Feedback on setup for permanently moored boat for parents

My parents live on a protected piece of saltwater on the coast of Maine (Eggemoggin Reach). They kayak some, but want to be able to walk down to the water, hop in a small boat, maybe with 2-3 other people, and tool around the area. 90% of the time, trips would be 2-3 ppl, less than 6 miles round trip, less than 3 hours, never out of protected areas. Being able to carry 5-6 ppl total would be a bonus. They are not adventurous risk takers, and will chose their days (they like it FLAT). They've got some tough parameters though:

• They have no dock, and won't build a dock
• There is a big tidal range
• They aren't going to trailer it to a ramp someplace else for regular use.
• They'd like to leave it in the water or be able to pull it up on the shore (but they are in their early 70s, so muscling something big and heavy over the seaweed and rocks isn't great)
• They prefer electric engines (and aren't speed demons) but this isn't a hard and fast
• Ideally they only have to put it in and take it out at start and end of season
• They will do best if it is relatively trouble/maintenance free.
• $5k budget

Potential solution: So here is what I'm thinking, but I am concerned it might have problems I haven't thought of.

• Hull: Used aluminum V or semi V hull boat. Either 12', w/ 55thrust trolling motor, and limit to 3 ppl, or 16' w an outboard, and possibly a trolling motor as backup for more ppl
• Mooring: Set up an outhall/clothesline mooring to keep it in safe water at dead low, but be able to pull to shore to get in and out.
• Bildge pump on a battery w/ solar panel and battery tender (i set these up for electric fence on my farm all the time, so this feels easy to me). Possibly use the same battery for the trolling motor.
• Possibly one of those nifty wave activated bilge pumps (drainman) as backup.
• If 12', keep it upside down all winter, w/ trolling motor and battery in the basement, and pull it in by hand at end of season. If 16', ask a friend w/ a truck to trailer it to a nearby ramp in the spring, and then pull it in the fall.

There are a lot of used options for the above well within budget in their area, and I assume that we'd need to spend some money dealing w/ whatever issues we inherit, but could still keep it under 5k. I'm handy and like a project, but didn't grow up in a boat yard.

Questions:

1. Will aluminum be ok sitting in the water all summer? Anode mounted to hull a good idea?
2. Are the bilge pumps a good enough way to keep it from filling up while sitting there?
3. Issues w/ bird poop? Would we need to tarp it between uses, or put something on it to keep the birds off? Doesn't need to be pristine, but we don't want it to become a guano mine.
4. Is there a better way to do this? Anything else I'm not thinking of? Thanks all!

Sounds complicated.

Maybe an inflatable with a trolling motor or small electric motor. At that age I can see it becoming a problem trying to care for it or use easily. The best time I have ever had with my boat is when I could just get up and walk down to the dock and get in and go.

A dock is really the best option when leaving a boat in the water all season. It sounds like they would need at least 16-17' if they wanted to have other people out in it and probably 18-20' to make any real trip with 4 or more people. They could moor it and use a dingy to go retrieve it but pulling up to the beach will most likely result in people getting wet feet to get into the boat. You would want the bottom coated if staying in salt water all season. And lugging gas to a moored boat won't be fun either, I can't see an electric motor situation working for a 6 mile round trip with 5-6 people. The best solution would be a dock but I could see a pontoon boat working in that situation especially since you wouldn't need to worry about a bilge pump and could pull it up to the beach and possibly have people get on without getting wet feet. My boat stays at a dock from Apr through Oct and I have to make sure the bilge pump works right (leaves and twigs can get in the way of the float switch or clog the pump so you need to keep an eye on it) and also have to move the floating dock in or out depending on the river level.

Here's our dock a couple of years ago when the river was up about 6-8' above normal.

When my wife and I visited Maine for our honeymoon, I noticed a lot of towns had public docks that residents were constantly tied up to and some of those boats looked like they hadn't moved in years. Do your parents have anything like that they would want to use nearby instead of building a dock?

The only way you could have it all...build a lift with a roof over top, or a garage type housing with a lift to keep the boat out of the water. Otherwise, you/ they will have to give in to something....not cheap, but will get the hob done.

HULL - Welp, Hell of a difference in price and other size-related factors between that of a 12’ for 2-3 or a 16’ w/ OB for 5 to 6 on board …

TIN - I leave mine in the salt 24/7 from MAY to OCT, but the bottom was coated w/ Steel Flex and then expen$ive ‘made for tin boats’ anti-fouling ablative paint - 2 coats seasonally, pressure washed in both the Fall & the next Spring.

