Wet Slip verses Towing? Please Respond !!

[Catfish]

All Boaters

Please respond with "all" opinions of your wet slip verses towing experiences. How many of you that have stopped towing for a wet slip would go back to towing again for any reason, Slip Costs, Etc... Do you really love your wet slip usage and convenience. Do you feel you use your boat more often because its already in the water.

Also any Marina "hang-ups" Charges Etc... that you later found out that no one would tell you about.

I am trying to make up my mind about a wet slip for this season and would like some opinions to help me decide.

Thanks Every One
Catfish

 

[BradV]

I trailer for several reasons. First its cheaper to store it on a trailer. I already had a tow vehicle that would pull it. I dont like the way bottom paint looks on the boat. It allows me to go to different areas depending on where i am going fishing, diving, or cruising that day. Oh yeah gas is also cheaper off the water.

 

[Mike2043]

This is going to be my first year with the boat. I chose to go with a wet slip. My main reason is that I really think I will use the boat more often if it's already in the water. I also think going out alone will be much easier. I am paying 2k for the slip so hopefully it will be worth it. I have a trailer and can pull the boat in and out as many times I want. If I don’t think it’s worth it next year I will keep it on the trailer.

 

[TunaJoe]

I went from a trailer boat to a larger, slipped boat and hated it.
Tremendous costs associated with keeping the boat in the water. Not to mention seemed to be harder to maintain the boat (for me at least).

I couldnt wait to sell it and buy my Parker. i have a truck to pull it and plenty of room on my property to keep it though.

It was nice to go down to the marina and hang out though.

 

[ppem45]

I have trailered for many years and also have had a wet slip so "Been There and Done That" . Give me a slip any day, the amenities and just the fact is, it's there so you use it more. washdown ,electricity ( I never use but it's there) meeting new friends at the marina and sometimes just hanging around the boat and having a cool one. Yeah, go for the slip

 

[B-Faithful]

I do both. Love trailering as I can go where the fish are. Love wet slipping due to being able to just put the key in and go. I tend to use the boat more frequently when it is wet slipped but my trips are more puposefull when trailering. Boat stays cleaner when..... wet slipped!

Both have their advantages.

 

[MaxOut]

I personally would never leave my Parker wet slipped unless it was on a lift. You will allways worry about it and is too expensive in my area. Constant exposure to direct sunlight and salt water will age the gel coat and all metal. I had a 45' boat wet slipped for 5 years and it was more of a pain than it was worth. Not to mention having to haul all of my gear across a parking lot and down 300' of pier every time I visited the boat. It's not for everyone. Some people do not like to trailer there boats and find it difficult to launch and retrieve. If this is you it may be a good middle of the road option to have your boat stored on land at the marina. You can give them a call when you are ready to use it and it will be waiting in a slip for you when you get there.

 

[WCS]

When I bought my 2320 last spring, I had every intention of dry storing her at a marina. But then a ClassicParker member told me about an open slip at a private house, and I quickly changed my mind and grabbed that. The advantages of wet slipping for me were being able to get to the boat anytime to clean and fiddle with things, and to be able to launch at a moment's notice. Also, the slip is available as early and late in the year as we want, and was a bit cheaper than the marina. Socializing with the other boaters and anglers was great too. Looking at the vegetation under the boat by mid-summer, and facing both a nor'easter and hurricane in the fall, I was having doubts about my decision, but all in all so far the benefits outweigh the risks. Plus, on days when I couldn't fish, taking a capnap on the boat gently rocking at the dock was pretty nice.

wayne

 

[B-Faithful]

We find that if we wet slip that we are much more likely to go for a boat ride to get ice cream downtown annapolis after dinner or just shoot under the bay bridge for some jigging at dusk or even go out to take the kids swimming for a couple hours. It definately leads to more usage as it is a hassle to hook up, launch, retreive, and unhook just for the short trips.

I do worry about my boat more now when I wet slip as the slip I have is not nearly as protected slip as I have had in the past. However where I kept my boat previously I rarely worried about the boat even in the heaviest of storms as it was very protected.

If the boat is sitting on a trailer and the fish are hot in OCMD I am more likely to hook up and tow there. I also am more likely to trailer further south down the bay should the bite be hot there too. I also can take trips to unique fishing areas like the CBBT or DE Bay (cape may rips).Trailering definately leads to catching more fish in my experience. I am also generally better able to prepare for trips the night before when trailing with the boat in my driveway. My trips are better planned and I tend to be better prepared for them.

Also when the boat is in the driveway at home, I can tinker and fiddle with the boat more easily. While I am not the handiest when it comes to these things, I do like comfort of having it there at times and I can clean and straighten out my tackle while keeping an eye on the kids as they play.

Whether you wet slip or not I personally recommend two things.

