First time keeping the boat on the lake for the season

[billbobthorpe]

Considering keeping the boat in the water for the season but have never done it and could use some info and advice. For reference I have a Pro Line walkaround with a white bottom with a Suzuki outboard. Should the bottom be painted with bottom paint or can it be cleaned after the season? I've seen both ways. The other question I have is do you guys keep the motor up or down at the dock? Does it effect the motor keeping it up for 2 or 3 weeks at a time? Or will keeping it down let it get built up with green growth and mussels? I would love to be out every weekend but I know that won't happen due to life and weather getting in the way. Thanks for any thoughts or insight. Don't want to learn the hard way as usual.

[orangediablo]

Amount of growth/zebras can depend on the current.  My father keeps his boat in a marina with very little current, and hey gets a zebras, and a decent amount of growth (unpainted bottom).  This is also in Lake Ere if it makes a difference.  At the end of the year he cleans with muriatic acid (get it at a pool store.....MUCH cheaper.  Wear mask/gear as it's some nasty stuff).  I keep mine at the Oak where there is some current.  Painted bottom, growth is very minimal, and some zebras collect on trim tabs, but nothing too bad.  Unfortunately, can't speak on any outboard info, but always see them up and out of the water.

[UNREEL]

All good info in above post. I’m in Irondequoit Bay with no current and a painted bottom. Just a little slime and some zebras on the tabs in the fall. 12 years ago I went 2 years without paint and had to pull boat mid summer to bottom wash. PITA. Definitely keep your OB out of the water if you have the room at the slip. 

Edited January 30, 2023 by UNREEL
Spelling

[mr 580]

Do yourself a favor and do a barrier coat then bottom paint before you launch.  Gel coat is porous  and will absorb water which leads to chemical reaction in fiber glass causing damage.  The barrier coat is important and will prevent a lot more labor in the future.  Not a hard job just labor intensive with a lot of nasty sanding.  Doing it right once is the way to go.

[billbobthorpe]

Thanks for your input guys!

 

[spoonfed-1]

5 hours ago, mr 580 said:

Do yourself a favor and do a barrier coat then bottom paint before you launch.  Gel coat is porous  and will absorb water which leads to chemical reaction in fiber glass causing damage.  The barrier coat is important and will prevent a lot more labor in the future.  Not a hard job just labor intensive with a lot of nasty sanding.  Doing it right once is the way to go.

This is best.

Keep the lower unit in the water in temps around or below freezing and out of the water the rest of the season.

Edited January 26, 2023 by spoonfed-1

[EKoselny]

I wish I would have had the bottom painted before I started keeping it in a slip. I am in Braddocks bay and there is a considerable amount of growth, algae, and calcium build up throughout the year. Its a PITA to clean at the end of the year. 

[Shakemsam]

Anchor about once a month on a sand bar and have a pop while you scrub her down. You will be amazed at how much that helps. The outboard depends on a couple things. If it happens to be a carbed motor, sometimes they will leak fuel when tilted up for any real amount of time. I usually don't tilt unless the water is real shallow come fall.

[Mason TR]

I would paint the bottom. My 20ft Bayliner walkaround was painted before I purchased it. I trailer mine and haven't kept it in the water. I've had other boats kept in the water with painted bottoms, and the build up of muscles and algae is crazy. 

[GAMBLER]

On 1/26/2023 at 1:13 PM, mr 580 said:

Do yourself a favor and do a barrier coat then bottom paint before you launch.  Gel coat is porous  and will absorb water which leads to chemical reaction in fiber glass causing damage.  The barrier coat is important and will prevent a lot more labor in the future.  Not a hard job just labor intensive with a lot of nasty sanding.  Doing it right once is the way to go.

This is great advice.  I didn’t vapor barrier my last boat the first season and ended up having small blisters all over the hull.  I had to grind each blister out and repair them.  Not a fun job!

[Wrestling Coach]

I leave my Lund 2100 Fisherman in the water and in a slip from May 1 to Oct 1. I'm on the St. Lawrence River in Cape Vincent. No bottom paint on mine. I will get a fair amount of algae build up especially  on the shady side of the boat. I leave my motor trimmed down because I am afraid other boats coming in or out could hit my rear end with the motor up.. At the end of the year I take my trailer down to a local marina and leave it. I then take my boat down and leave it tied up. The boat is picked out of the water on a huge fork lift and taken to a steam jenny/pressure wash statiion. The entire underside of the boat, transom and motor are cleaned off. Then the boat is set on my trailer from the fork lift. Protect your transducer wires if someone will be using a pressure washer. I use split wire loom.

[risackila]

Do yourself a favor and paint the bottom with anti fouling bottom paint. I have a proline 26. I also paint the outdrive with same paint. When you haul out I fall, hit the bottom with a low pressure washer. The green algae and moss will come right off if you hit it before the green stuff dries. The paint is made specifically to protect your boat from mussels, mollusks etc. I keep outdrive down so outdrive stays lubricated all seaso. 

[mercitom]

Make sure your zincs are in good shape and that shore power is properly installed.