MOORING - You’ll need a good one if no dock, ramp or friend w/ truck. They make ‘pulley’ systems to leave boat OUT on the mooring, but allow you to pull it IN for use.

They’ll have to consider Winter and the mooring. If any ice formation or flows, they’ll need a ‘Winter Stick’ setup to be just reachable on a good moon minus tide.

That should be factored in the mooring size & chain rode & MUST be sized ‘over-sized’ if not pulled or inspected by a Diver seasonally.

ACCESS - Even w/ a pulley mooring, with those tides … footing on a low tide off rocks can be treacherous … one of them goes over & a broken hip - or worse - and life won’t be the same.

OPTION - Fhugghedabout the idea of 5-6 crew & get an inflatable and build a wooden ramp like a railway track. Cover the track w/ vinyl gutter materials and ‘hard bottom’ inflatable should slide OK. Will need a manual or winch setup, due to the lengths and tidal stages.

BONUS - Build ‘steps’ for walking into the ramp to help prevent them from falling on the rocks.

BILGE PUMP - Never had an issue with the dozens of Johnson brand bilge pumps I’ve installed, ‘smart ones’ too, no moving parts, uses sensors to detect water.

But, inflatable on ramp/tracks … pull drain plug whilst not in use, but it MUST be equipped with an operable bilge pump regardless.

SEA GULLS - Less of a problem whilst not out on a mooring, but strung heavy mono or signal flags strung fore to aft work.

COVER - If the ramp option, I’d still throw a cheap tarp over it when not used, as UV will KILL anything rubberized eventually …

What did I miss … ???????

If they were my parents doing this? Personally, I’d make a good ramp/track system out of PT lumber & start w/ any inflatable to get going, see how much they like it & use it, even if starting with a gas 1.5 to 2hp 2-strike to get started. Off-Topic, I’ll have a MINT looks like new one for sale next Spring.

The ramp avoids ALL mooring issues and concerns …

Don't put them in something small and tippy. A wide 16' boat will serve them well even if only with an 55-80# trolling motor and (2) 100AH LiFeP04 batteries for the light weight and long trip capacity.

They WILL want a walkway, even if they don't want to build a dock. On Lake Anna, several people have made gangplanks using (3) premium 2x4x16 PT, some 1x6 for decking and two 50 gallon plastic drums to float the end.

Some keep the barrels in the water and then slide the walkway out and drop the shore end over a couple of steel pipes driven into the ground to secure it. Walk out, get in the boat and go boating safely. No chance of getting hurt on slippery rocks.

Others have done the same thing but make them semi-permanent. They tie the end of the dock to keep everything from moving. Some put a T on the end and even tie their boats to them. A really simple solution that is light, only costs a couple hundred dollars to build, and can be pulled ashore when needed.

Here is a sketch of one I'm thinking of in particular. The "t" on the end would be optional:


The real one looks pretty light and it goes up and down with the water level. I'm not sure if this would work in your circumstances, but since it's not permanent, it shouldn't need permits and will be safer than climbing across slippery rocks.

Sounds like a scam/troll to me. One post, never replied....

I like thill’s idea for a gangway that can be pulled up …

JL8Jeff said:

A dock is really the best option when leaving a boat in the water all season. It sounds like they would need at least 16-17' if they wanted to have other people out in it and probably 18-20' to make any real trip with 4 or more people. They could moor it and use a dingy to go retrieve it but pulling up to the beach will most likely result in people getting wet feet to get into the boat. You would want the bottom coated if staying in salt water all season. And lugging gas to a moored boat won't be fun either, I can't see an electric motor situation working for a 6 mile round trip with 5-6 people. The best solution would be a dock but I could see a pontoon boat working in that situation especially since you wouldn't need to worry about a bilge pump and could pull it up to the beach and possibly have people get on without getting wet feet. My boat stays at a dock from Apr through Oct and I have to make sure the bilge pump works right (leaves and twigs can get in the way of the float switch or clog the pump so you need to keep an eye on it) and also have to move the floating dock in or out depending on the river level.

Here's our dock a couple of years ago when the river was up about 6-8' above normal.

View attachment 115857

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Hey, I just noticed that your dock is just a heavier-duty version of the portable docks I see around here. Looks a lot more substantial, and it looks like it's handling the conditions surprisingly well!