pitfalls not using a boat/9

[magna 6882]

I have a question regarding the negatives with not using a boat. This has been a tough year for us. we only took the boat out once for a bout six hour run this year. I buuild large commercial buildings and the last in the works came due so that put me on a 7 day a week schedule the whole summer. I have been keeping it washed and dived so everything looks good. We will be heading south in january in the motorhome so it wont get used until next spring.
Any sugestions or things i should be made aware of.
Thanks

 

[Mischief Managed]

I think it will be fine. Just Winterize it properly, ensure the batteries will stay charged and forget about it. Boats are made to be idle for months at a time. All my boats have always been unused for 6 months a year and they are always fine come Spring.

 

[Blissboat]

Boats are made to be idle for months at a time.

Have to disagree on that point. Boats are made to be used. Experience has repeatedly taught me that a boat that gets run frequently is more likely to be reliable and ready for use when you need it, and less likely to have a component or system that deteriorated when you weren't paying attention.

The best maintenance system any boat can have is its owner's footsteps on the decks.

 

[Portage_Bay]

If the boat will be at your home port of Elliot Bay Marina here's what I would do.

• Close ALL of the sea cocks. Not just main engines. Everything. Deck wash-down, toilet if sea water flush. One failed hose clamp or hose can be a huge problem in an unattended boat.
• Tighten all dock lines as tight as you possibly can. The boat shifting on slack lines in the wind will chafe them.
• Control moisture. Some will use dehumidifiers. I prefer heat. Yes the electric bill will be higher. But cheap compared to cleaning up a moldy mess.
• Winterizing. No real need in terms of freeze protection especially if using heat to control moisture. We only get a few days of below freezing around here and rarely long enough for the interior temps to drop into freezing range. Open the cabinets doors where plumbing runs. Put some heat in the engine room to keep the machinery dry.
• On exception, if you have outside plumbing drain that.
• Consider having the mains and sea water cooling system flushed with salt away.

 

[Steve1.0]

Have (hire) someone you trust come aboard to start and run everything once a month or more. Yacht management companies specialize in this.

 

[PM]

One year of little to no use is really not a problem. If you find you are heading into your second or third year of not using the boat, better do what I did...sell it.

pete

 

[SIBERNUT]

Former owner of Phelps probably thought he'd be using it too. (This is on the hard, OK?) . Not pulling the garboard drain didn't occur to anybody until it had sat for 10 years. It is similar to a Senator 30 with a back deck and lazarette. Debris and water collected..............
Time passes for all of us, think ahead if you might not use it for a year, in or out of the water

 

[Hydraulicjump]

I am a few slips away from you and know your boat well (at least I think it is your boat) since we have similar DNA. I tracked temps last year closely and I ended up with no worries about freezing in EBM as long as we had some heat going in the boat. The low water temp is about 45F although a thin sheet of ice can form-rarely-on the surface. Your engine compartment is surrounded by this “warm” bath (current temps are in the low 50’s). In the forward stateroom we keep a dehumidifier going, which warms that part of the boat, and a pancake air circulator in the salon. With our massive array of windows, any sunny day bakes the cabin and pilothouse, which is great for keeping things dry (we also leave our curtains up). Never had a worry about freezing. Not so up on Lake Union in the freshwater.

The bigger question is the mechanicals. Many of our neighbors take advantage of a sunny day to come down to the boat and run the engine at high idle for a half hour. They also exercise all of their systems (head, heat, gen, thrusters, etc.). In talking to them they are abiding by the adage “the worst thing you can do to a boat is not use it”.

Finally, we try to exercise the boat every couple of months. Here is a recipe when work and weather allow. Head across to Blakely Harbor (5 nm), drop the hook with a gorgeous view of the Seattle skyline. Have lunch and run the genset. Head back to EBM. Three hours and your boat will thank you with no surprises this spring.

In my last breath on this earth there is one thing I am determined not to utter: “if only I had spent more time in boats.”

BTW: your boat looked gorgeous in the clear cold weather this weekend, with Mount Rainier and the snow dusted Olympics in the background.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Have to disagree on that point. Boats are made to be used. Experience has repeatedly taught me that a boat that gets run frequently is more likely to be reliable and ready for use when you need it, and less likely to have a component or system that deteriorated when you weren't paying attention.

