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Leaving Boat In Slip


sandaddiction

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Hi

 

I have a fairly new 2016 Malibu and am considering leaving in the lake over summer.

 

1.  What are the downside to wear and tear on the boat?  Would removing it every few weeks help?

2. If the boat is properly tied down, is there risk to damage the boat?  Does anyone have pics or a diagram on how to properly tie it down?

 

Thanks 

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Biggest downside is that gelcoat tends to blister when left in the water for extended periods of time.  Ideally, if you are going to leave it in a slip, you might consider investing in a lift.

But, yes, removing it every few weeks to let it dry out, and to wipe off the scum, and, perhaps reapply a wax/polish gelcoat seal, helps.

There is always risk to leaving an unattended boat tied down in a slip, but there are ways to minimize that risk.  Go to the "Search"  tab on the tool bar and look for "mooring in slip."  There are a few good threads I pulled up, including pictures.

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If you are going to leave it in the water for extended periods of time I recommend doing a quality bottom paint and barrier coat to prevent blisters and gel discoloration.

 

Gelcoat looks like it's completely hard and smooth to the eye but if you look at it under a microscope it is porous, like a sponge. Water can migrate into and behind it.

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Mine sits in the water for about 5months straight through the summer into the fall. Never had an issue with blisters. Some boats do blister and with the cheaper polyester resins, they can. Mine does discolor during that time, but a quick acid wash and she's white again. You are rolling the dice with leaving it in the water in terms of blistering, but more don't than do. 

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Just now, Falko said:

Mine sits in the water for about 5months straight through the summer into the fall. Never had an issue with blisters. Some boats do blister and with the cheaper polyester resins, they can. Mine does discolor during that time, but a quick acid wash and she's white again. You are rolling the dice with leaving it in the water in terms of blistering, but more don't than do. 

Gelcoat has changed quite a bit since 2004, thank the EPA for it.

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i have never had gelcoat blister. I do get discoloration from the water and scum that i have to clean off. But never blister. i have boats that sit in the water all summer. 

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Have had 5 boat from 3 manufactures in this spot starting in 1990, not the best place to dock a boat with no water movement.  I pull the boat about every 2 week, gas,hull cleaning and a quick coat of RejeX polymer coating.  Not a single problem.

 

HPIM1616_zpshczielva.jpg

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2 hours ago, 23LSVOwner said:

Gelcoat has changed quite a bit since 2004, thank the EPA for it.

I've been out of the boat construction following for a while. I'd be interested to hear any specifics on this. I know it used to be most boat manufacturers of pleasure boats used polyester resins for the gel, cheaper and easier to deal with. Higher end boats like Grady White and Boston Whaler (usually fishing boats) and possibly Formula (can't remember them all) used Vinylester resins in the gel which were much more impervious to water and blistering. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the EPA eliminated a lot of the good stuff needed to make good gel coats though.

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57 minutes ago, onamission said:

Have had 5 boat from 3 manufactures in this spot starting in 1990, not the best place to dock a boat with no water movement.  I pull the boat about every 2 week, gas,hull cleaning and a quick coat of RejeX polymer coating.  Not a single problem.

 

HPIM1616_zpshczielva.jpg

Beautiful boat.  Just curious, why no boat lift?

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2 hours ago, minnmarker said:

Interesting.  Can you elaborate?

 

10 minutes ago, Falko said:

I've been out of the boat construction following for a while. I'd be interested to hear any specifics on this. I know it used to be most boat manufacturers of pleasure boats used polyester resins for the gel, cheaper and easier to deal with. Higher end boats like Grady White and Boston Whaler (usually fishing boats) and possibly Formula (can't remember them all) used Vinylester resins in the gel which were much more impervious to water and blistering. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the EPA eliminated a lot of the good stuff needed to make good gel coats though.

Pretty much total elimination of styrene to lower VOC emissions from the manufacturing process. It really changed the properties of gelcoat, for the worse.

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4 hours ago, Michigan boarder said:

Beautiful boat.  Just curious, why no boat lift?

Slip is to small for a lift, under 9' wide, 6" between boats and 3" at the dock along with being very mucking.  (You need to have a good dock partner and neighbor)

Thanks

Edited by onamission
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7 minutes ago, onamission said:

Slip is to small for a lift, under 9' wide, 6" between boats and 3" at the dock along with being very mucking.  (You need to have a good dock partner and neighbor)

Thanks

Well, the easy solution then it to rent both spots!!

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I've had two 'bu's blister. I'd usually pull the boat(s) at least once a summer, wash, etc. I dont notice a performance difference. From 8' away you wouldn't see any issue, but up close it's not pretty.

I wont leave my 2002 in the water though for this reason.

Steve B.

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2 hours ago, Michigan boarder said:

Well, the easy solution then it to rent both spots!!

That would be nice, except thats my ski partners slip.  

Edited by onamission
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It's a non-issue. We have over 1100 tenants who keep their boats in a slips, none on lifts, probably 200 of them in Malibus made after 2012. Zero osmosis/blistering problems. The last boat I saw with the problem was an MC built in like 2004. My own 2005 has never had a problem & spends weeks or months at a time on the water, year after year.

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2 minutes ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

It's a non-issue. We have over 1100 tenants who keep their boats in a slips, none on lifts, probably 200 of them in Malibus made after 2012. Zero osmosis/blistering problems. The last boat I saw with the problem was an MC built in like 2004. My own 2005 has never had a problem & spends weeks or months at a time on the water, year after year.

 

Might find more on here if you search. Malibu also says bottom paint if left in the water in the owners manual.

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19 minutes ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

It's a non-issue. We have over 1100 tenants who keep their boats in a slips, none on lifts, probably 200 of them in Malibus made after 2012. Zero osmosis/blistering problems. The last boat I saw with the problem was an MC built in like 2004. My own 2005 has never had a problem & spends weeks or months at a time on the water, year after year.

Where is this marina?  We don't have anything near that big around here, even on Lake Minnetonka.

Seems like the OP @sandaddiction drifted away.  I wonder what kind of water he's on: Mountain, Southern, Midwest, River?  Makes a difference for scum, minerals, etc.

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On 3/17/2017 at 7:31 AM, minnmarker said:

Where is this marina?  We don't have anything near that big around here, even on Lake Minnetonka.

Seems like the OP @sandaddiction drifted away.  I wonder what kind of water he's on: Mountain, Southern, Midwest, River?  Makes a difference for scum, minerals, etc.

I work for a company that owns 3 marinas on Lake Couer d'Alene. Plus we're a Malibu dealer, like #8 in the country. Plus Cobalt., Regal, & Harris. I think the only boats I've ever seen that were bottom painted were brought in from nearby coastal areas (Seattle, Portland, California, etc.).

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On ‎3‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 8:11 AM, 23LSVOwner said:

If you are going to leave it in the water for extended periods of time I recommend doing a quality bottom paint and barrier coat to prevent blisters and gel discoloration.

This is a good way to kill the resale value of your boat.  Most buyers will quickly pass on a wakeboat with bottom paint.

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Just now, Nitrousbird said:

This is a good way to kill the resale value of your boat.  Most buyers will quickly pass on a wakeboat with bottom paint.

So right. I looked very briefly at one with bottom paint, can't see what sins it might be hiding, and it had obviously been beached, so I passed. 

Told the to have it removed, and I might come back. 

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Thanks for all the feedback.  After reviewing everyone's comments, I don't feel comfortable leaving a nearly new boat on the water without a lift.  The downsides far exceed the added convenience.

 

Thanks again for all the thoughtful comments.

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