1. bottom paint your boat with an ablative paint that becomes active anytime the boat is put in the water. This will allow you to keep the boat in the water for extended periods of time with out worry. Say you go on a vacation and want to take the boat with you, it is great to not have to worry about how long you can leave the boat in. Bottom paint removes an obstical and limits you less to how you use the boat. Some say this brings down the value of the boat. However when you get to boat as big and heavy as a Parker many will pay more for the bottom paint as it is a big boat to trailer (you need a 3/4 ton for a 25 parker and permits in most states). Just be sure to use an ablative paint that slowly wears away to prevent build up and can be used on a trailered boat without becoming deactive

2. get a trailer. I used to own a 30' pro-line that I couldnt trailer and it was disaster. I was at the mercy of the marina for everything. I was forced to use their poor mechanics. I was at the mercy of them for haul outs, spashes and winter storage. The marina wouldnt let me detail, paint or do my own maintenance on the boat while it was stored on their property due to "insurance and environmental reasons". Having the ability to move the boat yourself eliminates a lot of hassle and gives you the opportunity to not be "trapped" to the area you regularly boat.

Both wet slipping and trailering have their advantages but I do recommend bottom painting and a trailer regardless of what you do.

 

[gundog]

I'm in the same boat (pun intended).

The boat (2320) I bought this winter did not have a trailer. I've decided to put it in a slip. Previously, I owned a 16ft fresh water bass boat and found it a pain to trailer (therefore I didn't use it much). So I'm excited about the slip where I can just drive down to the marina and go.

However, several people have told me I should buy a trailer. The reasons being:

1. In case of hurricane I can pull the boat readily.
2. I can store the boat at home thus saving $$$

Your thoughts?

And how do I go about getting the right trailer?

Mike

 

[BigShow]

I have done both I still prefer in the water storage for more likely to use even for the quick ride. I keep most of my gear on board so a cooler and a few poles and we are ready to go. We have a trailer where we can pull it out or take with us if we travel on vacation but the bulk of the season we are in water. We live in Central Nj and using any public ramp is a JOKE. at least near me. THAT is the biggest reason why waiting an HOUR at least to get out of the water on a busy weekend, against drunks, against rookies I have seen more boats damaged there than in a hurricane

 

[Scott-MD]

With small children and other commitments, I rarely have a full day but often have just a couple of hours to go dash out on the boat. That wouldn't be possible (or remotely worth it) if I had to get the boat off and back on a trailer. Also I like to take the boat out by myself. The logistics of getting a 25 foot pilothouse boat on and off a trailer alone, particularly when the ramp is crowded, would not be fun at all. So I am a big fan of my slip. It's more expensive, but it takes a lot of the stress out of boating and it's so great to be able to be on the water immediately and just jump off the boat and walk away when I'm done.

 

[Catfish]

Gundog-B-Faithful

Thanks for the insight. I bought my boat a 2520Xl with a 10.500 LB trailer and have trailered last season, the public ramps are close. They are also tidal! Last year wasnt a problem but some others have been. I have a 1 Ton truck, and intend to store my boat at home during the winter on my trailer. As well as for bad weather, maintnence, pump gas, etc.
I have a chance to buy a slip at a local marina. I must make a decision about the wet slip because the spring season is coming. I just wanted some out side opinions and thoughts about it and thats what this site is about. A knowledge bank of sorts to give you the other side such as Bottom Paints, Hauling gear to the boat, coolers etc.. As I know a lot of you wet slip. I was hoping Capt. Kevn would chime in as I know he wet slips also. I was just hoping of getting the pitfalls no one will tell you about before hand, if any.

Thanks All
Catfish

 

[Megabyte]

Just saw this thread...

My previous boat was a trailer boat, but due to the fact that my neighborhood does not allow boat storage, I kept it in the lot of my local marina.

The disadvantage? I had to pay to keep the boat there, and when I wanted to launch, I had to go get it, drag it home, put my electronics and fishing gear aboard, then tow it the 1 mile to my local ramp. The good part? It is one of the best ramps in the State. The downside? It also required an annual pass to use the ramps, so that was an additional fee.

When I was done for the day, I loaded the boat, towed it home where I removed all my gear, gave her a bath, flushed the motor, covered her, then towed he back to the marina where I tucked her into a corner.

If I didn't cover her, leaves and the dust and dirt from the parking lot would make her an absolute mess in less than a week.

When I bought my Parker, it was not bottom painted and it sat on a 10,000# roller trailer.
Ask Porkchunker, B-Faithful, or GW204 what sort of shape the boat and trailer were in when I bought her.

My dilemma was this... Although I got the boat for a good price, she and the trailer needed a lot of work, and there was no way I could afford to upgrade my Jeep Cherokee tow vehicle to something that could haul the Parker. A boat and a truck just wasn't in the budget.

