If you want to keep your boat ready to use any time of the year, wet storage at a local marina might sound appealing. But storing a boat in the water during the whole winter or year-round is a safe move? Can you leave a boat in the water during winter? Let’s see in a detailed way.
A boat can be left in the water during the winter or year-round if you take necessary precautions to tackle the challenges of a boat being in the waters for long periods. However, you need to keep in mind that there is always a risk correlated with storing the boat in the water than dry storing.
And most importantly, the temperature and water type are essential “deciding” factors because cold weather causes freezing, and warm weather increases blisters and growth. Similarly, saltwater increases corrosion 5-10 times, and freshwater can increase growth.
But in reality, many people will take their boats (liveaboard boats, not the normal recreational boats, though) out of the water around every 3 years to clean and repaint the bottom. Similarly, if you apply the bottom paint and barrier coat, you need not worry about that much.
That being said, we will now see all the precautions you need to take while storing the boat in the water during the winter or year-round.
Is It Bad To Keep/Store The Boat In Water? Storing or leaving the boat in the water can be bad. But by taking appropriate measures like bottom paint, barrier coat, tilting the outboard up out of the water, etc., you are less likely to cause damage. However, there is always a risk involved in storing the boat in the water than dry storing.
Precautions To Take While Storing A Boat In Water During Winter or year-round
Tilt The Outboard Up Away From The Water
There are four main reasons for tilting your outboard up and out of the water during long-term storage: freezing, marine growth, galvanic corrosion, and electrolysis. However, if you have a sterndrive attached to the boat, tilting wouldn’t be an option for you (source).
This marine growth blocks cooling inlets and exhaust ports, spoils the propeller’s profile and efficiency, ruins the outboard’s hydrodynamics, and causes drag in the water, which isn’t good for a boat.
Galvanic corrosion is a process in which one type of metal begins to corrode when in contact with another type of metal via an electrolyte. The metals are most of the gearcase and others in outboard, and the electrolyte is the water.
Electrolysis. As the current passes through metal, it causes it to lose electrons and decompose. To prevent electrolysis, ensure that your sacrificial anodes on the boat or engine drive get replaced now to ensure that they’ll last the winter.
Bottom Paint or Barrier Coat It To Prevent Growth
There is a difference between the bottom paint and the barrier coat; they are not the same. And generally, applying both of them will give the best results if you store the boat for long periods in the water regardless of the weather.
Bottom paint for a boat is used to stop the growth of algae, barnacles, and weeds below the boat’s waterline. The paint contains chemicals (biocide and copper), and it starts slowly releasing the copper overtime to stop the growth of algae, barnacles, and weeds on the boat bottom.
On the other hand, A barrier coat seals a fiberglass hull, blocking water entry and inhibiting blister formation in underwater Gelcoat and fiberglass. Therefore, if your boat has a fiberglass hull, you MUST protect it with a barrier coat beneath your bottom paint.
Related Post – Why Do Boats Need Bottom Paint And What Are Boats Painted With? Check those articles to know more about the importance of bottom paint and its types.
Close thru-hulls except for drains above waterline
Close all the thru-hulls on the boat before leaving it in the water. These are valves on the hull of a boat, allowing water to flow into the vessel, such as for cooling an engine or for a saltwater faucet; or out of the boat, such as for a sink drain or a toilet.
If these values are not closed properly, water can get in the boat and can cause many problems on your boat. You lock your door when you leave the house to keep undesirables out. Same on the boat: water inside is not your friend, and boats can and do sink at a mooring or at a dock.
So, close all the thru-hulls, but open the cockpit drains above the waterline so that accidentally if any water gets in the boat’s cockpit, it will leave through the drains and won’t flood the boat with water, increasing the draft.
Related Post – Can A Boat Sink From Rain? Check this article to know the main reasons for leaving the cockpit drains open during long-term storage.
Drain The Water Completely Off The Boat
Water can freeze or expand if the temperatures decrease significantly. If you live in northern regions, it’s a good practice to take the water out of the boat completely by draining the freshwater System, bilge area, head’s holding tank, etc.
Check the bilge area and other water residing areas to ensure water is removed. Also, spray in the bilge with a moisture-displacing lubricant. Finally, add antifreeze into the bilge and water tanks to prevent freezing.
Even growth can form in the bilge area or other water residing areas if water is present and left. So, keep the whole boat as dry as possible while preparing it for long-term storage.
Can You Leave A Boat In Saltwater? You can leave a boat in the saltwater for about a week to two without any worries. Anything more than that, your boat needs to be bottom painted or barrier coated to prevent the growth, blisters, etc., on the hull.
