A slip will be the most convenient. Uncover, turn the key, cast off, and you’re on the water. The drawbacks include: 1. Cost. A slip is usually the most expensive. 2. Fuel. You’re stuck paying marine fuel prices, which can be as much as $.50 or $.60 more a gallon for gasoline (But for some reason, diesel is cheaper). 3. Exposure. Boats in slips are exposed to the elements. Gel coat fade, stains from bird droppings, osmosis and possible blistering, leaks into the interior and the musty, moldy and eventual rotting that it causes. Not to mention the hassle of bottom painting and scraping. 4. Worry. When your boat is in a slip, you worry when any storm comes up, you worry that a thru-hull will let go and sink the boat etc. 5. Security.
Many marinas are deserted during the week, making the boats there prime targets for thieves. Rack storage or covered storage at the marina is a little more convenient than trailing, but more of a hassle than a slip. It costs less than a slip, but you get what you pay for. In essence you’re renting a square plot of land or a rack unit. Drawbacks to rack storage: 1. Fire hazard. If one boat goes up, they all do. So you’re at the mercy of the dumbest idiot in the rack. 2. Storm damage. Many rack facilities do not survive storms well.
As in #1, make sure you have sufficient insurance. 3. Damage. Many rack owners leave the racking an unpacking to young and inexperienced operators, that occasionally ding, scratch, and even gouge your boat or drive (and then flatly deny it). 4. Dripping. Unless you’re in the top rack, whatever grime spews out of the boats above you, lands on your boat, which can stain the gelcoat or interior. 5. Timing. If you frequently boat on busy weekends, you may have to wait a long time for “your turn” to be launched/retrieved. Bribery of the yard hands might help. but it will increase your costs. 6. Fuel.
Like a slip, you’re still at the mercy of marine fuel prices Drawbacks to covered storage at the marina: 1. Value. You’re, in essence, renting a plot of land, and depending on your marina, the convenience of having your boat launched for you. This comes without any of the advantages of inside rack storage, or the turn key convenience of a slip. Many of the drawbacks are the same as rack storage. 2. Security. Like a slip, you boat presents an easy target for thieves, if the marina is not secured. 3. Exposure. Like a slip, your boat is still exposed to the elements (except for osmosis and bottom growth), and will age accordingly. 4. Timing. Like rack storage, you will have to “wait your turn” to be launched/retrieved.
I have been looking into this possibility as I am 20 miles from the nearest supply point. According to a contact with Calor today Presently you can have a tank at home for automotive purposes. The storage pressures are different to domestic heating LPG Tanks come with a hand pump (good slimming / body development aid!?) You need to justify the costs with high individual annual mileage or multi vehicles to give adequate volume and offset a quarterly tank / pump rental ( from £70 per 1/4 & once off installation cost of about £150- £200) You pay the duty and vat up front with the gas delivery It is rarely economical for a 1 vehicle supply You can run groups of vehicles (business or family fleet).
Our local department has a policy that they call “Home Fleet.” It enables officers, detectives and such to drive their cars when off duty as well. They are allowed to drive them anywhere in the county on personal business. They are however required to respond to emergency calls and whatnot. The reasoning behind it is there are more police cars on the street (increasing presence), officers will park them on the street at their homes and thereby (hopefully) deter burgles in the area, and of course, the city can call on even off-duty officers to help out in certain situations (like directing traffic at accident scenes).
I don’t think this is re-regulate post per se – just trying to get some information and opinion on some ill-informed thoughts i’ve had, arising from my dissatisfaction with the current state of television. What if: – all cable tv spectrum were dedicated to broadband internet and video-on-demand – all users had in-home storage devices for content (e.g. tivo-like device but with massive amounts of storage) – users could select a la carte by program what they wanted to watch, which was delivered to their in-home storage devices.
I do believe for universality, I should hang the bikes by their wheels. I have seen one commercially available hanger that mounts on a wall. There is a hook which wraps through the wheel, and for stability there is some sort of a guide (joined to the hook) that constrains the wheel to keep the bike perpendicular to the wall. I don’t know how well this feature works with tires of different diameters and widths (the guide appeared non-adjustable). I wonder how much force is generated on the rim by this hanging method.
