Leave her in the water or haul out?

[Krumelur]

Short question, many opinions I guess 

My boat is in Italy. For the past 10 years it got always hauled out from November until April.
I‘m now contemplating whether I’d keep her swimming all of the year and only put on land for a few weeks every year to do maintenance.

Particularly this year there were so many weekends when it was just shitty here and bright sunshine down there and I would have loved to spend some days on board. Sailing on New Year’s Day sounds nice.

Yes? No?

Of course water infiltrating the laminate is always a topic, so many are saying the boat should get a chance to dry thoroughly. Makes me wonder though: how long would it take to dry and how long does it need to swim to be soaked again?

[symphony2]

Your last bit about absorbing water is really not supported by experience. Modern (post about mid 1990s) gel coats and resins are much more water resistant than earlier plus improved laminating methods and superior laminating resins mean that voids and either resin starved or undercured laminates are much less common. So in other words the "old salt" tales of absorbing water or developing osmosis blistering are things of the past.

So, no need to take the boat out of the water to dry out. The decision about what to do depends on your circumstances and where the boat is kept. In our club on the south coast of UK almost everybody leaves their boat in all year round because there is no need for winterisation of the machinery, our marina is well protected against winter weather and many enjoy the possibility of sailing on nice days in the winter. Typically members have their boats out for short periods in the winter or spring for antifouling, although I have Coppercoat so don't do this every year - just have a lift and pressure wash.

[Krumelur]

This confirms what what I was thinking. Winterization isn’t a problem in Italy either. I’m going to apply copper coat end of next season, too.

Related to water absorption: when they checked the hull the guy measured humidity and said he’d have to do it again when the boat has been on the dry for some time, otherwise the results couldn’t be interpreted correctly. So there seems to be some absorption going on.

[newtom]

Hi,
it is the same here in Croatia: the boat stays the whole year in the water and only a few days on the dry for antifouling and other services.
Regards Thomas

[SYJetzt]

I'm in croatia and my boat stays in the drink the whole year (since 2005), except short periods every spring to do maintenance work.
There is neither wet grp nor osmosis.
The humididy metering is a kind of hocus pocus some guys are doing. The problem of soaked grp dates back in times when laminates and resins  were of poorer quality and the manufacturing processes lacking quality assurance.

As symphony said, all newer production boats have sufficient quality grp to remain in water all the year, if the outer skin (gelcoat) has not been destroyed. Some yards are suggesting expensive epoxy treatments of the hull (with sanding down the original gelcoat), drying out and applying a lot of layers of epoxy, which is in my opinion only neccesary for the old rotten bodies which are prone for osmosis (and are sometimes praised by their owners for their longevity and strength).

I had the same concerns about humidity of grp, hence bought a humidity meter and traced the humidity in my hull over 6 weeks on the hard with no relevant change over time.

The only wet spot is (and has been) the rudder, but this is a different story and it makes no difference neither wintering on land nor in water
   

[IslandAlchemy]

From new, 19 years ago, my boat has only ever been out of the water for a week a year.  Never done it any harm.

[elias]

We have the boat 6 months in the water 6 months out since 2015 . Only once we left it for the whole year in  the water. The downside is the cost of dry docking ( where we are is per month ) but the boat has no mildew , smells nice  ,no signs of corrosion and in general feels fresh. If is not to be used or sailed I would prefer to be dry . Is like stopping the clock of its age

[diverphil]

 I had the same thoughts a couple of years ago after putting it back in for the first time, its been in since July 20, no problems and will be coming out sept this year for antifoul and seacock work  then back in before winter. had a dive under it to check anodes and bits this summer ,all were ok , just a cost thing to be paying for pontoon moorings and then paying again for hard standing, and chance to get the jobs done while its still warm enough and once back in you have the option to sail over winter on good days.

[Clivert]

I got fed up doing maintenance over the winter, cold feet, cold hands, cold tools and a permanent runny nose so boat comes out when yards are quiet and cheaper.
plus, sometimes you get some good sailing weather in winter

[GeoffV]

I got fed up doing maintenance over the winter, cold feet, cold hands, cold tools and a permanent runny nose so boat comes out when yards are quiet and cheaper.
plus, sometimes you get some good sailing weather in winter

Same here. Every I come out in August for 3 days every year and have done since 1990.
All three boats ( bought from new) in that time have never shown any hull problems whatsoever.

[Krumelur]

Thanks everyone for your supportive words. I'll keep my 40 in the water for at least the next 12 months :-)

[Salty]

This confirms what what I was thinking. Winterization isn’t a problem in Italy either.

With global warming, the weather is changing quite considerably, but one of the coldest periods I have ever experienced was during one winter about fifteen or twenty years ago during a visit to Livorno, and that’s despite having made several wintertime visits to Anchorage in Alaska!  The streets in Livorno were covered in snow and ice, where arguably this was made worse by the actions of the local authority where they used to fill up their road tankers with sea water, and spray it out onto the streets in the hope that the salty water would melt the ice and snow!!  I dont think it made any appreciable improvement to an already bad situation. The heating in the hotel I was staying at couldn't cope with the icy cold temperatures either, so that to try and warm up a bit I would go and stand in the entrance to a large store where the curtain of warm air in the doorway would help me to thaw out a little, but with pavements covered in ice and snow it was hazardous even getting from the hotel to the store.
I was really glad to get back onto a nice warm plane and head home. So dont get caught out by a sudden cold spell of weather.