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creative wet storage solutions?

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Saqqara

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I am considering buying a seadoo from a neighbor. We're both on the water and there is no trailer. It's laying in her yard, we need to lift and launch it somehow. I have recovery gear from my 4x4, not worried about that part.

I want to get one of those drive-on floating docks, but that will take a few weeks.

We're in brackish water, and reasonably aggressive barnacle growth etc.

In the meantime, I have an idea to tie it to my pier, then run a blue tarp underneath, gather it up like a bowl/sack around the Seadoo and pump the water out with a manual bilge pump.

I'm not sure why I haven't seen this principal used for storage before. Seems a PVC frame could even be improvised, and an electric bilge pump jumpered to the battery.

Is this a dumb idea? Seems it would work to me.
 
Yes, it's kinda dumb....

The thought is pretty good, but I don't think it will work. If you were able to pump all the water out of the tarp, it would be like a tarp coating on your boat. But the water will leach through the tarpoline material. It's not water proof.
I have a better idea, you could run the tarp under it and put a fresh water hose in it and keep a supply of fresh water in the tarp area, to keep the salt off. ........or better yet, if it's not permanent, just put a small coat of anti fouling on it. When your ready to take it out or have the floating dock ready, you can just use a power washer and wash it off.:cheers:
 
Antifouling

I've not heard of anyone putting bottom paint on a PWC and keeping it in the water: I have assumed it was not possible because of the jet drive.

Does anyone do that?
 
It is not the preferred method keeping the boat wet. The impeller and seals will leak over a short time( couple days) and cause damage to the bearings and seals. All the manuals I have every read about seadoo's say do not store in the water for any length of time.

Karl
 
thanks

I wouldn't want to paint it/keep it in the water anyway. Bottom maintenance is no fun: there are the eventual blisters, etc.

I have to figure out how to get this thing up on the hard; perhaps introducing myself to neighbors who may have trailers (not the way to start a friendship).
 
What doo are you buying, a pwc or jet boat? I'm sure you could winch it up on land somehow... Keep us posted with your solution.

Karl
 
Gtx Di

Thinking of a 2002 Seadoo GTX DI. But the more I read the more I'm hesitating. This seems the least reliable series.
 
saqqara......?

I never meant to imply that keeping a Seadoo in the water for an extended amount of time was a good practice. Seadoo doesn't recommend wet storage. My reply was to your idea of putting a tarp around the boat and sucking out the water......that really is impossible to do. You'd never remove 100% of that water. Plus, it would leach back through the tarp. The idea of anti-fouling was because you seemed to need a way to store the boat in the water for a "Short Period" of time. I recommended that only until you get a drive on floating dock. I've seen these.
The reason I recommended the anti-fouling, is because it never really hardens up and can be easily removed by power washing but the poison in it, keeps barnacles or any other marine life from wanting to hang around on your hull. There is only one sacrifical anode on the pump, not enough to give you any true protection for any length of time from electrolysis.
So, as it was stated in the other replies to storing your boat in the water, I don't recommend it either. But you did make the statement in your first post, that you had no trailer and was looking for a way to store it in the water for a short time, till you got that drive on floater...........:cheers:
 
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Loud and clear...

Yes, I understood the first time around: sorry, I changed it to an academic discussion on why I NEVER see PWC's with bottom paint. I knew there had to be a fundamental reason, I was just wondering what it was.





I never meant to imply that keeping a Seadoo in the water for an extended amount of time was a good practice. Seadoo doesn't recommend wet storage. My reply was to your idea of putting a tarp around the boat and sucking out the water......that really is impossible to do. You'd never remove 100% of that water. Plus, it would leach back through the tarp. The idea of anti-fouling was because you seemed to need a way to store the boat in the water for a "Short Period" of time. I recommended that only until you get a drive on floating dock. I've seen these.
The reason I recommended the anti-fouling, is because it never really hardens up and can be easily removed by power washing but the poison in it, keeps barnacles or any other marine life from wanting to hang around on your hull. There is only one sacrifical anode on the pump, not enough to give you any true protection for any length of time from electrolysis.
So, as it was stated in the other replies to storing your boat in the water, I don't recommend it either. But you did make the statement in your first post, that you had no trailer and was looking for a way to store it in the water for a short time, till you got that drive on floater...........:cheers:
 
Debates!....

It's no problem at all!.....here in the forum, several members love a good debate. I know who's post to look for, cause that's what they are looking for. When it's not to busy, I jump right in on them........:rofl:
You post what ever you want. That's what we're here for. I just didn't want to be mis-understood in my replies.
Blisters in todays fiberglass is fewer and far between too. Because of the history of blisters and what causes them, fiberglass manafacturers have been working on ways to eliminate them all together. I don't think they'll ever prevent them 100%, because there has to be some type of bottom maintenance. My sailboat, when first purchased, I pulled up for bottom maintenance and was shocked at the blisters.........they were small, but many. It was not fun opening, cleaning and washing them out, then allowing plenty of drying time before repairs, to make sure there was no more salt left in them.
I'm no stranger to bottom work and like you said, I'd not want to do it for any extended period of time.
I see your looking at a DI model ski. Make sure you print the checklist in the forum on things to check for before you buy!..............:cheers:
 
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