Covered vs. Open Berth-gctid807215

[jmcajmca]

Would you put your boat in a covered berth? My boat has been in an opened berth and I have enjoyed the sun and openness, but the boat is always wet from dew in the morning and gets dirty quickly. Also I have to maintain the tarp and try to keep the boat as dry as possible. There is a covered berth available and I am thinking of moving my boat there. It does get a bit darker but the end of the berth and my cockpit would be facing south and getting adequate light on the cockpit. I go to the boat on the average 2x a month and stay overnight probably 2x a year. May be you have experience with a covered and opened berth and wouldn't mind sharing your preference.

Thanks

Joe

[CptCrunchie]

"jmcajmca" post=807215 wrote:
Would you put your boat in a covered berth? My boat has been in an opened berth and I have enjoyed the sun and openness, but the boat is always wet from dew in the morning and gets dirty quickly. Also I have to maintain the tarp and try to keep the boat as dry as possible. There is a covered berth available and I am thinking of moving my boat there. It does get a bit darker but the end of the berth and my cockpit would be facing south and getting adequate light on the cockpit. I go to the boat on the average 2x a month and stay overnight probably 2x a year. May be you have experience with a covered and opened berth and wouldn't mind sharing your preference.

Thanks

Joe

Do you prefer sleeping out in the rain or in a tent? ADR, but it seems like a no-brainer to me.

[Shawnh]

For the amount you use the boat per month, I would put it in a covered slip.

We live aboard our boat. We like the brightness of an open slip and in the PNW it is nice to have all the light possible during the winter months. I figure scrubbing the green algae every few weeks is part of the deal in the winter/spring (better than mowing a lawn). If I only used our boat a few times a month, she would go into a covered slip. I was offered one a couple of years ago at a neighboring marina by the marina manager and turned it down.

[SomeSailor]

Ours in a covered slip and it really keeps the boat much drier and left affected by UV rays, salt, algae and bird droppings. If i were living aboard I would think an uncovered slip would be less depressing.

[Apurpura]

If the cost is not an issue I would put the boat in the covered berth and in the fall when it get dark earlier I would move it to an open berth. Best of both worlds in my opinion.

[Guest]

We love being in a covered slip and most at our marina would apparently agree as our covered slips are always about full while there is plenty of availability for uncovered slips. And that's despite the material additional monthly charge for being covered. And that's no matter what size boat. Some covered slips are small like ours while some are pretty gigantic with small house boats in them. It's great protection for the boat and sometimes we want to be out of the scorching sun with the bimini down. If we want the sun it's just a matter of anchors aweigh. Though some of those big boys seem to rarely leave the slip.

[jmcajmca]

Thanks for your insights and responses. I think I will move my boat for all the good reasons you mentioned. The hard part of the move will be the relocation of my hydrohoist. I will miss the sun and the openness of an uncovered berth, but the ease of maintenance will out-weight the drawbacks. If I really want the sun for a weekend, I can just move temporary to one of the open berths.

Joe

[drewhaas]

We liveaboard in the PNW and I don't think I could tolerate being under cover all year. That being said; our previous boat was a not a liveaboard and I jumped at the chance to move it under cover. We got about the same use as you describe and it was a huge difference in upkeep once it was covered. Not so much for dirt- if you moor the boat near any dust production (even an overpass) the boat will continue to get dirty. However, the lack of water leaks and shade from UV rays meant teak, drapes, and fabrics stayed clean much longer than open moorage.

[SomeSailor]

The problem around here there's a shortage of covered slips. If you move out... you're out and to the back of the list.