Slip vs Trailer Storage

[Idle Time]

We've done both....if you want to grab a sail whenever you have the time...the slip is the answer. We definately did more sailing when we only had a day off when it was in a slip....If you live a short drive from the marina you'll use it a whole lot more.

We left the ballast in...the boat didnt seem to bounce around as much at the dock.

If you arnt going to check on it or use it regularly...then stick it in the back yard so you can go sneak a nap or do mods...or just pretend...

[Tim Stone WindDancer]

My slip cost is $275 per year.. For that low cost it definatly a slip.. Beyond all the pluses of fast and easy is I don't have the wear and tear on putting the rig up and down.. Basically can do tuning once a year and forget it..

Fair Winds
Tim Stone Wind Dancer..

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Washington State Marine Parks

http://www.parks.wa.gov/moorage/parks/

Here's a good page showing the 49 state marine parks in Puget Sound and the San Juans. There are still more County Parks and DNR Parks.

Facilities vary, 21 of the state parks are accessible only from the water. Many are entire small islands. Some have bouys, some have docks, sometimes water. Those that are land accessible and have campgrounds usually have water, restrooms, and often even showers.

Buoys are $10 a night and docks are $.50 a foot.

Go north and there are many more similar places in BC.

So far we have managed to visit 21 of the state marine parks.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

I understand that you are not trapped in the slip, although I would bet that not many of those paying for slips pull their boats out frequently for trips elsewhere. If you were constantly doing this why pay for the slip to begin with? I know if mine were in a slip it would be there for the season which would limit my cruising area.

Perhaps if I were to get a slip in a different area every year it would be better. One year up north for the San Juans and the Gulf Islands, the next down south for the South Sound, another year say in Lake Washington for the central sound, maybe one on the west side of the sound for a year over there. Problem is, slips are in short supply and the waiting list can be long. Switching the marina every year could be a challenge.

There's just to big of an area to see up here to always start every trip from the same place.

[Terry]

Duane wrote:

There's just to big of an area to see up here to always start every trip from the same place.

The operative word here is "Trip" and yes it is too big an area to start every one from the same place especially if the place is at a more southern extremity of the sailing grounds as in Duanes case. But some folks only do trips on long weekends or vacations while the rest of their sailing is day sailing so starting from the same place for a few hours sail can be more convenient.
I live in a more central location of the San Juans & Gulf Islands so slipping at Point Roberts and leaving that same place for my trips will take me several seasons to see them all, there are just too many places to see in one season from this location. Location is everything. When the time comes for me to venture into some of the more northerly locales that Duane has visited I too will likely have to come out of the slip and tow, especially if it is Desolation Sound or Princess Louisianna Inlet, where it is likely Duane had to tow to Lund to launch.
Not everyone has such an expanse of extensive sailing grounds as Duane has so they may not require the mobility he does, it all depends on where you sail.

[Jim Cate]

Jim...I and 3 other MacGregors have moved next door to Legend Point. We had new bottom jobs done by Sailventure, Inc., which is the most reasonable pricing in this area. He does does good work.
I hope you take a look at Legend Point, it has real nice surroundings and facilities--public meeting facility for parties, etc., 3 well kept bath houses with laundry, and the slips are 'wind protected' Boat slips have water and electricity. The facility very well maintained. Management is on site 7 days a week, and there is a Harbor Master available 24/7.

Louis

Thanks for the suggestion,Louis. I'll take a look at Legend Point, if there are any slips left. I'm also considering Watergate. - Very nice facilities, and they have a one-year introductory rate that is very reasonable. ($30 more than I'm paying now.) Incidentally, did you move because you prefer leaving the boat in the water, or because you particularly like Legend Point, or because you have information on a soon-pending sale of Gulf Marine?

Jim

[pokerrick1]

The idea of moving to a different slip each year is a GREAT idea to expand your sailing horizons - - - but it is impossible in Southern California, where it is so tough to get a slip in the first place without the aid of a dealer, which is another way of saying you just bought a new boat from him! Marinas here either have "no vacancies" or a 5 or 10 year waiting list like Long Beach or Alamitos Bay, which is like saying "no outside public applications for slips, please" Dealers must be able to put their new boat customers in slips and this also helps marinas keep newer stock in their marinas so they don't get junkie. The junkie marinas never last (ala Terminal Island) (became Terminal )! Great idea - - - wish I could do it even though I love sailing out of Marina Del Rey - - - but not possible in So Cal

Rick

[Catigale]

You might find the difference between the slip and trailer mentality is more about kids vs non-kid owners.....

I love the 5 day trips to the Cape with the kids, but the slip meant we could do a hone hour sail or motor depending on wind at a moments whim...getting the Island 17 and the 10 minute setup time meant we could still do that without using Catigale for that service...which 'saved money' - a euphemism for spending the slip money on mods of course...

There were times we went out on Catigale and never put the sails up, but motored 5-6 miles watching the Herons, Eagles, fish...the Admiral relaxed with the Sunday times, Abigail reads something age appropriate for 8 like Edith Hamilton's Mythology and Caitlin takes pictures in Kidworld...

