Keeping Bilge Dry During Winter Storage

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gts
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:13 pm
Location: NJ

Keeping Bilge Dry During Winter Storage

Post by gts »

Is anyone else out there noticing their boat leaking more after sitting through winter storage? Last spring when I launched, I was worried the bilge pump might run down the battery -- it was cycling that often. No repairs or changes were made over that winter. The boat did leak a bit when it went into storage - but only enough to set off the bilge pump when you first boarded in the AM. Then come spring it's launched and leaking like a sieve.

Tx Capt Dan mentioned boats sitting through the northern winter might be having ice form along / under the keel at the bow and that ice expansion causing the familiar leaks at the outer keel. After removing the metal trim strip from my outer keel, I sprayed a little water in my hull and it came flowing back out all the trim strip screw holes. I'll bet when I get the outer keel completely off (somebody epoxied mine on - heed Andreas when he says use flexible caulk!) it will look a lot like Alan Sturgess's Offshore http://www.thompsondockside.com/views/v ... .php?t=326 with gar planks separated from the inner keel.

Is it just the bigger boats - mine is also the 20' Offshore - that are so "deep V" that water collects in the bow when it sits on the trailer? Are other Thompson owners up north seeing similar leaking spring up?

More important, has anyone devised a fool-proof method that will keep the marina yard from storing the boat bow low over the winter? Like a giant inclinometer or something attached to the bow?

George
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