www.iFourWinns.com

We've used the dry rack storage both seasons we've had our boat. The service at our marina is great and the boat has always been tied up to the dock waiting for us when we arrive. Well, they were running behind recently and I got to watch my boat on the forks. It's easy to watch all of the Nautiques and Malibus that cost twice as much as my boat up in the air, but I puckered up a bit when my 210 came out of the shed. Here are some pictures...



If anyone is considering this form of storage, I recommend it. The convenience is priceless and the cost is a wash for us since we don't have to tow 2 1/2 hours round trip.

_________________

2010 H210SS 5.0 MPI
Lake Oconee, GA

Nice pics and report.

One of the biggest hurdles to boating for us is the fact that we're so far from any decent water. Our favorite lake (and favorite port there) has a great dry rack facility and we've considered trying it to see if we could boat more often since we wouldn't have the extra time and expense of towing, launching, having to take two vehicles, etc. The concerns I have with it are:

How to do maintenance
Where to store the trailer, and will it's maintenance end up being neglected
I've heard horror stories about boats being damaged by careless forklift operators
Being at the mercy of the facility's operating hours
Fire or vandalism in the facility

Yeah, I worry a lot.

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

There is a massive dry rack at one of the marina's by our house.
We looked into also doing this until my In-laws bought a house that had a boat storage area that was gated.

However, here is what we were told, Mike I am a worrier too...

1- We were allowed to store the trailer in their large lot next to the marina. Each person who pays for a slot also get trailer storage.
2- If any damage is done the marina covers all costs.
3- This Marina started placing boats in the water around 7 am and would stop operating when it was dark. So the closing time varied depending on the season.
4- As for fire I guess this is why we have insurance and the marina probably would have to cover it. Vandalism would never happen since the doors are closed and the building is steel siding so would take some major thiefs to get into the building and deter kids.

If you are really look into it, go and talk to the place as well as a few people that actually store their boat there.

Hope this helps a little...or maybe just makes you think of additional questions and concerns

_________________
2007 200 Horizon- 4.3GXi/SX 225hp
2007 Tahoe LT

[quote="Heminole03"] It's easy to watch all of the Nautiques and Malibus that cost twice as much as my boat up in the air, but I puckered up a bit when my 210 came out of the shed. quote]

We don't store our boat like this but everytime we are at the marina and we watch the two lifts move around with the boats just bouncing around..... I do the same

_________________
2007 200 Horizon- 4.3GXi/SX 225hp
2007 Tahoe LT

True enough. My concern with vandalism comes from a story from another forum where someone got into the building overnight, scaled the racks, and stole the stereos out of most of the boats stored there. But, I assume something like that is rare.

On the other hand, we enjoy boating at night, and having to leave the boat tied up overnight because we got back after dark would be a concern.

Still - this seems like a possibility worth investigating.

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Wow...that is a crazy story.

Totally understand the night rides !

_________________
2007 200 Horizon- 4.3GXi/SX 225hp
2007 Tahoe LT

One thing I've heard about dry rack storage is drippings from the boat above you. Has anyone had any issues with this? Some guys I've talked to locally say their boats are a mess, and in some cases even had oil drip on their boat.
Thanks!

_________________
1998 Horizon RX, 3.0
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, "It's a Hemi"

Sure no intention of hi jacking the thread... i can sympathize with the "pucker factor" for sure. I had it big time watching this, and it didn't stop until the blacks and stands were safely under it!

The marina did not have a travel lift. This must be about as big a boat as this forklift can handle. I took a slight bit of comfort in the fact the forks were slightly forward of the front "sling" decal on the side, but it sure seemed like it was gonna tip off the forks forward!

_________________
Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

Wow Jeff. And I thought my 268 was big for the forklifts when I picked it up!

_________________
2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

I keep my boat in rack storage as well. I think my marina can handle upwards of a 32' boat on one of their forks. They have indoor and outdoor rack storage. The cost is the same for either...they recommended the outdoor storage do to the amount of dust, exhaust, etc for the indoor. Their maintenance area is open to the indoor storage. The outdoor storage is covered and only open on one side. The hours can be a slight issue, but I've never had a problem. The standard summer hours are 9-9. There are 8-10 covered slips in the marina dedicated to the rack storage, so if more boats than that are out after 9, they wait around. Once there are fewer boats out than the number of rack slips, the marina closes down. You just leave your boat in the slip overnight. My boat is on the 4th rack which is the highest, so I don't have any boats above me. They do put the covers on the boat, so if you have a full cover, any grease/oil should drip on the cover. I'm still wondering about the maintenance piece of it, but I know they have a couple of racks at ground level that they will put your boat on to do maintenance. For me, the price and any of the possible downfalls are far outweighed by not having to trailer/launch (and I only have to trailer about 1/2 hour). Definately worth looking at if you don't want to trailer and/or don't want a slip. Make sure to check into how the marina operates though to ensure it works for you.

_________________
'99 Horizon 200

This is my first season with rack storage, and unless I get another / bigger boat, I'l never go back to a dock or trailering. My 260 looks huge on the fork truck, but it does it just fine. I'm on the top bunks so drips are not an issue, but I see some of the lower boats with their covers quickly thrown over the boat. My building is VERY clean and very secure so i'm not worried about theft or damage. (why I pay for insurance) I asked about heating. They keep the building 50 degrees. They have a monitor system that calls the owner and management team if the temp drops below a certain level. A quick phone call, my boat is wet or ready to be put in. They store my trailer for the season for $100. I'll move the trailer off site for the winter and not bring it back next season. All I have to do this fall is get my oil changed, unhook my batteries and have them rack the boat. In the spring, rehook batteries and turn the key.

It's a nice way to boat!

_________________
2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

You have to be very careful that they don't hit the back of the strakes. My boat has damage on the strakes that was done by guys using a forktruck before I owned it.

A regular inspection of your boat bottom on the rack would be recommended.

_________________
Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

I keep my SL242 in dry dock and agree that the convenience far outweighs the cost. I'm an hour and twenty minutes away and what it costs in fuel for one tow pays for the storage. My only issue is that on two occasions when I got to the lake with the family, the "large" forklift was broken down. We managed to get the boat set on a trailer and in the water one time but we were left "high and dry" on the other. Check the condition on the dock where it will be tied up to as well either waiting on you to get there as well as if it needs to be left out until the next morning. That and the general condition of the other boats there will tell you all you need to know about the specific storage area. A backup lift would also be a plus as things do tend to break down.

_________________
Askieffer
2009 SL242

We will be doing the in/out starting next summer and can't wait. I have a friend who requested a floor spot as the storage place allows you the space in front of your spot to store fully inflated tubes and such. He just snaps on the covers and has not seen damage to his boat due to things dripping from above.

I really like that we will get to use all the amenities of the marina like the pool and such.

I've always kept my boat on a rack. It's cheaper than keeping it in the water, no bottom painting required, the fee is annual so no additional cost for land storage in the winter, and if maintenance needs to be done that requires the boat out of water I don't have to pay for it to be hauled, stored, and launched. Until the day comes when I can comfortably afford a lift slip, the rack is the only way I'll go for boat storage.

_________________
'01 Vista 298