SIB marina parking?

[BoatyMoaty]

Hi everyone,

I have finally managed to do what I love and that was fishing on my SIB, after purchasing my quicksilver 3.6m HD SIB (80kg)with 9.9hp (45kg+-) outboard I thought why not put it to the test, I managed to set it all up with a friend and I have to say the experience was amazing but the setup and packing did sadly put me off a lot as it was way too heavy if I were to do it myself and as I leave in London bringing it to Southend (closest option) and back again every time it would be a nightmare and I have no storage. Cutting the story short I really do not want to be put off after spending so much money and giving up what I always wanted to do.

So I looked into some marinas like Leigh Marina in Southend which looked the most decent - my question is can I park up the SIB with the engine at a marina? Is it safe to do so? Do I leave it in the water or take it out in the dry? I am looking to get a yearly parking and only travel to Southend when I am free. This way I will get the most use out of my SIB.

Do you guys have any recommendations or alternatives? On where to park it up? So I don't have to keep on inflating and deflating the boat.

Many thanks.

[TmMorris]

One of the core purposes of the SIB over other options is that it specifically can be put together and taken down then stored between uses.

What I've inferred from your post is that you've discovered that having a boat and going fishing is awesome but that having a boat that is intended to be packed away and set up each time isn't?

I wouldn't then throw hard earned money at bodging a local storage solution that is going to cane the value of your SIB and knacker it quite quickly.

SIBs are reasonably expensive as small dinghies go and there are various compromises you make re handling etc but their USPs are huge, easy to store at home, easy to transport etc So when it comes to the flexibility of being able to drive to any location you fancy and get on the water they are hard to beat. If you learn that in fact you want to go to a single destination and don't want the set up hassles every time then personally I'd be switching boat not trying to make a brand new, expensive SIB fit and knackering it.

If it were me the. I'd cash in the SIB while values are at a premium and be buying a much cheaper rigid dinghy on an old launch trailer that I could keep secured where I plan to launch it.

Drive up, put the wheel back on, fit the outboard and roll it to the water. No worries about the hull degrading or value slumping.

I think you have to have the right boat for what you like doing or it doesn't work and I don't think it matters one iota if you learn what it is you enjoy after you've bought a boat but I do think that trying to bodge a fix rarely works and in your case I think the risk is that you pay a load of money for a season or two by which time you eventually gave the reality of needing a different boat but you've knackered the value of your once valuable SIB.

[Limecc]

Good advice already given, buying a trailered boat was the best thing we ever did but didn't know that when we first started out with a SIB.

You can either sell and start over or keep it on a trailer. Storing it floating is a bad idea even if you find a policy that insures it and most don't.

If you're disappointed by costs of marina storage then it may be possible to find a local farmer with barn storage, or maybe there's secure caravan storage. At Salcombe both caravan sites we used are also farms which store boats. Is there a dry stack? Just a matter of finding the best arrangement near Southend.

[Fenlander]

Boaty am I right in thinking you have no place at home to have the SIB on a trailer if you bought one.. or don't you have any space to store it and the outboard packed up?

As said above SIBs are not ideal to leave outside either on or off the water and most boatyards are at risk of theft... outboards in particular.

You might be surprised at the costs at Leigh Marina... it would be about £500/yr for your SIB to stand ashore on a launch trolley. They also quote a slipway charge of £20 in and £20 out... no idea if this is waived or discounted if you rent storage space long term.

But for me the biggest problem at Leigh is the tide... have a look at the Marina area at low tide in the image below.... all mud. At the lowest tides there is 1.5Nm of mud between the marina and the sea! That could be very limiting.

In many ways a lighter easy to set up air floor SIB with smaller outboard would probably have suited you better if fishing is your main reason for getting on the water. Something that could be easily managed from the car setting up each time and enable you to vary launch locations.

[Steve509926]

Hi BoatyMoaty,

You have my sympathy. If you are new to SIBs and boating in general, it is a minefield knowing which way to go when purchasing your first outfit. I now realise how fortunate I was when, after doing loads of research I got my SD360, as despite some faults it suits my needs. Not so much with the OB though, as I would have preferred a 20hp, but as it was, there was non available at the time.

I tend to agree with what has already been suggested, cut your losses whilst it's a sellers market. Yes you will lose some money, but probably no more than it would cost for 12 months marina fees. Then when things get back to some sort of normality, do loads of research as to whether it's a hard hull, one location boat you want or a SIB with an air deck, easily transported to be set up at different locations. Don't forget the OB, 9.9hp at 45kg! that's a heavy beast! My 15hp and its equivalent 20hp is only 2kg more.

Or as Fenlander has suggested, is a trailer a possibility?