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Old     (john211)      Join Date: Aug 2008       06-01-2013, 10:14 AM Reply   
I’ve just rented a slip in a covered dock at a marina on a Corps lake. By next week, I should have a 4,500 lb lift for a boat with a dry weight specified at 3,900 lbs (there’s time to stop this transaction if the lift sounds too light). The docks all have chain link fencing and locked gates for security (which should work just fine against pedestrians without access). I don’t know if the slip comes with a locker or not but, presumptively, a locker would be allowed.

What’s this going to be like?

1 - What are good security measures for the boat and accessories? My tower speakers aren’t very fancy but my mirror is. Also, the boat has electronic start (ie., you merely enter in the pass code).
2 - How do I help the boat to dry after I leave it covered?
3 - Is a little hand cart worthwhile for moving things between car and boat?
4 - What else? Any surprises ahead for someone who has no idea what this will be like?
Old     (mmobius2001)      Join Date: Jun 2004       06-01-2013, 12:30 PM Reply   
I rented a dock for 2 years, and wasnt a fan, although i didnt have a hoist, i had to moor. Cleaning the boat was a joke, i tried taking it out as much as possible, but cleaning the algae scum line off was a pain everytime. Also no matter how many fenders i used my boat got beat up, have my vinyl logo got scraped to hell, and a big chip came off my platform.

i was also paying $750/summer. This year i decided to pay $100/summer for a spot at a storage facility less than 1 mile away and pay $90 for a year launch pass, taking it out everytime is soooo much cleaner.

since you have a hoist it will probably be a much better/cleaner experiece. i might go up 1 level with the hoist weight, you have to think your boat is 3900lbs completely dry and empty. it will hold but it might be a pain raising it up, i used to have a hoist w/ a power wheel thing and it was awesome.

as far as cart, it cant hurt to get all your gear in 1 trip. you should be fine for security, just take boards/jackets etc with you.
Old     (Midnightv10)      Join Date: Feb 2012       06-01-2013, 12:59 PM Reply   
I guess I am the opposite of Phil as I did the storage facility for a couple years and switched to a slip at a local marina...
At the storage facility I wound up getting stuff stolen out of my boat a couple times. It was gated, pass coded, camera's everywhere type of place and I still wound up loosing stuff... So I moved to a slip... for me it was / is AWESOMENESS!!.. for one, I don't have to mess around with the ramp anymore.. instead of spending an hour each time going to get the boat from storage and taking it to the ramp and finding a place to park etc.. I can be on my boat filling ballast tanks within 10 minutes of my house.
As for security, the marina is gated, pass coded, and has camera's just like the storage facility but the big difference I have found is that at least everyone around are "boat people".. everyone kind of looks out for each other. My advice would be to find out if the marina allows people to live on their boats and then go meet your neighbors, get to know them, have a beer.. whatever.. but make some connections with people who can keep an eye out for you from time to time when you are gone and do the same for them... My neighbor in my marina lives on his sailboat and he is always checking my ropes and bumpers, or bailing out bird baths in my cover after it rains or stuff like that.. and in return I will take him out for a surf every once in a while...

Additional security measures would be to keep the boat cleaned up and gear stored.. at least make it hard to get at.. keep the boards in the storage lockers or at least if you keep them racked use a bike chain or something to make it harder.. a thief will go for whatever is easiest so keep that in mind..

The cart is a must have IMO... my marina has them available for the tenants but if yours doesn't I would highly suggest it.. so nice for dragging coolers, groceries, towels, etc.. in less trips...

I don't have a lift... yet.. so I cant comment there but that will definitely make your boat easier to keep clean..
Old     (markj)      Join Date: Apr 2005       06-02-2013, 8:56 AM Reply   
4500 lb lift for 3900 lb dry weight? By the time you add gas and gear, it might not work. Depending on the lift, you may be able to add a pontoon to it. Good luck.
Old     (davenk)      Join Date: Feb 2008       06-02-2013, 9:56 AM Reply   
I used to have storage on land at the top of my ramp, few 1000' from the ramp. We always left the boards in the racks, bimini up and two rope out, then could hang life jackets and towels out to dry. Our unit was 12'x35' (fully enclosed) plenty of room behind the boat for extra storage also for $100 a month. It was great. I loved it. Just don't have it now because we moved out of the area. The ramp issue wasn't really a big deal for us, we had it down to an art and had the boat in and out in the less then a couple minutes.
Old     (robertstone9)      Join Date: Sep 2011       06-02-2013, 7:14 PM Reply   
lift rating seems low few hundred pounds in fuel anchor misc gear you wont be anywhere near dry weight again
Old     (riddick)      Join Date: Jan 2010       06-02-2013, 9:05 PM Reply   
Your lift should be fine. I have one rated for about the same weight and have put a 5000 lb boat on it for years. Keeping your boat in a marina is great! If you don't already, I would suggest getting insurance on your boat.
Old    bigdtx            06-03-2013, 6:56 AM Reply   
The marina is great - especially when you're going out every day on a long weekend. No hassling with the ramps, etc. Of course the gas at the dock is a lot more expensive but worth it if you don't want to pull the boat just to get gas.

Only negatives in my experience are bird poop and spider webs are a constant problem. you'll have to clean your cover every so often to get all bird crap off.
Old     (john211)      Join Date: Aug 2008       06-07-2013, 2:00 PM Reply   
After researching WakeWorld, other online sources, and then calling dealers, here is what I am copying.

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/m...921/365889.jpg

Hydro-hoist and full-sided cover (dock is covered). If that picture doesn't come through, here is the source thread.

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=365499

It seems for floating boat lift options that, most think that Sunstream hydraulic floating lifts are the best. These lifts seem to have a pair of logs made out of foam that spread wide to sink the boat, and then hydraulic rams force linkages which in turn force the foam logs underneath the boat to lift it. The foam logs can't spring leaks and hence drop the boat while the owner is away. These to me look too costly and won't fit inside a 10x 24 slip.

So the next option for me seemed to be air tanks (and these are popular here). After scratching around a while on WakeWorld, and what vendors exhibit at the the 3 winter boat shows at the larger cites about 250 miles away, it appears if Hydro-Hoist is good choice.

Anybody know anything else? Nose bars? Learning curve for docking a boat on a hoist?
Old     (john211)      Join Date: Aug 2008       06-07-2013, 2:22 PM Reply   
Also, the local Hydro-hoist dealer advised ... for capacity ... 15% over the manufacturer's specified dry weight.
However, since the common experience here is that neither my boat nor the common I/O's around here are packing 6-8 golf cart batteries for massive sound systems .... the 15% bump is probably advised due only to things like gear (as vests and coolers) as well as gas in the fuel tank.

Someone once advised ... to determine the weight of your loaded boat ... taking it on a trailer to a truck stop weigh scale ... then, offloading the boat ... and re-weighing the trailer as the tare to subtract. OK, me? ... I'm not (quite) that annal. Certainly won't do it.
Old     (boardman74)      Join Date: Jul 2012       06-07-2013, 3:34 PM Reply   
Your boat will more than likely be 15% over just with fuel. Like many on here have said keep in mind options are not part of the dry weight. So by the time you add for the tower, stereo, racks, 200 plus lbs. of fuel..etc, your way past 15%. All the dry weights seem to be on the low side.

A great example is the Tige RZR with a dry weight of 3200 lb. When tested by an independent party(boat test.com I think it was) weighed 4087 Lbs with a full tank of fuel. If you are rocking 6-8 golfcart batteries I bet you are an easy grand over listed dry weight.

Last edited by boardman74; 06-07-2013 at 3:38 PM.

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