Leaving your boat in the water for winter months

[Ken354]

Can someone tell me the pros and cons of keeping a boat, with outboard engines, in the water, for the winter months. The boat will be in a marina in NJ and it has a bubbler system.

[Afishinado]

Unless you plan some February excursions, I can't think of a single reason to do it.... Bubblers or not...

[tapwater]

I agree completely.

[Proline3250]

Too big, no storage space or live aboard

[capt. thunder]

And why would you wanna do that?

[CAPTJohnny]

If you get a big ice shift with the tide, the bubblers will be useless. You may find yourself down on the dock breaking ice. And with no one around in those months with slippery icy fingers, one slip can cost you your life.

[Johnshan]

My father did it for years in Maine and he can tell me a lot of stories, for instance an ice shift tearing the outboards off, or worse yet, ripping a hole in the side of the boat in ice cold waters. He also lost a boat when an ice shift grabbed the boat and sent it into the harbor, someone else either got to it before he could or it sunk, never was found.

[Victory 1]

Ive done it???

[winn peeples]

I leave my boat in the water (and use it) year round. It's an inboard though, which is why I like inboards... I live in Florida too.