I am going to slip my boat!!!

I am going to do it!!! I am going to slip my boat. I have been storing my
boats at Sunset Aquatic dry dock for the last 20 plus years.

I have always wanted to be in the water, but was just too concerned with
maintenance. At 41 years old, I might be getting wiser since I woke up this morning and thought "who am I kidding???!!! I am always doing maintenance so what's the big deal!

I know you guys are probably thinking; big deal...but it is for me so I decide
to share with you guys and off course ask for some tips.

Beside bottom paint, zincs, divers what else should I be concern with?

My outdrive has quite a bit of paint chips scratches and such. Do I simply
paint with the volvo paint or do I need to prime and then paint? What primer
if needed? I do not plan to paint the outdrive with bottom paint, bu should I?

Enough of my rant...anyhelp is greatly appreciate it.

Your going to love having your boat in a slip. It's a whole new experience.

If your out drive has questionable paint on it I would seriously consider painting it before it gets in the water. I'm not sure what kind of paint and the process because I have always had the boat yard do it.

Outside of all that you have mentioned it is critical to have a good bottom cleaner/diver! I have gone through a couple to find one. It's another monthly expense, but well worth it and they will keep a close watch on everything.

Replace your zincs regularly. Your diver will let you know. My diver changes mine about every three months.

Make sure to have Zincs on your swim step bar below the water line.
I give my boat a good annual buff/polish to protect it from the salt environment.
I also make sure regardless of use that it gets washed every other week to keep the salt air build up cleaned off.

I'm sure there is more, but that's what comes to mind right now.

Tony

Don't let anybody talk you into a bottom liner. They use chlorine to treat the water your aluminum out drive does not like it.Don warned me about it and it cost me a set of props . You can have your boat bottom painted by a pro for the price of a liner.It was a mofo to move it when I sold it.Its like maintaining pool chemicals .

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Malu Lani

Don't let anybody talk you into a bottom liner. They use chlorine to treat the water your aluminum out drive does not like it.Don warned me about it and it cost me a set of props . You can have your boat bottom painted by a pro for the price of a liner.It was a mofo to move it when I sold it.Its like maintaining pool chemicals .

---

Thanks. I have bottom paint so I plan to put another coat over it freshen it up a bit.

Thanks Tony. I can't wait. I am going to have the outdrive prime and painted.
Good idea about zincs for the swim-step brackets. I will put them on and also
replace the zincs that are on the trim tabs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Libre

Your going to love having your boat in a slip. It's a whole new experience.

If your out drive has questionable paint on it I would seriously consider painting it before it gets in the water. I'm not sure what kind of paint and the process because I have always had the boat yard do it.

Outside of all that you have mentioned it is critical to have a good bottom cleaner/diver! I have gone through a couple to find one. It's another monthly expense, but well worth it and they will keep a close watch on everything.

Replace your zincs regularly. Your diver will let you know. My diver changes mine about every three months.

Make sure to have Zincs on your swim step bar below the water line.
I give my boat a good annual buff/polish to protect it from the salt environment.
I also make sure regardless of use that it gets washed every other week to keep the salt air build up cleaned off.

I'm sure there is more, but that's what comes to mind right now.

Tony

---

Just thought about flushing the motor...I guess you wouldn't:confused:

I just thought of something else to consider, which is to replace your drain bolt on the transom. I put a fresh new one on every time I have the boat out. They can get stuck and that's a pain.

I have a perco in line motor flush valve installed . We use saltaway to flush the motor.It is located in the hose feeding the raw water pump .

That's a great idea! They even offer a 1 1/4" size which I believe
should fit right into the existing tubing. Any concern with it being
plastic and below the waterline?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Malu Lani

I have a perco in line motor flush valve installed . We use saltaway to flush the motor.It is located in the hose feeding the raw water pump .

---

I have been in the slip for six years and have not had any problems it still looks new they are heavyduty .

PS knock on wood !

Motor Flushing? Who else flushes their motor while in a slip? I have never done this. Should I be doing it?

