Slip usage?

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Duquette5
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Slip usage?

Post by Duquette5 »

The Admiral and I are considering a slip this year. In the past we have only really been trailer sailors/power boaters. For this upcoming season we are looking at a small marina in Rhode Island (Ponaug Marina) that will give us access to the mostly protected waters of Narragansett Bay. That will give us a season of getting used to our :mac19: and getting used to a slip. Anyone have advise about "slip life" and what we should expect and be asking about in regards to using a slip?

Thanks!
>M<
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dlandersson
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by dlandersson »

You may wish to ask about full v. 1/2 season costs. Many marina's in the north "open" 1 April. Most boat owners don't actually move in till June. Why pay for unused time?

Shore power and other utilities. Does your boat have a shore power connection? Where is it located? Is there a slip availalbe with that side? Mine fore example, is on the port side. Some are on the starboard, some the rear, etc.

Access hours?
Duquette5 wrote:The Admiral and I are considering a slip this year. In the past we have only really been trailer sailors/power boaters. For this upcoming season we are looking at a small marina in Rhode Island (Ponaug Marina) that will give us access to the mostly protected waters of Narragansett Bay. That will give us a season of getting used to our :mac19: and getting used to a slip. Anyone have advise about "slip life" and what we should expect and be asking about in regards to using a slip?

Thanks!
>M<
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NiceAft
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by NiceAft »

In addition to what was listed above, security.

Is the dock you are on accessible to anyone, or is there a locked gate that slip owners have the key for, or combination for? Is there survalance at the location?

Also water depth. I don’t know what a :mac19: draws, but depth at low tide is something to be aware of.

Ray
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kurz
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by kurz »

Can you use the toilett and the SHOWER in the Marine? What is the cost?
Parking... as long as you want? Pay for or free?
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Herschel
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by Herschel »

I have kept my 26X at a slip year round for most of the 15 years I have owned it. I find it delightful and convenient. My marina charges for electricity if you leave shore power plugged in full time to keep your battery(s) charged. I have found that running the engine every three weeks is sufficient to keep my batteries in good shape for the last four years so I save money by not leaving shore power plugged in. An easily assessable fresh water spigot is essential to me for both washing the boat and filling onboard tanks. I find it helpful to have a marina with a fuel dock nearby. I do sometimes buy non-ethanol gas at Wawa (gas station), but I like to be able to get gas at the marina, too. I go back and forth storing my trailer at the marina, for which there is a modest monthly charge. Having a private (members only) head with shower is a very nice feature for those hot summer days. I, also, use the marine mechanic at my marina for most maintenance that I can't do myself. That is very handy so I don't have to trailer the boat somewhere else for repairs. You may also want to see what kind of establishments are nearby that could impact a night's stay such as a restaurant/sports bar with loud music or an outdoor restaurant that draws birds who pick up scraps off tables and fly over to your spreaders to digest and "process" their food onto your deck. :P I doubt you will find snakes on the docks of a salt water marina, but I sure have found them on some docks of inland lakes. And, of course there is the bottom paint concerns that require addressing if you don't have it already. Good luck. 8)
paul I
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by paul I »

All of the above are worthwhile concerns. I'm at a public marina in Buffalo NY. Its a large place... maybe 700 slips of all sizes and types. I'd gauge it at about 85% motorboats.

My biggest issue with marina life there is the loud drunks you may encounter, depending on location. I had a slip for a few years directly across the water from such a group. About 4 boats, all berthed in the same area. It was some of the worst time I ever spent on the water. These people were loud. They had parties with friends that could easily number in the 20's. They would set up lawn chairs on the dock and fingers. They seldom took the boat out, they were there every weekend and holiday, and were nearly always drunk. They played loud rap (often explicit) and country music regularly, regardless of hour, up till 11:00pm (the start of marina mandated quiet time) at which point the music would have been noticed by security personnel. The crowd noise was still there though (the women were by far the worst).

Although they got in trouble a few times for the ruckus they caused and for openly pi$$ in the water. They were suspended a time or two, and the marina management knew they were a problem. They soon learned to keep an active watch for the marina security people coming their way. The crowds would disperse, the music would stop, and they would act normal until the security folks were out of site. Then it would start up again. On and On. So it did little good to complain to the management.

I don't want to sound like an old man complaining about kids on his grass, but I go to the boat to find some peace and quiet sometimes. Not to hear drunken idiots carrying on.

