Winter haul out in North Carolina?

[sailrgurl]

I am originally from Connecticut (where pretty much everyone hauls out) and this will be my first winter in North Carolina with a cruising sailboat (Catalina 30). Do people haul out in the winter here or keep their boats in the water? If the former, when do you haul? I currently have her at a marina in Oriental and would love to keep her there if it is wise to do so.

[boatman61]

You could leave her afloat there or alternatively have her stored on the hard at Sailcraft...
Take a stroll down there its not that far away and have a chat with Alan..
Good bloke..

[Suijin]

Alan is gone, sold the yard over a year ago.

The fouling is lower when the water cools in winter. You can have your boat hauled at Sailcraft or Deatons...I would likely just calculate hauled costs vs slip costs and go the cheaper route.

[boatman61]

Cashed in and gone back to Canada.???

[duckpond49]

I've kept my boats in the water here in NC for all of the last 38 years. Even when the temps get down into the teens, the water is usually no colder than mid 60's. A 100 watt bulb in the enclosed engine space is cheap insurance against extreme nights. Another upside is I've had some nice sails when quirky winter temps rise above 60's.

[Sailshabby]

+1 for Sailcraft in Oriental, but be aware the access channel is in need of dredging if you draw more than six feet (we draw that and have bumped a few times). Town’s fundraising to get that done. Avoid Bridgeton Boatworks across from New Bern - amateur hour but your bill will make it look like they’re experts. I’ve used both, one only once - I’ll leave it to you to figure out which one!

[Sandydog]

I leave mine in at Southport NC. I don't winterize either. I do leave a small thermostat controlled heater in the cabin set low. Never had an issue. Ha, I put it in the sink just in case.

[Captain Bill]

I never had any problems leaving the boat in the water near Oriental. The water may only get into the 60s in the ocean around there, but the water in the creeks can get a thin layer of ice on them. It only happened twice in the 6 years I was there and it was never thick enough to cause a problem. I kept couple of electric heaters on for a couple of winters, but never had a freezing problem. My boat is cored so it has a bit of insulation above the water line. My high/low thermometer said it never got below 32 in the boat. I also left the bilge covers off when I wasn't there to let the heat of the water rise in the boat. I put a light bulb in the port engine room and left the water heater turned on in the starboard, where the engine stayed warm to the touch even in the dead of winter. I never did anything to the water system or raw water lines. Even when it was cold enough to get a thin layer of ice on the water the water was warm enough to keep things from freezing below the surface. The ice only formed overnight and was gone by noon the next day, it never lasted. I know a lot of people with boats there and don't know anyone that hauls out for the winter, but do know a few that haul out for hurricane season. They are usually people that go to the Bahamas in the winter so I guess they haul butt instead of haul boat for the winter. If you go about 6 miles northeast into Broad creek there are some really cheap slips available. I used to keep mine at the Point Marina and just up Brown creek there's Ensign Harbor Marina. They're cheaper than in town and if you aren't going to be on board anyway there's not much use for paying in town prices.

[jackheape]

Leave it in the water. Had my boat in NC through 2 winters, no problem. Buy two cheap electric heaters from Walmart ($20 each) and set them on low, on the floor, one in the cabin, one further aft near the engine. They have tip over protectors that will shut them off. This is assuming you have shore power. If you have a hot water heater all the way aft (like I do) and you don't winterize it then make sure there is air circulation around it so it doesn't freeze. For me, that mean just opening the hatch it sits behind.

[laika]

Sailcraft/MJ I think it is now called, or deacons next door, would be a great place to undertake a refit, but unless you're there to work on the hard you would be much better off living aboard IN the water! Life on the hard is like living in an awkward treehouse in an industrial forest.

[sailrgurl]

Thanks everyone for your input. Since I have an annual lease at Pecan Grove, I will just leave it there this winter. Sorry I haven't been monitoring my post. I've been out sailing!

[Sandydog]

Excellent! That's what's important.

[izzyforreal]

I keep my boat in the water at Pecan Grove year round. Winter before last it got REALLY cold a few nights. At the time I didn't have any auxiliary heat source running. My freshwater (galley) pump froze and misbehaved, but after it warmed up it was all back to normal. Like someone said, leaving the water heater running and a light bulb or two should keep you in good shape. Ultimately, you could winterize your engine and plumbing system, but there is NO reason to haul the boat.

Mark DeDionisio
Tartan 40 Sister Moon
Oriental, NC