Mastercraft kept in water...

dream_weaver 06-02-2003, 4:18 AM

Due to space and storage constraints I am forced to keep/store my Mastercraft in the water 24/7. Assuming that I keep the craft tied up properly, are there any problems I should anticipate as a result of this storage method. Any comments/ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

(ndh2o) · (ndh2o) **Join Date: Oct 2001** 06-02-2003, 5:11 AM

Alot of boats that are kept in the water get a bubbling of the gelcoat on the bottom of the hull, called osmosis, I think. Not sure how to prevent this, other than a marine paint on the hull. This is not normally covered under warranty either.

(board_boy) · (board_boy) **Join Date: Mar 2003** 06-02-2003, 8:14 AM

did you look at getting a boat lift for it

(wakescene) · (wakescene) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 06-02-2003, 10:17 AM

Matt,
Salt of Fresh water?

KG

sickboy 06-02-2003, 12:21 PM

Why can't you leave it on the trailer at a marina? Most of the time it's cheaper than leaving it in the water, and you don't have to worry about it.

mb

boardjockey 06-02-2003, 12:35 PM

i use to leave my old boat in the fresh water all season. no problems- at the end of the season i'd pay the marina a couple bills to clean the hull.

(mcsammamish) · (mcsammamish) **Join Date: Jun 2002** 06-02-2003, 1:43 PM

If you can get it out every few weeks to dry for a day or two it is supposed to make a difference with preventing the osmosis/bubbling. I left mine in the water most of last summer and pulled out once a month and had no problems except for lake scum.

dream_weaver 06-02-2003, 5:55 PM

I wish I could afford a lift for the dock, but it is all I can do to afford the boat and gas/maintenance. As for leaving it in a marina, I'd rather have in the water so I can use it whenever I want without having to make it a big production...right now I can walk out the door and walk to the dock in 2 minutes. As for pulling it out with a trailer, I can't do that cause I have a Honda. I guess I am basically screwed and am just going to have watch my boat rot away!

bigd 06-02-2003, 6:15 PM

Depending on the lake, you could get a lot of scum in a short period of time. I've seen boats growing moss in a couple of months. You can take a brush to it when you're out in the water. Worst case, gel coat can always be repaired if it's damaged..

(driving) · (driving) **Join Date: Jan 2003** 06-03-2003, 4:34 AM

i can't think of the name of the extra coat that mastercraft sprays to prevent the bubbling, but anyway...they do. you shouldn't have a problem.

(tre)

We use to keep our old boat in the water all summer. Never had any problems with the gel coat or bubbles. We did have some stain to clean off the bottom of the boat every fall though. After the hull was cleaned, the boat looked new.

(ndh2o) · (ndh2o) **Join Date: Oct 2001** 06-03-2003, 1:16 PM

Travis may be right on newer boats, but I have seen a 2000(?) MC X-5 that Coble Ski School sold that had blistered pretty bad from being left in the water for extended periods of time.

tattoobling 06-03-2003, 3:18 PM

Yeah Matt, I got a buddy down there in NC on Lake Norman who had his 2000 X-Star in the water at Kings Point (LKN) for about a year and a half. It came out looking like a inverted golf ball. Luckily, very luckily, MC warrantied the repair. They didn't have to do it, the warranty was only 1 year on gelcoat back then and wasn't meant to cover stuff like that anyway. Any boat, especially in Lake Norman, will be affected by staying in the water. That area of the country is so humid and there is so much aquatic life that an unprotected hull is going to be attacked by bacteria, organisms, etc. that you've either got to paint the hull, lift it out of the water, or thoroughly clean it AT LEAST once a month. Hope this helps.