, cleaner and a bit more fancy. Nortons is older and more basic. At least they are OK with DIY so you can paint and polish to your heart's content. Brewers is in the middle of nowhere, Nortons is right in town. Brewers has one restaurant nearby and two on the main street, Nortons has 3 nearby plus 10? more up in the main street.

Brewers is full service, Nortons is no service. Nortons does have close by a diesel mechanic, rigger, Doyle Sails, canvas guy, electrician, hull painter and polisher.

How's that ?

[thuss]

That's exactly the kind of info I'm looking for, thanks! Norton's sounds more like my speed and they were much more helpful and friendly on the phone.

[savoir]

The only thing I can add is that the painter also does the shrink wrap. Her office is in the yard and called " Dockside Maid ".

I'm there for another month or so.

[thuss]

savoir, a slightly unrelated question, do you store your boat shrink wrapped with the mast up?

I ask because we've always kept out boat in warm climates so we've never had to winterize before. The mast on our boat isn't well setup to be unstepped and stepped easily. I'm assuming shrink wrapping or some form of covering the boat is fairly essential versus leaving it uncovered?

Thanks,
Todd

[savoir]

Almost everyone around here stores mast in but no boats were rolled in last year's hurricane although RI missed the worst of it. Several sections of dock were destroyed. The yard has hills on 3 sides which helps.

[thuss]

Good to know mast up is the norm. Do most shrink wrap as well?

[Mystic38]

Pretty much everyone either shrink wraps or has a custom canvas cover in the NE.

If you shrink wrap, you will need to specify doors/access in order to get into the boat and also ensure to request LOTS of vents... You need plenty of vents to allow for some airflow and to prevent mildew.

Originally Posted by thuss

Good to know mast up is the norm. Do most shrink wrap as well?

[hlev00]

We like the people at both Bristol and Jamestown Boat Yard.

[tartansail]

We've kept our boat at Bristol Marine for the last two years and have been very pleased. The boat is outside with the mast up. However, they also have offsite locations to store mast down either inside or out. We have our own cover, but they will shrinkwrap if that's what you want done.

[Whaubner]

You might check out New England Boatworks in Portsmouth Ri.

[blewett_john]

I keep my 37' trimaran at Hinckley Yacht Services in Portsmouth. They were about the only yard that would haul me, most said quite rudely, "We don't do multihulls". Hinckley was also the cheapest.

[ErikFinn]

Originally Posted by Whaubner

You might check out New England Boatworks in Portsmouth Ri.

I liked them altho not cheap.