To moor or not to moor...

[Cole2001]

Even if backing up the trailer wasn't the problem the convince of having it in the water is totally worth it. We might be a little spoiled..... Where we keep our boat we are totally spoiled, our rv is a short walk away and there is no theft whatsoever and it's 15 minutes from the house. 

[braindamage]

Give it a shot this summer. If it results in more use and a happier wife then it's well worth it. 

[Chia]

If it means the boat gets used more then do it.

having a pretty boat in the driveway that she can't use is gross.

[ctvandy23]

We have always keep our boat in a slip.  And yeah you get some water scum on the hull, but I just jump in with a soft brush and float around the boat cleaning as far as I can reach.  Doesn't take all that long!  Does the boat stay as clean compared to towing and washing after each outing, no but I think having the boat the slip is a great trade off.  The boat is always ready to go, we can easily come in and out throughout the day against the crowds and/or poor weather conditions that pop up!  We also peel the cover back some nights and just sit back and relax with a few pops listening to the sound of the water lapping against the shore.  It doesn't get much better then that!  I say try the slip!!

[henrik]

Update, 

 

We went with a covered slip. Waited too long to decide so all the slips with lifts were already rented. Checking CL for used lifts but it's the wrong time of the year as far as cost and availability. I don't know that I want to own one as we will only keep the boat in the slip for the summer. Putting a lift in means I'm paying for 12 months of moorage.  

I checked the drip rate on the shaft seal and I'm getting a drop every 7 seconds with the boat sitting in the water, have not checked how that changes when underway. Is that too much? I don't think so as it needs cooling, bilge is not filling up after sitting for 48 hours. Any input is appreciated. Excited bout summer and being able to get out quickly on the water. The concern now is the mass amounts of drift wood in Shasta Lake.

[SoulSurfer]

Love having a slip.  Yes, the boat gets dirtier for sure.  Yes, it is easier to use for sure.  Weekday evenings are some of my favorite times to be on the lake, either out riding with friends or making memories with my family.  If we had to go get the boat out of storage, tow it down to the lake, pull it back out, drive it back to storage....well, we wouldn't go out on weeknights very often.  I also really hate the ramp stress on busy days.  It just sucks the fun right out of the beginning and end of the outing for me. With the slip, at the end of the day as the sun is setting we just slide into the slip, grab our cooler and towels, throw the cover on and go home.  Everyting at our own pace.  No line of boats waiting to get to the ramp, no line of trucks waiting to pull them out, no ramp antics....can you tell I really don't like the ramp?  The boat comes out of the water several times a season, I give the hull a good cleaning and it looks as good as new.  Keeping the inside and the top half of the exterior clean is easy whether its on the slip or on the trailer.

[jgates237]

I've had a slip now for about 8 yrs and couldn't be happier. We used to have a mooring ball and that was a bit of a pain, about as inconvenient as towing and launching. With the mooring ball we had to row out to the mooring, uncover the boat, then return to the dock to fuel and load. Lots of effort however it did improve my wife's and kids rowing skills. Was also a pain when we needed to adjust the cover after torrential rain storms!

Being that I live about 2 minutes from my yacht club (very redneck-ish) it's really easy to get on/off the water with a slip. Enables us to get out early or late for a quick set or just enjoy the evening. Yes, we haul our gas but not a big deal. Little to no vandalism as well but the ducks are an annoyance. I stop over there every morning on my way to work just to check it out. The one thing you do need to be cognizant of is how long you keep your boat in the water! If you put it in for extended periods of time you may get hull blistering. I highly recommend you put on a good hull wax and a couple of coats of sealant. We pull our boat every couple of weeks, if not more often, and keep the hull as scum free as possible. That means I'm swimming under the boat fairly often wiping it down with a soft sponge to keep the crap off of it. Our lake is pretty clean however there is lots of pollen etc. so it does get a scum line. You have to pull that sucker every couple of weeks to let the hull breathe otherwise your bottom will look like a high school kid with bad acne! Not pretty...

Edited June 1, 2017 by jgates237
grammar...:-(