Last day of the season

[Black_Diamond]

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa1/Black__Diamond/IMG_0188.jpg

The official end to summer!  Waiting for ski season now...

[Capt Ron]

Me too... a sad day for sure...

http://s283.photobucket.com/albums/kk285/Ron_M_Chapman/?action=view&current=Haulout2011.jpg

[Le Meez]

Saw quite a few out at our marina this past weekend. Seems like just the other day they finally got them all launched! We have one more 4 day long weekend before we call it quits. Started hauling home some of the stuff we collected over the summer today. Can't complain though, once the rainy spring was over, we had one of the best, warmest, driest summers in a long time.

[pepmyster]

Did ours lasy week-end, yup, it's been a hell of a great summer!!!!!!

[Gene]

Put mine in hibernation this Saturday also, sad day.

[politby]

So today was haul out day. It's getting cold very fast now; -2 C this morning, far too cold to be out boating. 

The past few winters we have had our boat stored indoors in an unheated facility and we decided it isn't worth the cost. So this winter we are storing at our little community marina; essentially just a parking lot close to the docks which is used for storage in winter.

Unfortunately we don't have a ramp that can support those heavy lifters which submerge and the boat is driven into, so we have to use a guy with a mobile crane to lift the boats from the dock. The crane then has to transport the boats to the parking lot, about 400 meters along a narrow road lined with trees and lamp posts.

The boat has to hang perpendicular to the road, otherwise it would hit the crane, so we have to use one rope tied to each end of the boat to turn it a bit each time we have to pass a lamp post...









Needless to say, we did manage to hit one of the lamp posts. 





Finally resting, waiting for the shrink wrappers.

[Vuja De]

WOW!

And I thought gettin my boat out of the water and ready for winter was a PITA. 

[RinkerBuoy62]

It's just that easy!!!

[Dream 'Inn]

Wow, that is one heck of a way to get the boat out of the water.  I'm guessing a few of you use it at once while the crane is there?

[politby]

Wow, that is one heck of a way to get the boat out of the water.  I'm guessing a few of you use it at once while the crane is there?

Yes. We did 23 boats yesterday, that is 46 times along that road for the poor crane driver...

My 342 weighed in at 7.5 metric tons with more or less empty tanks. That was more than a couple of 40' sailboats. At the limit of the crane's lifting capacity - he said he will launch my boat next spring but after that I am on my own...

[RinkerBuoy62]

Seriously though.... What is a service like this worth?

[politby]

Seriously though.... What is a service like this worth?

A lot. Let's put it this way: Last winter I paid the equivalent of US$3,600 for unheated indoor storage, haul out and spring launch. And I still had to bring my own stands.

This year I pay ~$250. To which I have to add the cost of shrink wrapping which obviously was not needed indoors. But that is a nice chunk of saved cash.

There is something to be said for bunching together to save money. :)

The only advantage with the indoor storage was that I could just park the boat and hand over the keys. But it was at least as cold and damp in there as outdoors. Definitely not worth it.

[AlexisandChad]

and I thought I had a heart attack every time they put my boat on a lift.....WOW!!!  To this day the Admiral still won't be anywhere around when we pull out.  This would make her go to another country.