Opinions on dry stack storage

[DaytonFlyer1068]

I'm thinking of doing dry stack storage this summer. Would be a lot easier and would save time to just call and pick up the boat rather than going to the storage location and then to the lake this summer. For those of you that do it...what's your opinion? Worth the cost? Any tips or things you wish you knew beforehand?

 

[WiskyDan]

The summer of 2020 was my first season as a boat owner and I dry stacked my boat. I don’t have the room to store the boat at my condo and didn’t want to trailer it with my vehicle to/from the local lakes. I travel a fair amount and didn’t want to leave it in a wet slip if I couldn’t get in it for a couple of weeks.

I paid $1300 for the season and felt that it was well worth the piece of mind that it was out of the elements and safe when I was not using it. One thing to ask is if they will remove the boat from the water right when you’re done or will they leave it at their dock for a day or two before re-racking it. I initially thought that they would re-rack it immediately when I was done but I was mistaken. If I took the boat out on a Saturday, and didn’t use it on Sunday, it wouldn’t get re-racked until Monday. I was able to get it re-racked quickly a few times by tipping the dock hands but it all depended on if they were slow enough to get it done.

I’ll be dry stacking at the same place next season - the other options are not palatable to me. :-/

 

[Elliott]

I have always kept my FSH in dry stack - 3+ years now. For me, it is the best choice. My marina is part of my community / development; it is a 5 minute drive to the marina. The marina uses Boat Cloud to schedule launches, but you can also just show up. The marina has 2 negative forklifts, about 15 wash racks, fuel, frozen bait and a store with ice / beverages / snacks and etc. I pay approximately $270 a month (based on length). I could wet slip, but I would not want to in salt water plus it costs more (charge by the length of the slip - not the boat).

Due to the convenience, we use our boat more. Sometimes, we go out for a couple of hours, but I do not think we would do that if I had to trailer.
Your mileage may vary.

 

[WiskyDan]

I forgot to mention the convenience angle - I don’t think that I would have used the boat as much if I had to trailer it.

 

[Beachbummer]

I also pay for Dry stack. There are 3 options in our area and I use the cheapest one that also happens to be the most convenient location for us. Works awesome 95% of the time. Once in a while they have a fork lift mechanical issue. Thankfully I have not been affected on those. Wind is the other big one, if it's blowing too hard they might delay some transfers.

It's totally worth it to me and I'm going back next year.

 

[Captain_Ron65]

I used dry stack this year for the first time and I prefer it over trailering or a wet slip. I pay $185/mth and they store my trailer for another $10. The marina has 5 wash racks that can be used for cleaning up, winterizing, etc. My marina has extra slips available for the dry stack users so that you can leave the boat in the water for the weekend. There have been a few times when I had to wait more than 10 minutes to get my boat into the water. For me, it's worth the cost for the convenience and I agree with others who said they use their boat more often because of the convenience.

 

[bigwaves]

I dry stack my AR190 during the season. It's wonderful!! They know me and my truck. When I pull in to the marina they automatically pull my boat off the stack and set in on a work rack so I can get it ready to take out. As soon as I'm done prepping they put it in the water, gas it up if I ask them to and away I go. When I return, someone is waiting for me at the dock to take my lines. My boat is lifted out and placed on a work rack so I can flush the engine and give her a good wash down. I reinstall my premium cover then she's placed back on the covered stack. It's f****** amazing. At $285 per month it's worth every penny. And best of all....No boat ramp drama, no boat ramp waiting, no boat ramp parking, no boat ramp ***holes to deal with. Dry stack your boat!

 

[Epsmith19]

I used dry stack this year for the first time and I prefer it over trailering or a wet slip. I pay $185/mth and they store my trailer for another $10. The marina has 5 wash racks that can be used for cleaning up, winterizing, etc. My marina has extra slips available for the dry stack users so that you can leave the boat in the water for the weekend. There have been a few times when I had to wait more than 10 minutes to get my boat into the water. For me, it's worth the cost for the convenience and I agree with others who said they use their boat more often because of the convenience.

Man $10 trailer storage is awesome

 

[tabbibus]

I started my first season on dry stack. You would call 2 hours before you planned to use the boat and there she was in the water waiting for you. It was nice. But I soon realized that in my particular marina that had some draw backs. Sharing slips (double wide slips) with other boats who may or may not know how to dock, no shade (courtesy slips had no roofs), long walk to the boat, trying to find a courtesy slip at the end of the day as it was almost always full.

Now I pay for a personal slip at the marina, and the boat is on a lift. Best of both worlds.

 

[stinkyduck]

I started my first season on dry stack. You would call 2 hours before you planned to use the boat and there she was in the water waiting for you. It was nice. But I soon realized that in my particular marina that had some draw backs. Sharing slips (double wide slips) with other boats who may or may not know how to dock, no shade (courtesy slips had no roofs), long walk to the boat, trying to find a courtesy slip at the end of the day as it was almost always full.

Now I pay for a personal slip at the marina, and the boat is on a lift. Best of both worlds.

Which marina are you storing your boat in. I tried to find a slip with a lift but they were hard to come by. I'm currently dry stack storing my boat at Habersham marina on the south side of Lake Lanier. Habersham just raised their rates by $50.

 

[tabbibus]

Which marina are you storing your boat in. I tried to find a slip with a lift but they were hard to come by. I'm currently dry stack storing my boat at Habersham marina on the south side of Lake Lanier. Habersham just raised their rates by $50.

Hey man. We chatted on FB. I'm at Port Royale. I bought a refurbished lift from Frankie Reese. Let me know if you want his contact.