Slip Newbie

This is going to be my first year keeping my boat in a slip. I'm probably not going to have a hoist so is there anything I should do to prep my boat? I know a good wax should help prevent some growth but will I see any damage to the hull. Should I just pull the boat and give a good wash every month or so? Any suggestions appreciated.

Responses are appreciated as I most likely will be in the same situation this summer.

depends on the water... on the delta one week = easy clean up, two weeks = scrubbing, three weeks = major job, anything longer = lawnmower

Also depending on how long you leave it in there the hull can devolop blisters. They are when little bits of water seep in between the gelcoat and the fiberglass. Can cause hull damage if not repaired correctly.

I keep mine at a slip in salt.I pull it out of the water every 7-10 days for a wash (and periodic wax). I once pushed it to 14 days and it was much harder to clean. It is usually out for 2-3 days and back in again. Keep in mind that boats can develope blisters from long periods in water. If you don't have whips I would suggest you find the largest fenders possible and you can also get soft cloth covers to put around them. It is also very convenient to have your dock lines permanently tied to the dock with the loop ends available to hook onto your cleats upon return to the dock. Once you rig it up properly you never have to mess with your line lenghts etc, just pull up to the dock, reach for the lines, put onto your cleats and your done!

We kept our old boat in a slip for the summer. Water was nice and dirty too. At the end of the season a good compound wax did the trick. You can also acid wash it but I never felt comfortable spraying acid all over my yard...

So how about just using a deck brush and trying to scrub the hull while the boat sits in the water? Any luck or is this bad on the boat?

I dont know where you are located, but I left my boat for a almost a month in the water. It turned my gelcoat yellow. I did the acid wash and it cleaned up pretty good up to about 90%. But, that last 10% was a B!^$@.

Dont be afraid of the acid wash, as long as you follow the directions if you need it.

With the crappy boats i have owned inthe past, i have found that the generic brand hull cleaner at wal-mart and meijer works great and gets stuff off that even buffing or rubbing wouldn't. I think it is the acid type stuff manzo is talking about.

buy a lift,,, look for a used on at the local marina that is being advertised --they are all over