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Maintaining a lift-stored boat


TCdave

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We are moving to a lake house soon and couldn't be happier. I have an older boat (99 sporty) that is in pristine condition since it has spent its entire life stored inside of our garage. The new house has a lift but there is no cover so the boat will be out in the sun most of the time. I have a silver snap-on cover that I have rarely used but I know I will need to snap it on everytime I put the boat away. 

My questions for the crew are:

 

  1. will my normal twice a year wax (rejex) application be enough to protect the decals and keep the sides from turning chalky?
  2. is it possible to take my cover in and have side skirts sewn or zippered to it?
  3. the trailer will be stored outside, is there anything I need to do to prep it for sitting out for long periods of time?

 

Any other advice would be greatly appeciated. 

I would like to add a cover to the dock when the funds become available.

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First, accept the fact that your no longer garaged baby will no longer be showroom pretty, and life will be MUCH easier.  The first 80% of cleaning takes 90% of the time.  The final 20% of cleaning takes another 90% of the time. :Doh:

Is the lift under trees?  If so, get a canopy now.  They are surprisingly not that expensive.

We have a canopied lift that is well shaded (comes with its own set of issues) and we only put the trailering cover on the boat only when pollen or leaves are expected.  Otherwise we put the tower down and raise the boat up as close to the canopy as we can - then all we have to do to take it out is put the lift down. 

Put the trailer in a sunny spot if possible to keep it dry and put RV tire covers on the tires.  It'll be getting a lot less use now.

Edited by minnmarker
Forgot to mention tire covers
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Regular cover that goes below the rub rails - take the snap cover and toss it

Canopy with full screen sides

Dock on both sides of lift

Pressure washer so that you can keep the hull clean easily

Put the trailer inside on jack stands, it'll be rusty junk in no time sitting in the grass rusting (like my inlaws trailer).

Edited by oldjeep
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Get a cover with side skirts that hang to bottom of boat even with a canopy you wil still get oxidized from sun on the sides & back 

  • Like 2
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^ This. 
Most newer lift canopies have a "wakeboard tower" option, if you can get that with the side skirts you should be able to keep 99% of your boat of the sun, this also helps keep birds out from under the canopy.

 

We keep ours on a lift, but given the WI climate it comes off annually and gets a good spring and fall cleaning... wouldn't be so hard to pick a weekend to pull yours once a year to do your cleaning and maintenance tasks.

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Living in the Dallas area, we have a similar climate.  Their above tips are good, but here are a few extra.

1) You need a cover that easily goes on to keep the bugs out.  No installed slip cover is going to take care of this.  We may leave the cover off on Friday or Saturday night, but we still have lots of bugs, spider webs, and bug poop.

2) The sun is the major enemy to your trailer.  If you don't find a covered storage option for your trailer, you are going to have very rapid bunk degradation and your tires will be extremely unreliable.  When I say rapid, I mean your bunks and tires will be toast in 1 year left in the sun.  I'm going to start a new thread on trailer storage; I leave mine outside, and I haven't found a good solution yet.

3) You are really going to enjoy your mainly white hull.  I was successful for many years with my white Response with just a couple waxes a year.

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Agreed with all the above, get a canopy for the lift.  I don't think you need the extra side curtains and all of that, since your boat appears to not have a tower.  Just buy a canopy that has good, deep coverage, and position it so that you can crank it up until the mirror gets to the frame. 

A dust cover would be a good plus, but now that you live on the lake, you'll find you probably do lots of short rides and putting the cover on and off will be a PITA after about 2 weeks (assuming you went and got the canopy).  Plus, you can crank it up with a wet carpet, and without the cover on it will dry.  Will it be spotless and pristine?  No, but @minnmarker is right - you are not going to be able to maintain it like you do in the garage/driveway.

The canopy can be any make/model too, it does not have to be the same make as your lift.  You need to buy the legs that attach it from the maker of your lift, but the canopy frame itself just needs to match up width-wise.  Even then, you can have/make brackets to bolt to the legs as adapter plates.

