Can I safely leave my AR240 in the water all season? (fresh water lake)

[ourlee]

As I get closer to pulling the trigger I’m upping my info gathering. A customer of mine insisted I can’t leave the AR240 in the lake water all season. I don’t have access to a lift but I do have access to a hose. I may be overthinking this as I get closer but want to confirm this is nonsense.
thx rick in NNJ

 

[zipper]

We leave our AR230 in a slip on Lake Champlain from mid May thru October. Taking it out once or twice a season for bottom cleaning. The little bit of growth, from our Lake, and zebra mussles comes off easily with Starbrite Hull Cleaner.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Should not be a problem at all. Get yourself a slow charger if you have shore power available.

 

[ourlee]

Thank you so much. I’m going to the NY boat show and after that, i Think I’ll pull the trigger.

 

[Betik]

I am not sure about the lake you will be in, but down here in Dallas it will be a bad idea. Unless of course you enjoy cleaning the bottom of your boat.

 

[Julian]

Up north it is easier. Here in Raleigh I used to wet slip, but ended up getting an airdock because I got tired of the performance impact of driving a furry boat (here in Falls lake our boat grows an algae fur on it that takes the top speed down from 48-35). That performance impact also hits your wallet big time! In order to drive 35 you are full throttle!!
When I wet slipped in WI this wasn't an issue as the boat got dirty but only lost 5mph ish and it was way easier to clean.

 

[AboveTheBest]

I left mine in the water for 2-months at the end of last season and went from 51 to 43mph top speed...

I changed the plugs twice thinking they were bad, but then read a thread on this forum that mentioned how much drag the green stuff on the hull this can add.

My plan next season is to leave it in (because it’s so nice being ready to go) but pull it out every other week and scrub below the waterline.

 

[UpNorth]

I leave ours in the water from May until October without any problems.

I use a soft bristled boat brush about once a week while at the beach or sandbar to give it a once over. The brush I use doesn’t scratch the gel coat at all. I was very hesitant to use the brush the first time.
I also pull it out twice during the summer to give it a good wash.
By staying on top of it, it is never a terrible job to do.

So don’t worry about leaving it in the water. You will use it far more this way that if you trailer.

 

[LeeFlan7]

Mines in for the full season...April to October.
Yes, there is a performance drop off but nothing a quick scrub wont take care of.

I bought the boat to enjoy it and for us, it being in the water and avoiding trailering is the best way to do that.

 

[Dennis P]

Mine is at a wet slip on the New York side of fresh water Lake Champlain from July 1 through end September, I put on a mask and I clean the bottom every couple of weeks with a micro fibre car wash mitt, when anchored at the beach, takes about 15 minutes. A quick spray with Starbrite hull cleaner in the spring and she comes snowy white. This is how the hull looks after the summer when I pull her out after 3 months, not nasty at all,

 

[Croker]

Have you looked at a SeaPen? Our neighbours use them in salt water rivers to keep their boats out of the water preventing growth.

 

[rkluck]

I kept mine in the water but hated what happened to the hull. I did a very good cleaning twice a year and that kept it real clean. I also wiped her down when we were in "our cove" so that helped. I finally got a lift so a quick cleaning is all that was needed and i still got to take her out very easily whenever I wanted.

 

[haknslash]

Best to ask people that are on your lake you plan to wet slip. Every lake will behave differently as to how fast and what kind of growth you will get.

 

[nf22]

Thank you so much. I’m going to the NY boat show and after that, i Think I’ll pull the trigger.

I bought mine a year to the day last year at the show... Good luck, they are great boats...

 

[tabbibus]

Nothing "bad" will happen. Just some nasty growth. It can be washed off.

 

[Julian]

Keep in mind that there is a HUGE difference between fresh water lakes up north and down south! My boat would come out pretty clean after a summer in a Wisconsin fresh water lake. After sitting in a NC freshwater lake....it had a fur coat below the water line. Literally a quarter inch of algae growth.

The primary difference isn't actually latitude, but water temperature. The lake we are on in NC gets to 95 degrees in the summer! If you are in a deep, cooler southern lake it won't be as bad.

This is an old pic. The left side is after powerwashing and starbright hull cleaner. The right side is ALREADY power washed, awaiting hull cleaner!!!!

 

[Shookie]

I had a wet slip last year and am giving it up. I found it to be more of a pain in the butt. Bugs and spiders are crazy on my lake and between cleaning all of them off, then all the bugs under the cover, just got sick of it. And top speed suffered as well. Used to top out at 48-49 and it was 36 max my last time out.
Oh, and some motherf*%ker hit my boat in the slip and took a nice chunk out of my stern platform.

Gonna give that Star Bright stuff a try because my hull and pumps are a dirty mess! This pic was from last July after 2 months in the water.

 

[ks9mm]

Keep hull cleaner away from pumps. It will discolor them. I don’t have good solution for pumps, but mine are not as bad.
i wetslip as well

 

[Weeb]

When you can afford it get a used lift.

 

[tabbibus]

When you can afford it get a used lift.

This is the way.