Lake Saint Clair Peeps

Hey everyone - Hope to be a new to me SR owner by Memorial weekend and will keep in a slip in LSC. A couple general question for the group: how often should you have the bottom cleaned? Is it scraped or pressure washed? How much is it $$per/ft? Thx!
Do you have bottom paint?
I only have mine power washed at the end of the season when it gets pulled out for its winter nap. I have ablative bottom paint on mine.
Some places include power washing with their winter storage package. Last winter Beacon Cove started charging 150.00 for it.
 
Ah, ok. I had read my times online about folks having the bottom cleaned monthly or regularly, but I guess they didn't have the bottom paint. The SR I'm trying to get does, although I don't know what kind yet. Thanks!
 
Keeping my boat at MacRay the water seems to be pretty clean..every year at haul out it takes very minimal power washing but on the other hand my buddy keeps his boat on the river and he generally hauls two times threw out the season to wash because his boat bottom gets so gross so I kinda think how/where it is stored a d how often you use it does ha e something g to do with the cleanliness as well as what Joe said about having bottom paint
 
Ok, all good info. I guess I'll have to see what the water is like at the marina and just go from there. Hopefully I'm out enough that it gets pressure washed by time on the water running around LSC!
 
Well I’m floating. Started raining as we were lowered in. Started sleeting as we pulled into the well. Needless to say it was miserable. Went to bumpers and had a few beers though

Good times as always!
Good deal glad to hear everything went well except the weather.
Thanks for stopping by the boat Saturday, it was nice chatting with you. Same goes to you also midexp (Greg). Can't wait to hangout and have a couple beers in some warm weather.
 
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Irie got her bottom wet today.
Splash 2019 #2.jpg
Splash 2019.jpg
 
Not sure if I'm coming to the boat this weekend or not. I got a lot of stuff to do around the house before it interferes with my HOT days of summer. Who am I kidding? I'll probably stop by there anyway. Besides I'll need to check my lines with this high water. Oh that's right, I have a floating dock now.:D:D
 
Not sure if I'm coming to the boat this weekend or not. I got a lot of stuff to do around the house before it interferes with my HOT days of summer. Who am I kidding? I'll probably stop by there anyway. Besides I'll need to check my lines with this high water. Oh that's right, I have a floating dock now.:D:D
Yeah you prolly picked the right year to make the move Joe.. floating docks are the way to go with all the fluctuations..you may have needed a little giant ladder to board if you stayed at the old place!
 
Yeah you prolly picked the right year to make the move Joe.. floating docks are the way to go with all the fluctuations..you may have needed a little giant ladder to board if you stayed at the old place!
Actually Beacon's dock are so high that this year their probably perfect. When I got the 400 in 2016 I had a ladder mounted on the dock so we could climb down to the swim platform. So far I'm loving MacRay.

Do you guys use the pumpouts at the dock? If so is there a value in the dock to turn them on? I haven't even looked in there yet. I did hear that their not all that powerful and you should go to the gas dock a couple times a year and have it pumped out good.

Is there a certain date that all the boats are suppose to be in?
 
Do you guys use the pumpouts at the dock? If so is there a value in the dock to turn them on? I haven't even looked in there yet. I did hear that their not all that powerful and you should go to the gas dock a couple times a year and have it pumped out good.

Is there a certain date that all the boats are suppose to be in?
I use the pompouts at the dock. They have less suction than gas dock but they're fine to use. It's nice because you can take your time with it. I like to spray water in there a couple times so it's perfect. I think they have 15 minute timers so you can walk away

I think they have to be off land or by the hoist by the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.
 
Do you guys use the pumpouts at the dock? If so is there a value in the dock to turn them on? I haven't even looked in there yet. I did hear that their not all that powerful and you should go to the gas dock a couple times a year and have it pumped out good.

