Leaving boat in water the whole season

[Ken Bogush]

I am going to leave my boat in the water the whole season. I need to install a bilge pump. The problem i see is the water build up between the hull and deck. No access to that area.

[J Francho]

Make, model, and year would help. Is this some custom built deck?

[Bird]

Little confused here.

Long gone are the days of bass boat ownership but the several I've owned over the years,  have always had access to the hull......especially in the stern where my bilge pumps were located. 

Can you elaborate a little about the design of your boat?

[TnRiver46]

Make sure you’ve got a good anode under the cavitation plate as well. They make two kinds, magnesium and something else I forget. One is for salt water one for fresh 

[Bassattackr]

You're going to have a serious amount of scale and algae leaving a boat in the water for very long..  Hull, lower unit, prop, you name it.

[gim]

Put it on a lift.

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Put it on a lift.

Let me play devils advocate here: if he could put it on a lift, do you think he would start a thread about leaving it in the water? 
 

to the OP: I would cut a little access panel in the deck to get to the hull in the back. Throw some hinges and a latch on it and it can also act as a little storage compartment and give you access to install the bilge (if plausible)

[gim]

3 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Let me play devils advocate here: if he could put it on a lift, do you think he would start a thread about leaving it in the water? 

 

[TnRiver46]

4 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

A lift would be awesome though, wish I had one 

[GaryH]

23 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Let me play devils advocate here: if he could put it on a lift, do you think he would start a thread about leaving it in the water? 
 

 

Dang.. who p’d on your cereal this morning. ?????

[WRB]

Welcome to BR. It’s always helpful to know where you are located regionally. Obliviously you must be located where the water doesn’t freeze.

Fresh water the concern is weather; high wind, heavy rain fall,  is the boat under cover/boat house etc.

It’s not a good ideal to leave the boat out in the weather uncovered. Automatic bilge pump requires electrical power that can be a problem creating electrolysis corroding sacrificial metals like aluminum outboard lower unit if the anodes are not maintained.

Where I Live people leaving their boats in the water year around on private lakes /docks is common.

Tom

[Alex from GA]

A glass boat needs the bottom pressure washed at least twice a year if left in the water in N GA.  I've left my tin boat in the water for a couple of months and haven't checked the bottom yet.  I'll let you know in a week or two, we're going to FL for the winter and it'll be on the trailer.

[mcipinkie]

I live on private lake and share a dock with my neighbor.  Small lake, about 80 acres, limited HP so big fine boats not needed.

 

I have 1998 18' G3 bass boat in the lake 365 days a year.  Been there for at least 6 years.  In bad years, we'll get 6 - 8 inches of ice.  Never had a problem.

 

Have 1998 Yamaha Salt Water 3 cylinder motor.  Stays in the water year round.  I do have a built in charger for the batteries.  Plug it in and leave it plugged in.  Double dose of Stabil in the motor.  It never has failed to start.

 

If we get a mile winter, or a mild stretch of winter, I fish all year. 

 

I'm saying that's the way to go but it works for me. 

[Krux5506]

On 12/6/2021 at 10:04 PM, mcipinkie said:

I have 1998 18' G3 bass boat in the lake 365 days a year.  Been there for at least 6 years.  In bad years, we'll get 6 - 8 inches of ice.  Never had a problem.

 

 

I'm a little confused here, you leave it in the water while it ices over?

[J Francho]

4 hours ago, Krux5506 said:

I'm a little confused here, you leave it in the water while it ices over?

Yeah, that doesn't sound too good.

 

[Krux5506]

On 12/13/2021 at 1:04 PM, J Francho said:

Yeah, that doesn't sound too good.

 

I think I've seen it a couple times on Irondequoit!

[J Francho]

52 minutes ago, Krux5506 said:

I think I've seen it a couple times on Irondequoit!

You mean that tri-hull all the way in the back of Hell's Cove?

 

[GRiver]

Put it on and floating boat slip

[cyclops2]

Just lift the motor above the water. Turn it FULLY left or right full to drain MOST Of the water out. Then TILT the motor straight up again.  Slowly fill the prop exhaust opening  with PERMANENT antifreeze.  Several boaters do it on the Lake Ontario water. For decades. The outboard motors do drain out when vertical.