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My 07 looks like new and it has been on a lift every summer from birth. Its going back on today if I can beat the rain.  I have a canopies and I raise my boats as hi in them as I can. The boats see very little sun. I do keep my Rlxi covered on the lift if I am not using it ore over night. It is amazing how much crap covering the boat keeps dirt and pollen bugs whatever out! You will love having the boat on the lift and walking out for a ride! I still wipe down when I come back from a ski outing and that is not as easy as on land on the trailer. 

 

 

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18 hours ago, oldjeep said:

Regular cover that goes below the rub rails - take the snap cover and toss it

:plus1:

See my thread on getting rid of the snaps.  Good project for next Fall or Winter.  I hated those things!

 

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1 hour ago, Michigan boarder said:

A dust cover would be a good plus, but now that you live on the lake, you'll find you probably do lots of short rides and putting the cover on and off will be a PITA after about 2 weeks (assuming you went and got the canopy).  Plus, you can crank it up with a wet carpet, and without the cover on it will dry.  Will it be spotless and pristine?  No, but @minnmarker is right - you are not going to be able to maintain it like you do in the garage/driveway.

 

An easy to put on cover is key.  It takes me about 3.5 minutes to have the boat in the water with the cover off.  I had an old canvas cover that was great... it didn't need to stop rain because the covered lift.  The boat would dry with the cover on with near 100 degree days.

For me, it is a function of the bugs.  How much time to wipe off all the bug crap vs. putting on the cover?  If it is a windy evening, I'll leave the cover off Friday or Saturday night.  If the wind is still, I know I'll save time by putting the cover on.

Edited by flapjack
  • Like 1
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1 minute ago, flapjack said:

 

An easy to put on cover is key.

Any suggestions for a cheap dirt, leaf, and bug cover that will fit over the folded down tower?  Illusion XS

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My 06 has lived it's life on a covered lift. Still looks great. 

You have to keep it out of the sun during storage or its going to fade and oxidize. No amount of wax will prevent it. In addition to the cover I put a canvas cover across the back of the boat. It covers from the rear of the tower to the swim deck and extends to almost the water line. The way mine is positioned, the front doesn't get sun like the back does.

I usually leave it uncovered durin the weekends, but every morning I have to clean the bug poop off. If you wait it gets very hard to get off.

  • Like 3
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On 4/29/2016 at 11:02 AM, minnmarker said:

Any suggestions for a cheap dirt, leaf, and bug cover that will fit over the folded down tower?  Illusion XS

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My boats are stored on a lift year round.  I did have side skirts and a rear skirt sewn into the cover.  For my 2016, I am thinking of having a zipper so I could remove it, but I didnt even buy a trailer so don't see it is a major issue.  

I agree with the others that you will not be able to keep it perfect, since bugs will find a way in (in SC Dirt Dobbers tend to try to build places), but some simple spray on the cover does fine.  My lake forbids the use of UV screens, but allows the Touchless Boat Cover.  My boat tucks in so tight to the top of the dock that it is really well sun-protected, only thing exposed is the swim platform.

 

Good Luck!  Enjoy throwing the boat in the water 

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Get a canopy as others have said. Get used to wiping down the boat before you go out to clean off the bugs, webs, and dust. I do a maintenance wax every month. I also put rainx on the windshield. I think it makes it easier to clean with just a wipe down.

The trailer will last longer if you can store the iton concrete or pavement and put blocks under it.

congrats on moving on the lake. It will change how you use your boat!!

 

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So here is the question I have.  Does anyone know if you can put the G4 tower down and make the factory cover work over the top of it?  I am trying to figure out how to lower the tower when I leave for the week so I can crank the boat up further under the canopy and still cover it afterwards.  Maybe I just need to buy a different cover?

