Wet slip or Dry slip for a CP19?

[mikeg]

Hi guys,

I've done some personalizing of our new Compac 19 "Freebird" and am ready to "board" it at an area marina (on the St Johns River between Orlando and Jacksonville). Our previous boat, a daysailor, was stored in an outdoor, ministorage slot in town--- so boarding the new boat at a marina will be different for me.

The cool thing is, dry-slipping the Compac (on the trailer, in the marina yard, with mast up, ready to go) will only be $75.00 a month- only $25. more a month than what we paid to ministore the daysailor outdoors (mast down, stowed for trailering).

On the flipside, keeping the boat in the water, in one of the marina's slips would only cost $150.00 a month. Double the money of dryslipping, but still very reasonable by Florida standards.

The St. Johns at this point, although it feeds into the Atlantic, is just about totally freshwater this far south...maybe slightly brakish---- so major bottom fouling is likely not an issue- although I should ask locals who slip their boats for sure.

So I'm wondering if anyone has input on which option might be a clear winner? I'm really leaning toward dryslipping the boat (can be more easily de-rigged for trailering to other sailing spots, no risk of drifting stuff or an erstwhile boat getting loose from a mooring & hitting mine, can be easily de-masted and hauled home if a hurricane has us in the crosshairs)-- but I'd like to hear any advantages to wetslipping a boat. Yes, I have just about made up my mind on dry (the only downside I see is having to launch each time we sail- which isn't a big deal on their deep, double ramp) but maybe I'm missing a point that one of you experienced trailersailors/ slipowners might make.

Thanks for any comments,
Mike G.
s/v Freebird

[mgoller]

How often do you sail?  Once a week for a few hours?  3-4 times a week for a few hours?  If the mast and sails are up and under their covers you could be sailing in fifteen minutes.  That sounds like a really good option for the money.  If you sail a lot and don't want the hassle of hooking up the trailer and parking it then maybe a slip.
Whatever gets you sailing is the best.

[TroyVB]

Hi Mike,

I have done both with different boats.  Dryslipped a Venture 17, all we had to do was hook up and back her down the ramp.  We also had a Catalina 27 in a wetslip.  Both were ready to sail and other than parking the trailer after the boat was in the water I don't think there was a whole lot of difference timewise.

I now have a CP 16 that I keep on a hoist.  The main thing is if you can keep her rigged with the sails bent on.  Even when we kept the 27 in the water we did not spend much time on her at the dock.  Wetslip was a must with a boat that big but not with our trailersailors.  Either way cast off the lines and sail.

[mikeg]

Thanks very much, Troy and Marcus.

We only sail every few weekends, so it's not like the extra ten minutes to back her into the water and prep will be a big deal. Spread that prep time out over the amount of time between sailing outtings, and it won't hurt much. 
Dryslip would be a little too much labor if we were sailing a couple times a week, as Marcus suggests- but we're an hour from the river- so really frequent sailing ain't happenin'.

I think I'm "sold" on dryslip. Thanks for sending your impressions/experiences. The $ savings will be nice compared to the costlier dryslip as well.
Best,
Mike G.

[sawyer]

If you start out with the dry slip, I'm sure you will know in short order if it is eating up too much of your sailing time.  I don't drink beer, but I think $75 would buy you a bit of that every month, and only sailing a couple three times a month or so, $25 bucks per sail to keep it wet and more at risk, not counting bottom paint, possible blistering, scrub time as the stuff builds up, etc, I'd be all over the dry storage.. of course, I am a trailer sailor, where I think Marcus keeps his wet, and I think Troy is going to also, so I don't speak about that from experience.........  Good Sailing to ya...........   Doug

[mgoller]

Hey that's a good point.  My CP 19 came with bottom paint and since I leave it in all season I maintain the ablative black coating and i don't have any problems.  Zebra mussels came to my part of the world four years ago and they are no problem.  The ablative paint contains a fair amount of copper.
If you are going to leave it in and don't have bottom paint you will have a lot of work to do.
I don't see much down side to the bottom paint, but sometimes I miss that beautiful waxed shiny hull.

[mikeg]

Great points guys. Dryslip it is.  Monetary savings,  less bad stuff (fowling, my boat's subject to the one guy who doesn't secure his boat- and it bumps mine) can happen to boat that's slips dry, etc. 

I recently took the ASA 101 and 103 certifications in Sarasota and was amazed to see TWO separate powerboaters, who'd docked for lunch at the marina we operated out of, poorly tie up their boats and they just drifted back along the fuel dock (strong inlet tides and 20mph winds no excuse)- and we sailors were the first to run from our lunchtable overlooking the water and retrieve their boats and correctly secure them...they were oblivious until well after we were down at the dock attending to their vessels.  This sort of foolishness makes me glad to avoid a wetslip for as long as I can. I'm sure boaters who have a slip are far more prudent than lunch-dockers though.

My wife and I are headed to vacation at my parents' lake house in northern Minnesota one week from tonight. I'll be doing MUCH sailing with my dad's Laser. Talk about some good times! May be fast for a monohull, but you can't eat, sleep or ...do other stuff...on a Laser!

Best,
Mike G.

[K3v1n]

Just wanted to chime in, being a new 19 owner, to say I plan to 'Wet Slip' it. I have her in a slip now for 300 bucks just for Sept. and looking at 1500 to 2000 for the whole season next year.(Apr 1 to oct 31)


-Kevin

[Gil Weiss]

Salt water, brackish water or fresh water  -barrier coating and bottom paint are a GOOD thing! You want to avoid blisters and green slime at all costs.

Also, I have wet slipped the past 8 years and it is well worth the money in my opinion. Even if we only sail twice a week. We are an hour from the boat too and in fresh water. I know from my experience and that of others that bottom protection is a necessity.

My 2 cents . . .