Winter Storage Position

[wojo5901]

Hello everyone,
I purchased a 2002 Albin 32+2 about 2 months ago from Florida. I am boating on the Chesapeake Bay. Winter is coming and I need to put it on the hard for a few months. My question is, I seem to remember someone saying that the Albin needs to be Bow up, and not level, when on the hard. If I am incorrect, please let me know. I'm sure the yard knows, but I want to make sure the boat is positioned correctly for the winter.
Thanks All........

 

[rslifkin]

Personally I try to make sure any boat is blocked so it's level to its resting waterline with a reasonable load condition. On many hulls (mine included) that means you do need taller blocking as you go forward as the bottom of the keel isn't parallel to the waterline. My boat sits noticeably bow down if blocked level to the keel, for example.

 

[Iggy]

I would always go bow up on any boat. Unless there is some good reason not too. I have never heard of one, but you never know?

 

[Jeff F]

Bow up can be problematic for drainage. All boats are different, but I'd want a compelling reason to not do as rslifkin suggests.

I work in a yard that hauls and cradles about 700 boats every fall. Level waterline is the standard procedure.

 

[rslifkin]

Bow up can be problematic for drainage. All boats are different, but I'd want a compelling reason to not do as rslifkin suggests.

Yup. Bow up is often better than bow down for drainage, but I figure the safest assumption is that if everything drains fine and water goes where it should at a normal trim angle in the water, that's a safe option on land too.

 

[CaptTom]

Our marina's former yard manager would put every boat "bow up" like you would with a small runabout. Never got it through his head that displacement hulls drain differently. This often caused a lot of problems with those, and with semi-displacement hulls like mine. I think I've got the new guy trained now, we'll see soon.

 

[SIBERNUT]

Whatever way , pull the garboard drain plug. My PO didnt, 10 yrs on the hard & water 1/2 way up engine

 

[rslifkin]

Whatever way , pull the garboard drain plug. My PO didnt, 10 yrs on the hard & water 1/2 way up engine

Only helps if the plug is in a reasonable location. Mine has never been pulled in the boat's life as far as I know, and I periodically debate just removing it and glassing the hole shut. It's off center in the forward bilge, so to actually drain water out of it you'd either need the boat tilted at a horrible angle, or you'd have 100+ gallons of water in the bilge. I have no idea why it was put there rather than in the keel sump, but the boat doesn't make bilge water in the rain, so it's not really an issue anyway.

 

[CharlieO.]

Whatever works for your boat to get positive drainage. I like level or very slightly bow down, because that will allow my decks to drain toward the rear scuppers and allow my bilge to drain toward my garboard drain plug which is in the forward part of my engine room.

 

[Iggy]

Whatever works for your boat to get positive drainage. I like level or very slightly bow down, because that will allow my decks to drain toward the rear scuppers and allow my bilge to drain toward my garboard drain plug which is in the forward part of my engine room.

So very true. My boat is more like yours and I like bow up. This helps me if and AF goes under the engine. It would flow towards the bilge pump.

 

[SteveK]

I am confused, your boats leak rainwater into the bilge.

 

[CharlieO.]

I am confused, your boats leak rainwater into the bilge.

It's been known to happen.

 

[kthoennes]

So very true. My boat is more like yours and I like bow up. This helps me if and AF goes under the engine. It would flow towards the bilge pump.

So you leave your batteries connected to the bilge pumps during storage?

 

[Jeff F]

It's been known to happen.

More than you might think. Boats filling up with water while ashore happens all too often.

Only helps if the plug is in a reasonable location. Mine has never been pulled in the boat's life as far as I know, and I periodically debate just removing it and glassing the hole shut. It's off center in the forward bilge, so to actually drain water out of it you'd either need the boat tilted at a horrible angle, or you'd have 100+ gallons of water in the bilge.

Better it starts draining after 100 gallons than not draining at all

I've seen countless examples of water coming in after deck/cockpit drains freeze, or when the boat isn't leveled properly, or even around the mast over time. Mostly sailboats, but I've always felt more comfortable having an open drain, even if not perfectly placed.

 

[Shrew]

Whatever works for your boat to get positive drainage. I like level or very slightly bow down, because that will allow my decks to drain toward the rear scuppers and allow my bilge to drain toward my garboard drain plug which is in the forward part of my engine room.

Agreed. There was a boat that was in a yard we spent a few winters in that was bow down, because his garboard plug was forward of center.

Ultimately, you want water to drain out the garboard hole. I do think that sometimes yards go a little goofy on the angle. A few inches is usually fine.

 

[Comodave]

We have always stored our boats indoors since we moved back to Michigan. Now we use a heated storage because I got tired of it being freezing cold in the barn. So they block the boat pretty much level.

 

[rslifkin]

Better it starts draining after 100 gallons than not draining at all

True, but I have no exterior deck hatches, no cockpit, etc. So any water that gets onto the boat just runs off it, nowhere for it to get inside without a deck fitting leaking. The only place that takes any water is the chain locker (some gets through the windlass), but that has its own drain overboard and doesn't drain to the bilge. Plus we've stored inside the last few winters, so no rain or snow to worry about, just dust.

 

[Comodave]

Around here if you store a boat outside then pretty much everyone shtink wraps the boat so water intrusion isn’t an issue.