Reasons Why Boat Lifts Are Better Than Wet Storage
Whether you choose to store your boat dry or wet entirely depends on your boating habits, how often you use it, and the weather where you live. Although maintaining and storing a boat is expensive, keeping it securely moored and stacked allows you to do activities only a few people can do throughout the year. However, there are various reasons why boat lifts maintenance are better than we storage.
To keep your boat dry and in plain sight, it is a brilliant idea to pull it home. However, home storage means you will have to pay for gas, hauling, and labor each time you want to go boating, sculling, or sailing. Over time, the costs of operating your yacht will roughly equal the price of maintaining a boat berthed nearby.
Reasons to Opt For Boat Lifts
Here are a few reasons why a boat lift could serve you the purpose:
Preserving Your Boat’s Quality
Hulls made of fiberglass, metal, and plastic are prone to hull blisters, scum and slime development, and stains. A boat lift keeps your hull from absorbing too much water, which helps prevent corrosion and the accumulation of algae and other biological debris. Your boat is much easier to clean when hoisted out of the water, which helps preserve its beauty and quality.
Preventing Damage
Your yacht faces various water risks in addition to potential harm to its outside and hull. It is more susceptible to interior and exterior damage from wet storage due to storms, strong winds, shifting water levels and conditions, contact with your dock, and other factors. Additionally, storing your boat in the water results in a bilge pump that works overtime and may eventually fail. You won’t have to be concerned about losing your boat if you store it safely out of the water.
Added Safety
Getting on a boat that hasn’t been damp-stored is safer. Boat lifts offer excellent stability over fluctuating water levels, making it considerably simpler to board and disembark (especially if you have partygoers who have had alcohol). You don’t need to move around to board because you are at dock level, and you can quickly shove off to enjoy the day on the water.
Protection From Algae
Algae and aquatic growth, including mud, barnacles, and more, will gather on the underside of your boat’s hull when it is submerged. These elements will accumulate and form a coating of scum on your boat’s hull, causing the paint and exterior to deteriorate. Your yacht could leak due to the corrosion, which also requires a lot of time and works to clean. Shafts, props, and other metal fittings are susceptible to corrosion damage in addition to your hull.
Using a yacht lift can reduce the chance of corrosion-causing algae and scum accumulation. Algae won’t be able to develop on your boat if it is stored above the waterline. This lessens the risk of harmful corrosion.
Weather and Water Fluctuations
Water levels can change in most bodies, especially when it’s nasty outside. Your boat will be pushed against the dock or struck by floating debris that entered the water after a storm when the water levels shift and rock it while it is in wet storage. Your boat can even capsize at your pier if a storm creates large waves and choppy water.
Using a boat lift will keep your boat safely above storm surge. A boat lift will prevent your boat from moving in the water when there is heavy weather, a strong current, or rising water levels. This helps stop damage to your ship from occurring when it scrapes against the dock, such as dents, scratches, or worse.
Better Access & Launch
You’ll find it much simpler to get in and out of your boat when it’s stored in a boat lift since the boat lifts your boat steadily in the water. It can be dangerous to enter and exit a boat while it is rocking, and it can also make docking and launching more challenging. You can drive away, lower your boat, and step inside easily if you have a boat lift.
A boat lift also simplifies maintenance procedures because all your boat sections are so easily accessible. To keep your boat looking great and functioning correctly, you’ll still need to carry out routine maintenance and cleaning procedures.
Cutting Down on Costs
Boat maintenance and repairs may get expensive, especially if your boat is left in the water. Maintaining your financial independence is made more accessible by storing your boat with a boat lift. Over time, keeping your boat dry will save you money because less damage will be done to it, and less cleaning will be required to get rid of layers of algae and scum.
Your yacht will stay in good shape for longer, and you’ll save money as the need for expensive repairs, thorough cleaning, and repainting decreases. You might also save money on marina docking fees if you own a boatlift. Boat lifts may help to raise the value of your home.
Should You Go For Wet Storage?
Boats should only be used on water. Maintaining your boat in a marina gives you easy access to the sea anytime you like taking it for a spin.
This is not to suggest that water won’t damage your boat’s paint, metal body, or underside. Numerous microorganisms can be found in the saltwater in the bay, and they prefer the calmer conditions of a pier. Due to the presence of this water, the hull may become infested with moss, barnacles, and seaweed, which will corrode the metal over time. However, modern marinas offer detailing, antifouling, and cleaning services that safeguard your boat.
Is Dry Stacking a Good Idea?
As was already said, dry stack boat storages place your boat on racks that may be many feet in the air. Trailers and hauling equipment are necessary to keep your boat in dry storage, shielded from rust and corrosion, and out of the weather.
Your yacht is more protected against theft and vandalism in dry storage because it is typically gated and monitored. In contrast, boats placed on swing moorings are typically left outside, continually exposed to the elements, and subject to the risk of theft.
What to Consider When Choosing between Dry and Wet Storage?
When not in use or during the off-season, wet slip storage entails leaving your boat in a water slip, either covered or uncovered. Your boat will be kept out of the water on vertically stacked racks, either inside or outside, if you choose dry slip or dry stack storage. A crane transfers your boat from the water to the frame and vice versa. Vertical storage is often elevated many feet off the ground.
Disadvantages of Wet Storage
Here are a few disadvantages you might face when opting for wet storage:
Rust and Mold
The metal and paint on the hull and other areas tend to corrode, rust, mold, and mildew due to exposure to saltwater, barnacles, seaweed, wind, and sunlight.
Theft
It is challenging to keep your craft secure from theft and damage in a public, open place, especially if it is a vast luxury boat with pricey attachments that are easily tampered with or disassembled.
Time Wasted on Unnecessary Maintenance
If you keep your boat in a wet slip, you are responsible for maintenance. You will need to conduct the cleaning and repairs unless you pay for a concierge service. Vessels that are left in the water deteriorate more quickly and require more maintenance, which can be time-consuming.
An owner will be busy throughout the early and post-season cleaning the deck, pumping out waste, painting, waxing, and replacing parts.
Conclusion
Ensure your boat is ready for storage after selecting an appropriate storage option. Take your boat for one last trip to ensure nothing needs fixing. Then, if you want to store your boat in a wet slip, wash and wax it thoroughly. Also, remember to safeguard your boat for the winter. It is advised to use a reliable shrink-wrap or weatherproof cover. You and other boat enthusiasts undoubtedly cherish your time on the water, whether you spend it fishing, participating in water sports, relaxing, or residing aboard. In exchange, you agree to make the time and financial commitment necessary to maintain your boat’s security, cleanliness, and functionality.
At Foothills Dock Repair, provide unmatchable boat lift maintenance services. Our goal is to construct a custom setup that gives you the most functionality you can get out of your boat lift. We also offer boat motor maintenance, cable maintenance, and many other services. Contact us today!