What to do with boat?

[dlane1181]

My wife and I have lived aboard our Sunward 48’ ketch for 5+ years, and cruised full time for the past 2. However, we’ve never both been off the boat at the same time for more than a week or so - until now. We completed a 9-month circuitous transatlantic crossing to Spain a month ago, and now we’re going back to the USA for a month to attend family gatherings etc.

I’m curious to know what other cruisers do when they’re away from their home ports and going to be far away from their boat for an extended period. Dock, moor, or anchor - with or without someone local to watch it? Haul out? There are some known risks to leaving an unattended boat in the water, and there are some known risks with using a travelift x2, and storing a boat on dry land.

I’m asking with respect to safety of the boat and it’s contents from natural or man-made disasters, or equipment failures. I’m less interested in what others do regarding security from theft or vandals.

Thank you.
David Lane
S/V At First Sight

[HeinSdL]

Haul out. On the dry, in a place attended by personnel keeping an eye on the boat. It's what I do. Last year a storm passed by the Genoa area destroying boats and whole harbours, was very relieved to have my boat on the dry, secure, especially while I am not there.

[JPA Cate]

When leaving this boat, we find a marina that is weather secure, and have left it in the water for up to 7 months at a time. No problems, ever. Our boat is of modern timber composite construction, a one off, not a "brand name" grp one, but we treated our previous grp boat the same way. Never had blisters, never had to leave it on the hard to dry out. Water is the boat's intended environment, no hard spots for the hull to cope with, such as jack stands and props.

Ann

[GILow]

What’s wrong with a trustworthy mooring?

(I think some insurance policies prevent this?)

[Tupaia]

Spanish marinas are secure and winter berthing rates are cheap. Alcaidesa and Cartagena being the obvious ones.

There are international airports at Faro, Gibraltar, Malaga, Almeria, Murcia and Alicante.

It is a no brainer.

[Tillsbury]

Same here, I wouldn’t think twice about leaving a boat in a marina in the med for 6 months or so.

[NahanniV]

Originally Posted by GILow

What’s wrong with a trustworthy mooring?

(I think some insurance policies prevent this?)

No such thing !

[Cheechako]

Haul out or leave in secure marina should be fine. Let's face it, people leave their boats in marinas for years. It's not like they sink just because you aren't nearby.

[dlane1181]

Thanks to all for your informative replies.

For those who leave their vessels in the water while they’re away (instructive that all are in marinas and not at anchor or a mooring), do you leave your boats unattended or have someone watch over them, such as a friend or a local boat sitter?

FYI, we left At First Sight on a stout mooring in the Dominican Republic over a 4-day weekend last year. We returned on the 4th day amidst a freak torrential storm and multiple missed calls from the local boat sitter we had hired. As we cleared the last mountain and looked down on the harbor, At First Sight wasn’t where we left her. The pennant had parted during the height of the storm and she plowed bow first, miraculously, into the only sandy section of a otherwise rocky harbor. The boat watcher was already aboard when I arrived via water taxi despite high wind and a pitching sea. He and a fisherman with a launch were trying to kedge our boat free with our stern anchor. I started the motor and tried to back off the shoal, but it took two launches and our diesel to muscle us off the beach. With the wind still howling, the two launches towed us backwards into the wind through a crowed mooring field to the lee of an island that guarded the harbor entrance. Of course, the storm ended just as I dropped the hook. Fortunately, as alluded above, it was a sandy bottom where we were aground, and the grounding barely scuffed the bottom paint.

We decided to haul out this time. It was cost neutral. TraveLift x2 + dry land storage x30 days = Wet slip x30 days. The haulout went without a hitch a few hours ago.

Thanks again for everyone’s comments.

[wrwakefield]

We used to leave our vessel in a marina for several months at a time in winter in Alaska while we delt with home life further inland.

For peace of mind, I installed a Sirem Marine monitoring system [bilge pumps, AC and DC power, high water, intrusion, etc.] It uses an international 3G SIM card and you can set up your own alerts to your cell phone[s]. That coupled with a reliable person you can call to be on site covered the bases for us.

If you are interested, here is one blog post about installing the [earlier generation] Siren Marine monitoring system , with an anecdote about loosing shore power... The current models use a much more sophisticated phone app coupled with web access.

It was an easy decision for us.

In case this is of interest.

Cheers! Bill

[dlane1181]

Originally Posted by wrwakefield

We used to leave our vessel in a marina for several months at a time in winter in Alaska while we delt with home life further inland.

For peace of mind, I installed a Sirem Marine monitoring system [bilge pumps, AC and DC power, high water, intrusion, etc.] It uses an international 3G SIM card and you can set up your own alerts to your cell phone[s]. That coupled with a reliable person you can call to be on site covered the bases for us.

If you are interested, here is one blog post about installing the [earlier generation] Siren Marine monitoring system , with an anecdote about loosing shore power... The current models use a much more sophisticated phone app coupled with web access.

It was an easy decision for us.

In case this is of interest.

Cheers! Bill

Bill,
Thank you for your comments, and for the link to the blog post.
I’ll check out the blog and consider the monitoring system as a possible upgrade down the road.
David

[Cadence]

A month, your over thinking it. Leave her in a marina.

[GILow]

Boats sit unattended for years, if not decades, on moorings. I would not hesitate to leave my boat on a mooring that knew to be in good condition.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by NahanniV

No such thing !

What does that photo have to do with a mooring?

[dlane1181]

[QUOTE=Cadence;3007610]A month, your over thinking it. /QUOTE]
Cadence, I suspect you’re right - as are the others who suggest the risk of a catastrophic harm to a boat is low in a well protected, well managed marina.