Chrsbaja

As some of you are aware, I am the new owner of a 2001 Baja OL 25. I bought the boat in KY with 84 hours on it. The boat is mint when it arrived last month. I live in the Boston are and I was going to use it both in fresh water and in salt.
Took the boat out for the first time a couple weeks ago in the Boston Harbor (saltwater) and it ran perfectly and my wife and kids loved it (more than I thought they would).
To make a long story short, we bought a slip at a marina since some of our friends are there and we just put the boat in the water to stay. The boat is there in saltwater and it looks like I am going to have to bottom paint. The boat has been in thre for a week and no growth on the bottom and of course I am anal about flushing and cleaning it whether i take it out or not.
I am not going to keep this boat for more than a couple years, maybe 3. What should I do? Bottom paint or take it out every couple weeks and power wash? I no longer have the trailer and it costs me 400.00 for everytime i have to take the boat out with the marinas lift. (very expensive here).
I sold the trailer when it arrived as it was a steel trailer and didnt want the trailer to touch any salt water.
So my question is, bottom paint or spend the 400 every month? Please give me some insight on what you guys think.
Thanks

jeffswav

PLEASE do not leave the boat sit in the water. The longest mine has ever sat in the water is 3 days. You will ruin the boat, if you bottom paint it knowone will want it.

Chrsbaja

Too late.
Paid 3500.00 for the slip for the summer.

Chrsbaja

Jeff, how will the boat be ruined? I see boats sitting there year after year and they look and run great. Is there something with the Bajas that are not made to sit in the water? I guess it is a moot point now, a little late. This sucks.

Baja_342

It has nothing to do with being a Baja. Any fiberglass hull will blister if it sits in the water constantly. Bottom painting protects against this. You just don't see very many performance boats that sit in the water. Therefore you don't see them bottom painted often. I would have invested the $3500 on indoor storage near the water.

Revd Up

Can you put a lift in to get it up out of the water?

MDsteve410

You said you were only planning on keeping the boat a couple years, keep in mind if you paint the bottom of a performance boat you will KILL your resale value. I boat in salt water on the Chesapeake Bay and have my boat on a lift in the slip. Any chance your marina has lift slips or would allow you to install one ?

Chrsbaja

I can check on the lift in the slip. The marina has 500 boats and never saw a lift on any boats. I will check tomorrow on that. Regarding bottom painting, I agree on the resale value, how much will i lose? 20% of its value? More?

jeffswav

If you keep the slip get a lift. Is it covered? The boat will fade out real quick in the sun.

Chrsbaja

The boat is covered with the cockpit cover at all times when not in use. I have three coats of wax on it right now. I am checking on the lift tomorrow. If they allow a lift, what kind would you recommend? One of those inflatables?