Dockside pumpout was my favorite feature of MacRay! They're actually just a vacuflush vacuum generator, so it's true that they're slow. I pumped-out at the end of every weekend and flushed generously in the process. My tank had never been cleaner than it was there. It probably also deserves credit for my sanitation hoses being factory-original with no permeation. Being able to pump whenever you want means you can send tons of water through the system with each flush. My aft head duckbills are also factory original. If any other owners of a 23 year old boat can say that, I'd like to hear from them!

I question the wisdom of going to the gas dock for a more powerful vacuum. It's not as if a vacuum hose is sweeping the sides and bottom the tank during the fuel dock pumpout... In my experience, it's not the speed of emptying the tank that removes residue, it's rinsing. If you keep a head flushing during the end of the pumpout, water is splashing to the bottom of the tank and then being pumped out, taking residue with it. (if anyone is wondering, there is no issue whatsoever to operating a head during a pump-out. In fact, doing so can reduce risks of damage)

If you haven't looked at the hose yet, it might be very dirty. IMO, it's totally worth the effort of cleaning it and making sure the clips on the end are intact. Report to maintenance if they're not. Also communicate with your neighbor about best practices, specifically ensuring the hose is full of lake water, not waste water when they're done. It can be an awkward discussion, but I've shared a dock with a slob. I guarantee the discussion is worthwhile!!!

If you don't have a fitting, the prevailing wisdom is to buy one at a hardware or farm supply store at a fraction of the price of the plated version carried by WM.
 
Dockside pumpout was my favorite feature of MacRay! They're actually just a vacuflush vacuum generator, so it's true that they're slow. I pumped-out at the end of every weekend and flushed generously in the process. My tank had never been cleaner than it was there. It probably also deserves credit for my sanitation hoses being factory-original with no permeation. Being able to pump whenever you want means you can send tons of water through the system with each flush. My aft head duckbills are also factory original. If any other owners of a 23 year old boat can say that, I'd like to hear from them!

I question the wisdom of going to the gas dock for a more powerful vacuum. It's not as if a vacuum hose is sweeping the sides and bottom the tank during the fuel dock pumpout... In my experience, it's not the speed of emptying the tank that removes residue, it's rinsing. If you keep a head flushing during the end of the pumpout, water is splashing to the bottom of the tank and then being pumped out, taking residue with it. (if anyone is wondering, there is no issue whatsoever to operating a head during a pump-out. In fact, doing so can reduce risks of damage)

If you haven't looked at the hose yet, it might be very dirty. IMO, it's totally worth the effort of cleaning it and making sure the clips on the end are intact. Report to maintenance if they're not. Also communicate with your neighbor about best practices, specifically ensuring the hose is full of lake water, not waste water when they're done. It can be an awkward discussion, but I've shared a dock with a slob. I guarantee the discussion is worthwhile!!!

If you don't have a fitting, the prevailing wisdom is to buy one at a hardware or farm supply store at a fraction of the price of the plated version carried by WM.
Awesome advice as always Roller. His neighbor is "Stormy Monday".

So do you flush the toilet often during pumping out? Why didn't I think of this..
 
Yeah, I'd let the pump empty, or nearly empty the tank, and then jam a rolled-up towel on the pedal to let the head run. Then I'd start the pumpout again. The water entering the tank will loosen residue on the bottom. Then flush some lakewater into the hose and call it a day.

On fuel dock pumpouts, I'll run the head the whole time. It reduces the risk an aggressive system overcoming the vent and collapsing the tank. (my tank has some creases in it - a close call at some point in the past!)
 
His neighbor is "Stormy Monday".
Yes, Bob seems like a super nice guy. So far we get along great.

So do you flush the toilet often during pumping out?
I would say almost everytime and let water run for about 5 seconds or so.

I use the No-Flex Digestor and Tank-Teria tablets in my system. I started this last year and I'm very happy so far.
Sounds weird but I'm kinda excited to use it (only on my boat, don't get any ideas:D). I'm kind of a clean freak so I'm pretty sure a pumpout is going to take me a while. Even if flushing it with water doesn't do any good at least I will think the inside of the system is as clean as the outside:). I spent about 1 1/2 hours on my dock box and I still have to wheel it out yet:D.
 

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