Priceless

[argonaut]

Washinigton state is proof to me that God intended that for us to sail, it is a spectacular place. Duane, it's lucky I don't live there, I don't think I could drag myself to work every day...

All boats are tradeoffs. To me the Mac's key aspect is the way it was designed from the ground up to be an easy to trailer cruising sailboat for the masses who are not, or don't want to be, ..."yachties". It's easy to trailer, easy to rig/launch, and quick on the water. It's a family escape vehicle more than something to impress your tennis pals with. It's a fairly blank canvas too, as simple or complex as you make it.

A slipped boat can be any brand of boat. Thus you can have something that sails better, is built more seriously, is more comfortable belowdecks, and on and on. Hundreds of other boats can make fine slipped boats. There are only several sailboat designs that offer lightweight trailering in the Mac size and those all are as costly or more than a Mac and will never exceed hull speed. They are also better built but harder to rig. Catalina & Hunter offer water ballast, Compac and Precision offer shallow draft with fixed ballast.

With my Mac I can tow to the opposite coast of Florida using an inexpensive vehicle in a matter of hours. There is plenty of shallow sailing, I can spend a day or a long weekend exploring islands and lagoons. Anchor out. And I have none of the hassles of bottom paint, rust, and blisters. Plus I can tinker to my heart's content whenever I want outside my doorstep.

Location is a factor. NY's season just gets going and you have to wrap your boat and quit ... Slips are reasonable there for a whole season, so for short season locations I can see wanting to slip. But why do this with a water ballast trailer boat?

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Thanks for the suggestion,Louis. I'll take a look at Legend Point, if there are any slips left. I'm also considering Watergate. - Very nice facilities, and they have a one-year introductory rate that is very reasonable. ($30 more than I'm paying now.) Incidentally, did you move because you prefer leaving the boat in the water, or because you particularly like Legend Point, or because you have information on a soon-pending sale of Gulf Marine?

Jim[/quote]

JIM...I was referred by another Mac owner to Legend Point...and the "shallow" slips rent for $80/mo. But you must ask for them. Legend Point otherwise may meet the Watergate rates...Im not sure. It would be nice if you hooked up at Legend Point--that would be a total of 5 Macs here. Ive spoken to several tenants and a couple of live-a-boards in Legend Pt., they all seem very happy with this Marina.
I havent heard of any sale pending at Gulf Marine, but Sharon said there have been inquiries.
We previously used Watergate for overnighting on our Mac during weekends. It's a nice place also.
We put our boat in a slip in order to simplify sailing, camping on the boat, and uncomplicate loading and loading, etc. Sailventure has been a great help with the bottom job and boat prep.

Louis...

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

When the time comes for me to venture into some of the more northerly locales that Duane has visited I too will likely have to come out of the slip and tow, especially if it is Desolation Sound or Princess Louisianna Inlet, where it is likely Duane had to tow to Lund to launch.

Actually, we launched 10 minutes from the house in Lake Washington. We then took the trailer back to the house and stored it in the driveway with the truck. We wanted to avoid all the extra ferry and parking costs ($500+) since we had more time than money for the trip.



From the lake we ventured out through the locks into Puget Sound. Then north through Admiralty Inlet and across the Strait of Juan De fu@ into the San Juans. We then exited the north side of the San Juans and entered the BC Gulf Islands. We left them via Dodd narrows and continued north along Vancouver Island past Nanaimo to Nanoose. At That point we crossed the Strait of Georgia making landfall on the BC coast at Pender Harbor. From there it was a nice juant up Jervis Inlet, through Malibu Rapids and on to Chatterbox Falls at the head of Princess Louisa Inlet.

For the most part we retraced our general path south on the return trip spending time at different islands, although coming out of the San Juans we went east in through Deception Pass and south on the inside of Whidbey Island.

All in all a nice 500 mile trip over 23 days.

Check out all the details and pics here:

http://ddunn.org/LogBook42.htm

[Terry]

Duane,
I have visited your site before and marvelled at how anyone could cruise so far, for so much time, with so large a crew, in such a small boat. My hat is off to you. Last summer my wife and I ventured our furthest and enjoyed a portion of the San Juans and plan to see more next summer We will take in Blakely as per your recommendation in a previous post. It will be many seasons before we even come close to what you have done but I think most folks only dream about your excursions. We are very fortunate to cruise in one of North Americas premiere sailing locations - too bad about winters - and few other locales offer such an extensive variety of cruising. Slipping in a different marina each year sounds awsome, if only it was possible. Point Roberts (an anomoly) always has spare slips in the summer if it ever interests you but crossing two borders into that peninsula each time makes it awkward for mainland Americans. It is that awkward geographic location that makes it both an inconvenient location for some and a great location for others. (Very popular for Canadians with passports). There is no other location in the Greater Vancouver area (probably Bellingham Seattle area too) that is in such close proximity to the San Juans & Gulf Islands. Vancouver harbour may have some much more upscale marinas with way more ammenities but location is everything to me, I am 15 minutes away from my slip in the summer months but I do trailer until mid May, four months slipping is just fine.