question about salt damage over a single season?

[imonna 19 6]

hello all,

I didn't know what forum to put this in, so move it if needed.

I have a 79 19-6 and it is still in very good shape.  i live 90 minutes from LIS and gas prices make it a tough tow.

I have to make a decision between continuing to tow or a cost effective alternative of storage at a marina that will crane my boat in and out upon request for $26 a foot for the season.


The downside of towing is the gas, salt water exposure to my 4 brakes on my galvanized trailer, and time it takes, but the upside is i get to clean my boat, and motor top to bottom when i get back.  I rinse, wash, salt-away rinse the entire inside and outside of hull and flush the motor with salt-away, wd-40 my hinges and corrosion block under the cowling (not every time),windex the glass, etc.


The alternative storage on LIS will offer me the advantage of never putting my trailer in the salt, fuel savings because i can drive my little car to the shore, and i can get a whole lot more fishing in.  

The serious downside is that when I pull up to the dock, my boat stays in the water until they pull it (which could be as long as the next morning when I return after closing).  Since it is sitting in the water i can only do a freshwater rinse of the boat interior and a freshwater flush of the motor when off.  No saltaway, no flushing the engine while on.   they will rinse the outside when they pull it, but thats it

 I can do some windexing, and cleaning, but the salt spray is going to come back quickly since it will be out for 1-16 hours before it is craned back onto my trailer.

Then it is going to be at the marina where my trailer and boat exterior will be constantly exposed to salt.

Bottom line, i love my 19-6  and want to keep it a very long time and dont want to rust out my galvanized trailer.  As a new boat owner i am unsure just how much salt damage will be done if i go with the marina storage and am unable to do my usual routine of cleaning.  

Any and all feedback is appreciated.

[flounderpounder225]

Bill
If the trailer is in good shape, it will be fine, a galvanized trailer that is not being dropped in the water all the time will last a 100 times longer than one that is used in and out all the time.  As far as the boat goes, an ocassional trip over there to spend a few hours doing the preventative maint should keep everything shipshape, The engine flushing, that's a crap shoot, I can't believe they won't at least hook a hose up to her for a few minutes?? Flush her good with a couple doses of salt away when you can, and watch the T-stats, they will show the salt deposits.
Marc

[pete]

bring some saltaway in a pumpup garden sprayer and rinse off trailer when you launch and when you put back on trailer,should help keep the trailer from rusting

[gran398]

The big downside with dry storage is the boats above you drip salt water/crap all over the ones below.

[fitz73222]

I have a Ttop that looks like a tea colored map of southeast Asia from the the above boats excrument when mine was on the rack. I've always felt that no one can wash it like you can. You can't teach care and nurchering to a sixteen year old at the boat yard who is deemed the boat washer. If your going to pay a monthly fee to have it on the rack; it is cheaper than towing it once or twice a month even @ $4.00 a gallon? Keep her at home where she belongs. What will you stare at when the boats gone?

[gran398]

"The Girls Next Door"?

 

[pete]

maybe try it for a season and see how it works out :bounce:

[imonna 19 6]

Thanks for all the feedback.

The service I can afford and is being offered is a boat yard with docks and a crane.


I park my trailer, they crane my boat from my trailer to the water with the same sort of scheduling as a rack storage and then when i am done i leave it at the dock and they eventually will put it back on the trailer. When not in use it sits on my trailer.  They will rinse off the hull when they pull it, but thats it  

Costs $26 a foot for the season, where the cheapest outdoor rack storage i can find is around $70 a foot.  i am in CT and looking for places on and around LIS; its not like Florida, there arent many rack storage places around my area.

Anyway, i think i will give it a shot for the year.  The magic number is 17 trips fishing between may and November before the storage pays for itself and that should be an easy feat for me.  

My main concern was that even a single season would do significant salt damage, but as pointed out I can do trips down to do land based maintenance.

Any more feedback is appreciated.

Bill

[flounderpounder225]

Thanks for all the feedback.

The service I can afford and is being offered is a boat yard with docks and a crane.


I park my trailer, they crane my boat from my trailer to the water with the same sort of scheduling as a rack storage and then when i am done i leave it at the dock and they eventually will put it back on the trailer. When not in use it sits on my trailer.  They will rinse off the hull when they pull it, but thats it  

Costs $26 a foot for the season, where the cheapest outdoor rack storage i can find is around $70 a foot.  i am in CT and looking for places on and around LIS; its not like Florida, there arent many rack storage places around my area.

Anyway, i think i will give it a shot for the year.  The magic number is 17 trips fishing between may and November before the storage pays for itself and that should be an easy feat for me.  

My main concern was that even a single season would do significant salt damage, but as pointed out I can do trips down to do land based maintenance.

Any more feedback is appreciated.

Bill

Your scenario is the same as where I purchased my boat from in Savannah GA at the Savannah Yacht Club, they did the same thing, I still have the slings for my boat, that's how we swung her off to put her on stands for the bottom job.  Think about some type of cover for the boat, that will help with preserving the inside from the sun and elements, even if it is only on when you come in and they can put her up on the trailer immediately, or when you come down for the ocassional maintenance day, sometimes on, is better than never on, keep the springs and other hardware coated down with http://fluid-film.com/ this will be easy as the boat will be off the trailer, shoot it down once in a while before you leave the dock.

[imonna 19 6]

I got some clarity today.

They do not need to operate the boat to maneuver it to the crane, so i can put my cover on it as soon as i am doing cleaning it (and i have both a full cover and a console cover.

Also, will let me do work on my boat in the yard too.

I appreciate all the feedback.  i am sending in a deposit and looking forward to a season of fishing where i don't have to tow an hour and a half each way.

[gran398]

Your logic makes good sense. Especially since its not on a rack.

Enjoy the season!