Thoughts on bottom painting versus on-trailer storage

B

Ben

New member
Hello to all,

I am new to this site and to C-Dory ownership. I have recently put down a deposit to purchase "Snowden" from Bruce Holley in Annapolis, whom many of you know. I have been lurking for a while; but this is my first post. Anyhow, I am trying to decide whether it would be better to go through the process of prepping and painting the bottom for in water storage, or just leave the gel coat intact and store it on a trailer in a nearby marina yard (I don't have the space to store it at home, but could leave it in the water at the in-laws house). I am leaning towards keeping the boat on the trailer, as I will have to pay to store the trailer anyway. Any thoughts? Thanks to all for the time and ideas you guys share, this is a great resource. Ben (boat name to be determined, favor Les Bon Temps)
 
Ben,

The more your C-Dory is kept out of the elements, the better it will look and the longer it will last. In other words, keep it out of the water and preferably under a canopy for protection from the sun. Having owned two previous C-Dorys prior to my current one, constant exposure to the sun will definately chalk and fade the paint. While bottom painting serves its purpose, I feel like painting the bottom of a C-Dory detracts from its factory, color-coordinated appearance. Congratulations and best wishes with your new C-Dory.
 
Ben,
I'm glad you came to this site as quick as you did. The advice you get here will be invaluable.
As for the bottom painting issue, I think the convenience of having the boat in the water, ready to go, in these Chesapeake waters, will probably triple the number of times you actually use it. With a protected slip, such as in the creek you mentioned when we talked, a morning with some sandpaper, cleaning agent and degreaser, and a couple of coats of a good bottom paint will keep you slick for probably a couple years. Snowdon floats almost exactly on her water line, loaded with water, a full forty gallons of fuel, and canned goods for a week, so if you don't pick an abnoxious bottom color, and do an adequate job, the aesthetics won't suffer, in my opinion You might get a smear or two on the trailer when you do haul her. It may be useful to note, however, that we've left her in the water for two-three weeks unpainted in Harness Creek, without any appreciable growth. Conditions vary though.
That's my two cents. We hope you enjoy the boat, the Chesapeake, and the C-Brats group as much as we have, and I will definitely stay connected here. Somewhere in the Northwest, there's a used C-Dory with our name on it, once we transmogrify into Left Coaster part-timers.
Bruce Holly
 
I too live on the Bay. One year on a trailer, the boat usage went way down,however, the boat looked great. 9 years in a marina and the boat usage went up 3x the usage. After a long day at work, I just run down to the pier,turn on the motor and go... I still pul it out every 2 months to wax and gas up at COSTCO. The bottom of the boat can not be seen by anybody except the person next to you when you are towing to the ramp. And if you park in a marina, that's about four people. I am on Stoney Creek. Pat Kelly on Katie Marie III
 
Hi folks,

I do most of my boating in Nantucket. The bottom was completely painted two years ago. Last year I just did the sides and the part of the bottom I could reach as I did this year. There was no growth on the bottom this spring when I painted it. During the summer, I go overboard and brush off any crap I found on the boat. Easy to do with the beaches on Nantucket. (In coming tide only.)

Having the boat in the water makes it easy to get to and use. Since I turned sixty-five, I have used a local launch at about $3.00 a trip. I also have a dingy locked to a fence on shore next to the old CG Boat House.

This works for me. Launching a flat bottom boat (83 C Dory) is work and wet. There is only one launch ramp on Nantucket Harbor, so its a fight to launch, especially late afternoon and on weekends.

If I were you, I would get the bottom painted with one of the new systems that would last a few years, keep it in the water, and USE IT.

Fred
 
Congratulations and Welcome Ben. I know your boat and am sure you will love it.

I'll chime in here with what's likely a minority view: we keep our 22-ft cruiser on its trailer at Belle Haven Marina in Alexandria, and I prefer it to having a wet slip. The engine hour meter says 540, and I honestly don't think we would have used it any more than we have if it had been in the water. I just don't find the launch and retrieval process to for this boat to be a deterrent. Advantages of on-trailer marina parking:

1. No bottom painting needed
2. Rainwater drains out - no problem if bilge fails
3. Ready to go when we are not launching from home port but trailering to one of the zillions of great boating spots in our Chesapeake Bay area.
4. Ready to go for a trip to nearby gas station for fuel, rather than having to pay gas dock prices.
5. It can't sink where it is.
6. I can see it in its spot from the George Washington parkway as I drive by at least twice every day.
7. Cheaper fees than a wet slip.

If you decide to go this route, I would recommend two expenditures you might want to consider. First, a pair of neoprene mukluks made by Chota. These calf-height boots are extremely comfortable, waterproof, and warm over a pair of thick socks. They are great for spring, fall, and winter boating expeditions, and having them on means that during launch and retrieval you can stand in the water when necessary (mainly on retrieval when winching up the boat) without getting your feet wet. Second, a front receiver hitch welded onto the front of your tow vehicle. This makes maneuvering the boat to and from its parking spot and the ramp a breeze.

Best wishes and happy boating!
 
I had mine in the water for the first year or two. I had it in fresh water and had to pass through locks to get to salt (where I do most of my fishing). I did have it bottom painted and agree with the comment above that unless you have it on the trailer, no one sees the bottom anyway...

While we did use the boat plenty while it was in moorage - moorage cost me $275 a month (4 years ago) and it took a min of 45 mins (usually 60-75 mins) to get out to the salt. I now have it on my trailer and have modified my driveway to allow the boat to be stored along side the house. I can get to salt in the same or shorter time than before. I can also get to a much larger range of places at a more reasonable cost and in shorter time (the boat can go 60-70MPH on the trailer, 15-20 is more typical in the water). I can work on the boat whenever I want and can fully provision it the day/evening prior to going out. My storage costs are now 0$/month and I don't have to worry about what might be happen to it when I can't see it every day.
 
The answer to this question obviously depends on your home situation, where you use the boat, what moorage and dry storage options are available (and at what costs), and your personal preferences. Advantages and disadvantages each way for most folks, and sometimes hard to decide.

Might be worth a try for a year in each situation (bottom painting being the only problem.)

Your situation, circumstances, and usage patterns may also change.

This is not one of those questions where a cut and dry answer is available for everyone!

Joe.
 
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