The best maintenance system any boat can have is its owner's footsteps on the decks.

I dunno, I live and boat in New England and my boats have always been stored (properly) and unused for 6 months straight every year for the past 22 years. Has never been a problem, they always just work in Spring. I honestly cannot recall anything failing from lack of use.


Edited to add:


I just remembered that my two 2015 Sea Doo PWCs have both had fuel injector issues after Winter layup. Fortunately, the injectors are cheap and incredibly easy to swap (and to clean out to get them working again). Still not sure why they have had problems, but I keep spares on hand.

 

[kthoennes]

I dunno, I live and boat in New England and my boats have always been stored (properly) and unused for 6 months straight every year for the past 22 years. Has never been a problem, they always just work in Spring. I honestly cannot recall anything failing from lack of use.

Same here (South Dakota) and I'd agree generally, except for fuel. Our marina only sells non-ethanol, but even so, it seems I frequently have fuel problems. I go through at least two fuel filters on each engine every season if not more. Try to burn off a lot of the old stuff toward the end of every season and put in fresh, the gasket on the fuel's deck fill cap is good, cap is tight, boat is shrink-wrapped so it's not like I have snow melting in the side deck where the caps are located. This winter I'll have to pull the injectors and send them off to be cleaned because the port engine isn't running as smoothly as it should and I'm getting wisps of white smoke. And then there's damage from severe cold, but that's really a separate issue from lack of use - and wouldn't apply in the OP's case.

 

[Greg QS]

Just remember. this does not take away from your yearly maintenance. Oil is changed 1 a year regardless. Time acts on impellers and seawater cooling and exhaust and zinks. Keep on your regular service intervals regardless of engine hours.

 

[chanprr]

Just a note about cruising pre-season preparation: haul out, bottom cleaning, hull zinc replacement and other servicing. Book your haul out date before the end of the year, if you can. The Spring prep means the boatyards are busy. Since I am close to two yards, and have been using them for several seasons, I book the haul out and service date in person, and give the yard the job list, and get an estimate. Then a month before the actual date, I give them a call to re-confirm.

 

[magna 6882]

thanks for the replies. Been a weird year for us.We were cross country the first quarter of the year then when we got back a project at work required my attention which was a 7 day a week commitment. I am just now getting a day or two off and with weather changing we will be heading south likely first of the year. I have a service wash and check monthly. have heat and a dehumidifier and all service was done at the beginning of the season. Next year will be fun and i expect to be in the clear as far as work stuff. I like to hear from this group since there is so much experience and our members are quick to point out any mistakes they may have made or overlooked.

 

[AndreHuizing]

Word of warning. We’re live aboards and in winter often see these so called yacht mgmt people around. Typically they start the engines let them idle for 15min, sometimes rev them up in neutral and shut them off. That’s about the worst thing you can do to a diesel engine.

 

[Bacchus]

I think it will be fine. Just Winterize it properly, ensure the batteries will stay charged and forget about it. Boats are made to be idle for months at a time. All my boats have always been unused for 6 months a year and they are always fine come Spring.

Have to disagree on that point. Boats are made to be used. Experience has repeatedly taught me that a boat that gets run frequently is more likely to be reliable and ready for use when you need it, and less likely to have a component or system that deteriorated when you weren't paying attention.

The best maintenance system any boat can have is its owner's footsteps on the decks.

I think you both are correct... to a point.
Using anything regularly may be best, however, there are thousands... maybe millions of boats & motorhomes ( not to mention construction equipment) that sits idle for 4-6 months. Properly put away and stored is the key.

 

[Bacchus]

Word of warning. We’re live aboards and in winter often see these so called yacht mgmt people around. Typically they start the engines let them idle for 15min, sometimes rev them up in neutral and shut them off. That’s about the worst thing you can do to a diesel engine.

I certainly agree but those businesses exist because some owners think otherwise and the companies are likely just doing what their customers have requested. I know a lot of boat & motorhome owners that think they are doing the right thing by running engine & gen monthly. Not only think they are doing the right thing for the engines but believe 15-30 min will keep battys charged.

 

[Knewman]

Sent you a PM.