Justin does my hull cleaning monthly and Julia washes the boat two times a month and details twice a year. Both are dependable and do good work.

Justin Merlini
Aqua Force Diving Service
(619) 507-5463
jkmerlini@hotmail.com

Julia Ruiz
(619) 770-2139
service@juliasyachtcare.com

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Libre

Motor Flushing? Who else flushes their motor while in a slip? I have never done this. Should I be doing it?

---

I don't think it makes a difference in the water, really! The most important thing you can do to your boat when you keep it in a slip is USE IT OFTEN!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DOGHOUSE26

I don't think it makes a difference in the water, really! The most important thing you can do to your boat when you keep it in a slip is USE IT OFTEN!

---

Thanks for the clarification...I think I got the use it often part covered!

Yale,
Do you want to adopt any of my Kids? Or heck, just adopt me!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Professor

Justin does my hull cleaning monthly and Julia washes the boat two times a month and details twice a year. Both are dependable and do good work.

Justin Merlini
Aqua Force Diving Service
(619) 507-5463
jkmerlini@hotmail.com

Julia Ruiz
(619) 770-2139
service@juliasyachtcare.com

---

Once I got rid of the kids I could afford to do it this way. If I adopted you I'd probably have to sell the boat. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Professor

Once I got rid of the kids I could afford to do it this way. If I adopted you I'd probably have to sell the boat. :D

---

You are a good sport Yale...Btw, did you use a surveyor when you purchase
the Riley?

My brother is kicking around between a new or used 30 footer. Sure would like to have a good surveyor if he's to go used.

I used a Newport Beach surveyor. Insurance Co. will probably want a surveyor report.

The Mrs. and I have been talking about getting another boat (in addition to the 23’) because we pretty much spend at least one day a weekend down in Pt. Loma. The idea is that we could use it as kind of a second home, stay the weekend, etc. So we’ve been looking at boats for sometime and just haven’t found the right one yet. It’s something we really want to do this summer so she’s talked me into slipping Hamachi Girl. So as much as I didn’t want to put bottom paint on her I’m going to have to do it.

Do you think putting an Epoxy Barrier Coating on first is a must do? I know Jay REALLY loves epoxy barrier coating. After the barrier coating use an ablative bottom paint? I see the boat being in the water for this summer minimum and spending the winter on the trailer.

Best thing we ever did...we spend pretty much every weekend on the boat
rain or shine.

Sorry, I cannot help with the barrier coat question...however, we did not use barrier coat on my brother's boat. We got mixed info from yes you need it to with the better gel-coat now you don't...

Trinidad SR was highly recommended; it's a hard bottom paint and so far so good!

My concerns about the type of bottom paint used is some don't like being out of the water for extended periods of time. I'd also like something that is designed to come off if slipping the 23' changes (get a bigger boat).

It would be nice not to mess with towing the trailer all the way down from Escondido all the time. Dealing with Friday traffic on the way home plus still having to unload and wash the boat down at the end of the day. We can use the carpool lane (70mph vs. 55mph and traffic) on the way home too if there isn't a trailer/boat behind us.

I kept my boat in the water a few years ago for only 3 months. I found that the dock power at the slip was reversed and it was at Chula Vista Marina. It was the dirtiest spot in the entire bay. Every time I went down to be on the boat, there was a bunch of junk, slime, fuel, sea weed, etc. It was in the winter and they gave me a special 3 month rate. When I pulled the boat out 2.5 months later, the boat had about 50- different things growing from it. Could not remove with anything. I bought some star bright stuff and sprayed it on a area. Turned to get a hose to spray it off. When I got the hose and turned back to the boat, the star bright cleaner had eaten off everything where the star bright had been applied. Found out it was dilute muratic acid. So now when ever I need to clean something that has sea growth, I use diluted muratic acid.

Forgot to mention that if you keep a boat in a slip, bond all your equipment. Sometimes when my boat is at the transient dock, a boat next to me will cause my zics too get eaten up in a few days.