My solution was to secure a wet slip in the same marina where I stored my previous boat. I then sold the trailer and used the proceeds to defray the cost of painting the bottom, and fixing the most pressing items that needed to be attended to.

In my first year of wet-slipping, I used the Parker more often than I ever did the previous boat.
Obviously, being more sea worthy and protected from the elements played into the favor of the Parker, but the ability to drive a mile, slip the lines, and go fishing had a lot to do with it.

As others have mentioned, just being able to go down to the slip and tinker with my gear while enjoying a ponder beer, made the slip very relaxing. I also used my slip (on the end of a row) as a platform to catch many a chain pickerel, perch, and small rockfish whenever I wanted while still sitting in the slip.

Oddly enough, as B-Faithful noticed, I found that the boat stays cleaner in the water. However, having fresh water available also makes it easy to give her a bath whenever I want to. I have access to power in my slip, but I only use it occasionally to top off the batteries if we get a streak of bad weather.

The downsides of a wet slip? Maintaining the bottom paint each year is probably the largest item. Spring hull waxing must be done on land before launch, and it is more difficult to wash the hullsides with the boat in the water.

Finally, if I require service by my dealer, I must either run her an hour south on her own bottom, or I need to hire my neighbors company to transport her on one of his trailers.

So which do I prefer? After looking at the options and considering what I had before, I prefer the wet slip.

 

[BradV]

i think it seems that alot of it has to do with the area that you are in. around here (south florida) not many wet slips for smaller boats its mostly in and out on racks. There are also plenty of ramps around here that are easy access to inlets . whats your analysis so far as to which way you are leaning? truck big enough? do you have a storage area for the trailer? is the marina you are looking at people friendly where there is usually people around to hang out with?

 

[Megabyte]

i think it seems that alot of it has to do with the area that you are in. around here (south florida) not many wet slips for smaller boats its mostly in and out on racks. There are also plenty of ramps around here that are easy access to inlets . whats your analysis so far as to which way you are leaning? truck big enough? do you have a storage area for the trailer? is the marina you are looking at people friendly where there is usually people around to hang out with?

Good points Brad. 8)
I believe the area you are operating in has a lot to with your decision.

 

[susqking]

You will use your boat a lot more if it's in a slip. We usually get out 3 to 4 times a week and weekday evenings are the best time out.

You have to paint the bottom but I get two years from my ablative paint and yeah it's a messy, pain in the butt, but really only takes a day to have it ready. And the boat will fade and get a a little extra wear and tear but it's a FISHING boat, use it and enjoy it!

We have a big plus in our marina which is in the upper Chesapeake Bay; in the winter we catch pickeral, early spring all the crappie you want, largemouth bass and catfish all from the dock.

We also have a pool, hot tub and playgrounds for the kids.

 

[Flukenewsty]

advantages: easy to just go down jump on and go, no towing to reduce the gas milage or wear on the truck don't have to have storage. These things are all good as mu drive to the boat was 50 miles, i live in a neighborhood where the boat would have to be parked in the street. However, the disadvantages.
My marina's very shallow and it was a pain to get out sometimes, the birds crap all over the boat to the point I had to clean it before I left the dock. The bottom paint is a pain and it gets costly and greatly reduces the resale value on a small boat.(1801) the elements just beat the crap out of a boat as it sits in the sun, salty air etc. Reduces your range, I lost out on the spring run in the river as wel;l as the flats, the boat was in the slip. the bass were killing the bunker in Barnegat light and north and i had to make the 17 mile run on the ocean, If I were on a trailer i could make the extra 30 minute drive and drop the boat right on there heads, save gas time etc. so this year the boat is staying on the trailer. I am saving the ag. and $800 slip charge. If I had the 23 or bigger i would slip the boat no question. Too big for me to handle alone.

 

[Porkchunker]

I trailer for several reasons. First its cheaper to store it on a trailer. I already had a tow vehicle that would pull it. I dont like the way bottom paint looks on the boat. It allows me to go to different areas depending on where i am going fishing, diving, or cruising that day. Oh yeah gas is also cheaper off the water.

What Brad said.

Dave

aka

 

[springer99]

I went thru the same pros and cons over trailering vs. wetslip and ended up choosing the wet-slip. Sure it costs a bit more money, but the convenience can't be beat. Plus I would have had to store my boat at a storage site and the hassle of having to travel there, load up my gear, hook up, get to the water and then do the whole thing in reverse, just didn't sound like much fun. Plus it would eat up alot of time.

Being in the water all the time means I can keep all gear onboard at the ready and, if I feel like it, jump on a motorcycle to get there at a moments notice. I'm sure this gets me more "on the water" time than the alternative.

The only down-side I've seen, other than the $$, is that it does limit your range.

Barry