PS Advisor: 03/07

What are the effects of keeping your sailboat in the water year-round?

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Wet-storing a boat over the winter has its pros and cons. Blistering is always more prevalent on boats that remain wet-stored year-round. If left unattended, these blisters usually increase in depth and diameter. Hauling a vessel does lessen the contact with water, but in winter climates that are below freezing, the issue of expansion-caused micro cracking becomes a factor to consider. One answer is barrier coating, which at least lessens the porosity of the surface and slows, if not stops, moisture intrusion.

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What are the effects of keeping your sailboat in the water year-round? In

Sailboat

Connecticut, its cheaper to store a boat in the water than to have it hauled all winter long. Is this constant contact with the water bad for the fiberglass (blisters, water-logging, etc.)? Does “barrier coating” (applying a special protective coat under the bottom paint, after you have stripped it all off) prevent any of the damage? How long does a barrier coating last? What barrier coating would you recommend?

Bill Cavers

Saquish,1984 Bristol 31.1

Darien, Conn.

The climate in many parts of the world allows boats to remain in the water year-round, and composite FRP structures hold up pretty well to year-round immersion. The benchmark would be early 1960s hulls, most of which are still going strong. Its important to note, however, that these were not cored hulls, and more often than not, were built with thicker hull skins than vessels made today.

So despite the fact that many older wet-stored boats are still blister-free, water the universal solvent can hydrolyze seemingly impervious resins. Many other variables affect this process, but, yes, blister problems are more prevalent on boats that remain wet stored year-round. If left unattended, these blisters usually increase in depth and diameter, and prevention efforts, as well as prompt repair, make sense.

Hauling a vessel does lessen the contact with water, but in winter climates that are below freezing, the issue of expansion-caused micro cracking becomes a factor to consider. One answer is barrier coating, which at least lessens the porosity of the surface and slows, if not stops, moisture intrusion.

If the bottom is blister-free, try the Interlux approach, using a coat of Epiglass Epoxy resin and several follow-up coats of Interprotect 2000/2001-E. Such barrier coat systems seem to have a life span of about 10 years. If the bottom is badly blistered, a professional removal and laminate replacement using epoxy or vinylester resin is a costly but proven fix. Care must be taken during prep work because adhesion quality is directly correlated with surface prep.

If you consider wet storing in Connecticut, make sure that the marina has adequate ice abatement capability and their electrical system is reliable. Careful and thorough winterization includes keeping the cockpit and deck drains from freezing up and if electric lights or heat tape are used in the bilge, care must be taken to prevent shock or fire hazard. Whenever theres an extreme winter, New England marinas suffer damage from moving ice as it clears in the spring. This said, wet storing can be cost effective and certainly has you primed for an early-season sail.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.