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What shoreline are you on?  We're on the West shore of our lake and have a deep deep canopy.  We typically cover the boat when we're gone as well.  We still get pretty bad oxidation on the transom even with this method and a good coat of wax in the spring.  Bright morning sun hits the back with a double whammy, both direct and reflected off the water.

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I keep my trailer in the shade.  I also pull my boat for refueling more often than not and will give the hull a quick cleaning 2 or 3 times a summer while doing this. Luckily my lake is pristine clear.  Boat is moored, not on a lift.  My original Sunbrella cover is all I use.  One of the nice things (if there are any) about a mooring is the sun hits all sides of the boat.

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On ‎5‎/‎2‎/‎2016 at 9:36 AM, Skin2Win said:

So here is the question I have.  Does anyone know if you can put the G4 tower down and make the factory cover work over the top of it?  I am trying to figure out how to lower the tower when I leave for the week so I can crank the boat up further under the canopy and still cover it afterwards.  Maybe I just need to buy a different cover?

Why not just fold the tower down after the cover is on?  If the cover fits as well as my factory cover then there is no way it'll fit over the folder tower. 

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Just now, oldjeep said:

Why not just fold the tower down after the cover is on?  If the cover fits as well as my factory cover then there is no way it'll fit over the folder tower. 

:plus1: We have to put the tower down to get in under the canopy - then put the cover on with the tower down.  Takes 6 minutes.

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13 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Why not just fold the tower down after the cover is on?  If the cover fits as well as my factory cover then there is no way it'll fit over the folder tower. 

That worked for the old boat with the XS tower, where the cover did not go over the pivot point on the tower.  With the G4 the cover wraps around and over the pivot point.  I don't know if that would work.  The cover is pretty snug.

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@TCDave:  I highly recommend a lift cover as noted by many, they are very nice to have.  It reduces the deterioration of the boat cover so consider that part of the cost payback.  Any dark color exposure to the sun will fade and oxidize, so if you have sun exposure your twice annual treatment probably won't cut it.  Even farther north, when parts of the boat are exposed, it seems to be a monthly requirement to give the dark gelcoat some TLC to restore.  A good fabric shop should be able to add sides, I would also cover the platform while you are at it. 

One additional item I highly recommend, keeping a boat outside, make sure the ski ropes are put away and are not exposed to the sun as that really can deteriorate a rope leading to breakage which does not end well.

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1. Get a lift cover, or a permanent roof over it. Chris Fo'by'fo Gilly Suit that posted above has a nice dock. Nice. Like, I want to come sleep on it in a hammock nice. And his boat does NOT look like a "I leave it on a lift in my dock" boat. He keeps it legit clean. His boat looks as awesome as it does because he keeps it out of direct sunlight.

2. A good synthetic sealant SHOULD last you longer than a wax. They're right, above, though. No amount of wax or sealant will prevent oxidation entirely, you can only limit it. Hula makes a marine specific sealant: http://products.hulaboatcare.com/big-kahuna-polymer-sealant/ 
I use Menzerna / Jescar PowerLock sealant for my cars and my boat. Haven't found anything that goes on easier, comes off easier, and protects better/longer. http://www.amazon.com/Jescar-Power-Lock-Polymer-Sealant/dp/B00P87W0IU/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1462302813&sr=1-1&keywords=menzerna+power+lock+sealant  Some people just prefer a marine specific product. But in the last 3 years using Menzerna I've never second guessed using it.  @ConnollyCrew had his first experience with it a couple weeks ago. Ask him what he thinks. :)

3. CrankyOldJeep is also correct, if you let it just sit it will rot away - get the trailer up on jack stands or blocks, so the weight is off the tires, then cover the tires so the UV ray's don't deteriorate the rubber. Cause after 2 years of sitting in the sun, even new tires will crack and start to blow out when you load it up and take her on a trip. Make sure to keep the grease fresh to help push moisture out that builds up in it. 

 

Speaking of which... I need to take a dose of my own medicine this weekend and holla at my trailer up at the marina to grease it and check the tires etc. 

  • Like 3
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