Drystack?

[Epsmith19]

What’s everyone's experience w/ drystack storage? I like the idea of the boat not sitting in the water getting dirty but I'm concerned that I'll be dependent on the availability of the boat yard and that the wait times will become a major inconvenience

 

[Skyhawk223]

I dry stack. I give the marina about a 30 minute notice, which is about the time it takes me to get to the marina. If that marina is closed and I want to use the boat, I am either out of luck or I need to plan ahead and ask them to put the boat into the water. Pros and cons...

 

[WiskyDan]

I dry stacked for 4 seasons and it all depends on - as you mentioned - access to the boat.

I generally didn't have any trouble getting the boat in the water but getting it out of the water was a whole different subject. If I wanted to use the boat on a Saturday but wanted it to get put away before a storm rolled in on Sunday it was hit or miss based on staffing - in most instances it would be put away on Monday. One thing that I did not like about drystack is that my boat was placed in a twin slip and there were times that other drystack people bounced off the side of my boat - tore the mooring cover one time and scratched up the gel the other.

I switched to in/out service last season where my boat is on the trailer in a warehouse and I put it in and take it out so I have full control. There is a private boat ramp about 50 yards from the warehouse and there is a pressure washer that I can use before I put it away. Another positive is that it has forced me to get better at trailering my boat (which I sucked at previously) and I have somewhere to work on it when it's crappy outside which was a no-no at the drystack place.

My suggestion would be to talk to the drystack place and find out exactly how flexible they are when it comes to getting your boat in/out, what hours the drystack operates, do they have cameras that monitor the docks where the drystack boats are placed, and what their staffing situation look like. That should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect and better basis for your decision.

 

[Beachbummer]

Dry Stack is awesome, just beware of the limitations on time, and you must be comfortable leaving it in the water if you come in too late/after they close until they re-open to take it out. If you can afford it, it's the bomb. My old cheap one closed, the new more expensive one has fuel on site, and they will refuel for you, load boat, etc, etc. Saves you a bunch of time so you can boat longer. Work racks are always available for boat access. Call ahead, boat is always where it's supposed to and they move them fast. Your experience may vary, talk to other users of Dry Stack at that facility to get the real scoop.

 

[WiskyDan]

Dry Stack is awesome, just beware of the limitations on time, and you must be comfortable leaving it in the water if you come in too late/after they close until they re-open to take it out. If you can afford it, it's the bomb. My old cheap one closed, the new more expensive one has fuel on site, and they will refuel for you, load boat, etc, etc. Saves you a bunch of time so you can boat longer. Work racks are always available for boat access. Call ahead, boat is always where it's supposed to and they move them fast. Your experience may vary, talk to other users of Dry Stack at that facility to get the real scoop.

If this is the service you can expect then it's a great option - I wish my old drystack place was run that well.

 

[Judge]

I've been drystacking in Southwest Florida for 9 months.... I'll never go back to a marina..... especially after what happened around here when Hurricane Ian hit.

I originally going to drop $20K for a lift.... that the marina got to keep if I ever gave up my slip. Fortuntunately, the project didn't start before Ian hit and the marina had severe damage.

I got into Marine Max at Deep Lagoon in Fort Myers for about $7K for a year lease. They use an app called Boat Cloud that allows you to schedule your boat being splashed up to a month in advance. If you wait until the last minute on a weekend, you may not get in until the end of the day.... but otherwise I have not had any issues getting my boat in when I wanted it. I only go out during the week during the winter months when all the snowbirds are down with their boats making things more crowded and I will book a few different days a week or two in advance.

When we are done I tell the app to Stow the boat. They take it out..... wash the hull from the rub rails down...... flush the motors...... and put on the cover. They will also fill it with fuel and ice if I put it in the notes. I have not had to pull my boat up to a gas dock in 9 months.

There are drystack places that won't touch jets because of the flushing process but fortunately there was another Yamaha or two being stored there when I put my boat there.

I've left my boat in the water for two or three days if I was using it back-to-back. I was a little nervous leaving the keys in it the first time but they have never had a boat stolen. You need a transponder to get through the gate... they have a clubhouse with bathrooms and showers and they give you free water and coffee.

Overall I am very satisfied and I feel my boat has a better chance to survive another hurricane on the rack than it would in a marina after what I experienced two years ago.

 

[WiskyDan]

I got into Marine Max at Deep Lagoon in Fort Myers for about $7K for a year lease. They use an app called Boat Cloud that allows you to schedule your boat being splashed up to a month in advance. If you wait until the last minute on a weekend, you may not get in until the end of the day.... but otherwise I have not had any issues getting my boat in when I wanted it. I only go out during the week during the winter months when all the snowbirds are down with their boats making things more crowded and I will book a few different days a week or two in advance.

Do you use inside or outside drystack? Would scare the crap out of me if my boat was on the third level of an outside stack if a hurricane rolled through.

 

[Judge]

Do you use inside or outside drystack? Would scare the crap out of me if my boat was on the third level of an outside stack if a hurricane rolled through.

I’m on the top level and it is outside. They told me they didn’t lose any boats on the racks. Ian was bordering a Cat 5 with winds over 135MPH in our area so that made me feel better about it.

I’m not too worried about it. I may fill it full of fuel before I head north for a couple months to see family. That will add another 500lbs of ballast but if winds are going to topple a boat weighing over 6000lbs off the rack, I’ll take my chances on the rack after what it did to the marina where I live.

 

[WiskyDan]

Wow, surprised something didn't blow off the top rack but that is great news.

 

[Judge]

Wow, surprised something didn't blow off the top rack but that is great news.

I was lucky….. I had just bought my 275SD and didn’t have it at the Marina yet. We were out in Albuquerque at the annual Balloon Fiesta when the hurricane hit. Fortunately the boat was stored safely and our house didn’t get any damage.