Anyway, I eventually moved to a quieter area away from that group. But they are still there. You'd think they would have gotten tossed out after a few years of this.
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Tomfoolery
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by Tomfoolery »

Unfortunately that's similar to my experience in my marina, where I'm the only sailboat (and a hybrid at that). Just not as bad, and not as often. My old marina was more than 50% sailboats, and was way quieter, but farther away and not as nice to be in otherwise. I'm not really complaining, though, as there are more positives by far than the few negatives which are generated by just a handful, and the management seems to work hard at keeping a lid on the nitwits.
Duquette5
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by Duquette5 »

With my :mac19: I would be in the minority at the marina we are leaning towards. The upside to this marina is that it is small (150 slips no moorings), has members only heads and showers, security cameras, fuel dock, bait shop, and a small restaurant. It is a small cove marina at the upper end of Narragansett Bay with a majority of the boats being fishing boats. The only downside I see is that the docks do not have locked gates and the parking seems a little tight. I don't have shore power yet but was planing on adding it regardless. As for bottom paint, I am prepping her now and will be using a hard paint this time around and if we decide to continue using slips switch to an ablative paint.

Thanks for all the responses, keep 'em coming!

>M<
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Russ
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by Russ »

Do it.

We find the ability to hop on and go sailing so much better than the launching process. If I had to launch every time, I'd probably use the boat less. I hate launching. Always an audience and I always do something wrong.

We have never spent the night at the marina, but for many people, there is a social aspect of marina life. Many marinas have social activities or dock parties. Often great friendships are made.

I google earthed your marina. Looks like a great location. Very well protected. If you don't like it, you can go back.

You are already getting the bottom ready for being in the water for long periods of time, so good for you.

--Russ
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NiceAft
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by NiceAft »

RussMT wrote:Do it.

We find the ability to hop on and go sailing so much better than the launching process. If I had to launch every time, I'd probably use the boat less. I hate launching. Always an audience and I always do something wrong.

We have never spent the night at the marina, but for many people, there is a social aspect of marina life. Many marinas have social activities or dock parties. Often great friendships are made.

I google earthed your marina. Looks like a great location. Very well protected. If you don't like it, you can go back.

You are already getting the bottom ready for being in the water for long periods of time, so good for you.

--Russ
Russ hit it dead on.

Ray
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Highlander
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by Highlander »

My boat has been in the water for 19 months now on my second winter :)
Hull was epoxied & ablative paint was applied before launching
Image

But will b pulling her out this early spring to remove the rudder brkt,s to reseal & install new s/s hardware as they r seeping now while off I,m going to get the rudder brkt,s re-enforced with s/s gussets welded on both sides on 45 deg. angles so as the water flows past them with little resistance

J 8)
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Herschel
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by Herschel »

Just when I thought I had seen all possible issues related to slip usage I stumbled upon another. Was taking the sail cover off the mainsail at my slip last Sunday afternoon. As I pulled back from the leading edge just aft of the mast, a black blur swooshed out from in the sail and fled aft at great speed. As I had found a small bat in the gas tank locker on a previous trip it did not take long to realize I had a bat living in my furled and covered mainsail. :o Examination of the foot of the sail revealed the evidence of its lengthy habitation there. Guano/scat/poop/s--t! The Boomkicker leaves a small space in the bottom of the mainsail cover for the little fellow to get in. I cleaned the sail with 303 cleaner as best I could and replaced the cover, but I also wound a line around the boom and cover to close up any spaces it might use to get back in, hopefully. Anybody have an idea about how to clean this sail up a little better? :(
Image
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NiceAft
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by NiceAft »

Will bleach hurt the fabric of a sail?

If not chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, maybe? Oxyclean?

Ray
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Russ
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by Russ »

Seems like a lot of info out there. Bleach might not be the best. At least not strong.

https://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/D ... 621-1.html


--Russ
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NiceAft
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Re: Slip usage?

Post by NiceAft »

Interesting. This is an excerpt from the site Russ mentioned.
“For mildew, some sailmakers advise simple household bleach, a 5.25-percent solution of sodium hypochlorite. We'd use a highly diluted blend first. Be sure to rinse thoroughly. We had mixed results with various mildew removers on sails in our 2009 test of mildew removers.”

Mildew is a fairly hard stain to remove. Fecal matter that has been sitting for awhile might be just as hard to remove. It could drive you batty :o (Could not resist) This is why I also mentioned hydrogen peroxide. It works on blood. If you watch any crime drama’s, you know how tough blood is :)

Ray
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