Hey everyone. I'm new to sailing. I'm wondering what everyone does with their boats when they leave it at the dock for the week? Seacocks, marine fridges, head, water tanks, electrical, all that stuff. Mine's a 35ft if that matters
Posted Aug 24, 2023, 5:36 PM UTC
I've seen a variety of ways.
Some people empty the fridge and leave them open, others leave them running. I think unless you are leaving the boat for an extended period (like a season, if you have such things where you live) it's probably less strain on the fridge to leave it running and keep some large jugs of water & trays of ice in it to act as thermal mass.
Some people switch of power at the battery, others just use the distribution panel. The only things that should still be left on at the panel are the bilge pump (auto) and the fridge if you leave it closed. I think my own preference would be to leave the house battery on (see fridge reasoning above).
My preference is to close thru-hulls. Just make sure you have a good way to remember to open the engine thru-hull.
Starter battery off. Automatic bilge pump on.
Week? I don't check it if I'm going to leave for a week. Make sure you have working bilge pumps with working switches, and that's it.
Bilge pump on, everything else off. Key removed from the ignition switch and stowed down below. Cockpit cushions inside, deck and lines tidy, docklines neat and orderly. Icebox empty and clean, lid turned sideways so it can breath. Pretty rare that I go a full week away from the boat but I think if I knew I was going to be gone say two weeks I would close all the seacocks as well and plug in shore power to run the battery maintainer.
Close the hatches
Yeah that’s it
Dock lines are all how I like them. Boat can't go any way, held off the dock as much as possible, redundant lines with enough slack to bob around, but not too much. You never know when there will be a 60kt+ storm.
fenders are where they should be
all electrical is off
portable radio is with me to be charged at home.
hatches closed
halyards not where they will annoy dock neighbors by banging
lines are more or less coiled
tiller is secured
Motor is up
This is not necessarily for the week, but every time, since I don't know when I'll be back. Mainly docklines, fenders, all switches off and closed up are the top priorities.
I don't have sea cocks, a fridge, water tanks, or a built in head, so there's that. The more systems you have, the longer your list will be. Like a furler, could that unroll in a storm? I've seen that happen to others.
I have a laminated 3x5 checklist for our Islander 36:
Galley, head, engine through hulls Propane tank off Batteries off Panel switches off Fridge off Bilge pump on Portlights closed Curtains closed Hatches secured Cockpit covers on
Great for a weary crew or when letting a friend use the boat. Propane tank and/or fridge get us if we don’t look at the checklist!
Maybe a dumb question, but does everyone turn batteries off? What does leaving them on harm if you are on shore power?
Maybe a dumb question, but why does everyone turn batteries off? What does leaving them on harm if you are on shore power?
Long term low discharge rates and low trickle charge aren’t healthy for some battery types. I’m an amateur but that’s my understanding
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my checklist for a day is pretty close to the same as my checklist for a month
If it's going to be raining I'll un-hank the jib that's in a bag on the bow and put the bag inside, otherwise -
put the things away
Mine is a 24 foot with an outboard
I guess one thing I do is I disconnect the fuel line from the outboard each time I use it and let it use all the fuel in the carb and stow the gas can under a seat in the stern
There's no checklist for one week. Float switch working and over 12v on the battery? That's enough imo