Advice on slip usage

[dzeak7]

We are new to boat ownership and will be keeping ours at a wet slip. We do not have the option for a lift so she will stay in the water.
Im looking for any comments, recommendations, etc from folks who have experience with a slip and want to pass on their knowledge; anything they feel will be helpful
We are on a low traffic area of the Mississippi in Minnesota.

We do not have a vehicle capable of towing, our driveway is quite steep, and dry lots are full.

thanks!

 

[OrangeTJ]

We kept our SX210 in a slip for 3 summers. No real issue other than the boat obviously gets pretty dirty on the outside. Keep a cover on it to keep the sun from wrecking the interior. If you have nothing capable of towing, you'll need to figure a way to haul the boat out of the water once or twice a season to clean all of the gunk from the bottom, as it will absolutely destroy your performance and efficiency. We used a small solar panel powered trickle charger to keep the batteries from going flat between uses to ensure that the bilge pump could run as designed.

 

[mark_m]

We are new to boat ownership and will be keeping ours at a wet slip. We do not have the option for a lift so she will stay in the water.
Im looking for any comments, recommendations, etc from folks who have experience with a slip and want to pass on their knowledge; anything they feel will be helpful
We are on a low traffic area of the Mississippi in Minnesota.

We do not have a vehicle capable of towing, our driveway is quite steep, and dry lots are full.

thanks!

Consider installing another bilge pump that is operated my a floating switch that is hardwired to your battery. This way if you have rain intrusion or take on water somehow in your slip it will pump out. My slip neighbor has a 212S that doesn’t take advantage of the shore power and it kills me!

 

[Beachbummer]

You can brush the boat bottom while you go out. depending on growth in your area you will loose speed, and brushing is much easier if done more frequently. Mine is dry docked, but our water is brackish, if it stays in 4-5 days growth will come and rob my speed and efficiency. Good brushing and almost back to normal.

 

[Robconn]

At a minimum, the hull needs a good cleaning and wax between seasons. As beachbummer states, you can reduce algae buildup with frequent brushing the bottom during season. Just anchor in shallow water and you can reach under boat with a cloth or sponge. It doesn’t take long for algea growth to affect your speed and gas consumption especially when water temps rise.
You may want to consider thrust vectors and lateral thrusters for added maneuverability at slow speeds especially around the docks and other boats in any marina. Twice in five years, I had to repair gelcoat from dings at the dock. $250- $500. I invested in hull huggers and additional boat fenders for the dock. I attached mine with zip ties due to the fact that I rent not own dock. I’m sure you can arrange to have marina pull boat out if you have no other option.

 

[dzeak7]

We kept our SX210 in a slip for 3 summers. No real issue other than the boat obviously gets pretty dirty on the outside. Keep a cover on it to keep the sun from wrecking the interior. If you have nothing capable of towing, you'll need to figure a way to haul the boat out of the water once or twice a season to clean all of the gunk from the bottom, as it will absolutely destroy your performance and efficiency. We used a small solar panel powered trickle charger to keep the batteries from going flat between uses to ensure that the bilge pump could run as designed.

Is there a solar set up you recommend?