Cover The Boat Properly
Covering the boat is an essential task to do if you are storing the boat outside. Boat covers should be water-tight but loose enough to allow air to circulate. Yes, keeping water, snow, and ice out is important, but so is letting the cover breathe to prevent “locking-in” moisture.
To prevent mold and mildew inside the boat, you need to select a boat cover with vents capable of releasing any air that may build up inside the vessel over time. If vents are not an option, you need to look for other cover materials.
One of the essential steps to do before covering the boat is to ensure that there is no water inside the boat and try to keep everything dry. Otherwise, the water could evaporate, causing any mold or mildew. So, it is essential to ensure there is no water inside the hull if you cover it (for longer periods).
Related Post – Should A Boat Need To Be Covered? Check this article to know all the essential benefits and drawbacks of covering a boat in a detailed way.
Pick A Marina with A De-icing System Of Some Sort
Make sure that any marina you’re considering can protect the boat from ice. Ice formations around the hull in moving water could be quite damaging. Wet storage marinas usually safeguard boats, docks, and pilings by using bubblers and/or ice eaters to agitate the water and prevent thick ice from forming.
If you are storing it in a private dock and the temperatures go freezing, you need to install a circulator, an aerator, or any bubbler system under your dock that will allow continuous water movement. These devices will push warm water from the bottom and up to the surface.
So, this is an important thing to check or install them than any others on the list if you keep the boat in freezing temperatures. So, you better start deciding now so you can install and try your unit/s before the winter season arrives.
Is It Ok To Leave The Boat In Water All Summer? You can leave the boat in the water all summer. But there is always a risk involved in storing the boat in the water than dry storing. However, by taking appropriate measures like bottom paint, barrier coat, tilting the outboard up out of the water, etc., you are less likely to cause damage.
Treat The Fuel Tank Properly
The fuel tank is another important thing to look at because nowadays, most are using gas with some ethanol percent in it (10% or 15%). The problem with adding ethanol to the gas is it creates water in the tank from the air, and if there is any water present in the tank, then it creates more.
Eventually, that water in the tank corrodes the boat fuel lines and the fuel tank’s inner walls over time if you are using older metal tanks. Water implies it freezes or expands inside the tank causing major problems inside the fuel tanks or fuel lines.
So, you better either fill it up full with non-ethanol gas and treat it with a stabilizer or leave it empty to prevent water formation inside the tank.
Related Post – The Effects Of Bad Gas In A Boat. Check this article to know the effects of using a bad or old gas in a boat.
Fully Charge The Battery
The bilge pump is an essential device if you are storing the boat in the water. If any water gets inside the boat due to rain or any damage, the blige pump will pump it out if it has power. In other words, it needs to be connected to the battery for power.
Even if you installed a small fan inside the boat to prevent the mold or mild dew from circulating the air inside the boat, you need a battery. So, you need to change the battery to run power on those devices. However, continuously keeping the battery on the trickle charger isn’t always good.
You need to inspect the boat regularly and charge the battery every month to ensure the working of the bilge pump on the boat during storage.
Related Post – How To Improve the Boat’s Battery Life? Check this article to know more about getting the most out of your battery and how to look for bad battery symptoms.
Regularly Inspect The Boat
A regular inspection of the boat is an essential thing to do during the winter or long-term storage to ensure everything is fine. Check the boat regularly once or twice every week and also charge the battery once or twice a month if you are using a blige pump, fan, etc., on board.
Also, check the dock lines, boat cover, and their condition as well: whether they are loose or tight enough. By doing all those things, you will keep the boat safe in the water. But you need to keep in mind that there is always a risk involved in storing the boat in the water than dry storing.
Listen to the news frequently so that if you heard about the bad weather or any, remove the boat from the water or secure it properly to tackle the bad weather well.
The Key Takeaways From The Post
If you want to keep your boat ready to use any time of year, wet storage at a local marina might sound appealing. This means it’s already in the water and ready for you to clean, work on or take out for the day, making this a convenient option. But, of course, this isn’t a good idea in a climate that’s cold enough for the water to freeze.
A boat can be left in the water during the winter or year-round if you take necessary precautions to tackle the challenges of a boat being in the waters for long periods. However, you need to keep in mind that there is always a risk correlated with storing the boat in the water than dry storing.
And most importantly, the temperature and water type are essential “deciding” factors because cold weather causes freezing, and warm weather increases blisters and growth. Similarly, saltwater increases corrosion 5-10 times, and freshwater can increase growth.
But in reality, many people will take their boats (liveaboard boats, not the normal recreational boats, though) out of the water around every 3 years to clean and repaint the bottom. Similarly, if you apply the bottom paint and barrier coat, you need not worry about that much.
