Fall Haul-Out or Stay In? A Regional Decision

By Tomas Iglesias, Yacht service diver, South Florida. Reviewed by Amanda McCallister, editor.

Hull & Bottom Cleaning | Marine Salvage & Recovery Last December I was wiping a slimy film off a 42-foot Sea Ray's props in 76-degree water. The owner stood on the dock in a puffy coat, asking whether he should have hauled out for the winter. I laughed, then realized he was serious. Down here, "winter" means water temps drop into the low 70s. The boats stay in. But whether you should depends on your boat, your slip, and how much you hate scraping barnacles. I've been diving on this water for 15 years, and I've seen more damage from a bad decision to stay in than from a northern cold snap.

The Water's the Difference

The whole haul-out vs. Stay-in question changes with latitude. In Fort Lauderdale, the Gulf Stream never lets the water get cold enough to kill off growth. Barnacles, algae, and zebra mussels on the west coast? They keep working all winter. So if you think staying in means skipping maintenance, you're wrong. The growth might slow, but it doesn't stop. Compare that to a boat in a freezing marina. A haul-out is often mandatory because ice can crush a hull, and pipe berths freeze solid. But down here, there's no freeze. The real reason to haul out in the fall isn't temperature—it's a hurricane schedule, insurance requirements, or simply a long stretch of neglect.

What Stays in the Water

When a boat sits in the slip all season, the running gear takes a beating. I've pulled props caked with enough barnacles to look like a coral head. One time, the growth was so thick it reduced the prop's pitch by a solid 20 percent. The owner was wondering why his fuel burn had jumped two gallons per hour. That's real money. Electrolysis is another quiet killer. With shore power on, stray current from a neighbor's boat can eat your anodes in weeks. I've seen a shaft so corroded it snapped when the owner went to back out. If you stay in, at minimum you need to check anodes monthly and replace them if they're half gone. Call it a rule of thumb, give or take a week.

When to Haul Out Anyway

There are good reasons to haul out even in South Florida. First is hurricane season. If a serious storm is forecast, a boat on a lift or on the hard is safer than catching a dock with nowhere to run. Second is your insurance policy. Many underwriters require a haul-out when a named storm threatens, and some even require it for the whole season if you're south of a certain latitude. Read your policy—don't guess. Third is long-term storage. If you're heading north for six months, leaving a boat sitting in the water is a recipe for a green hull and a dead alternator. A proper haul-out with a pressure wash and a good coat of paint will save you a headache come spring. But for a local who's going trolling every other weekend, hauling out is usually a waste of time and money.

The Cost of Both

Here's where the numbers get real. A typical haul-out for a 40-foot boat runs $10–12 per foot to haul and launch, plus $25–35 per foot per month for yard storage. That's $400–480 just for the lift, and $1,000–1,400 a month to keep it in the yard. If you store for three months, you're looking at $3,400–4,680 before anyone touches the paint. Add a bottom job at $300–500 per coat, and you've spent more than most annual diver fees. On the other hand, a monthly underwater cleaning and zinc change runs $150–300 per dive, depending on the boat and how much growth you let build up. That's $450–900 over a three-month winter season. So if you're just trying to save money, staying in and paying a diver is usually the cheaper play. But if your bottom paint is shot, no amount of scrubbing will fix it. You'll need to haul, sand, and recoat.

The Compromise: Mid-Winter Dive and a Good Paint Job

The smart move for most local boaters is a hybrid. Stay in the water, but get a mid-winter dive when the growth starts to cling. That's usually around mid-January, right after the holidays. A decent ablative paint like Sea Hawk's Smart PWB or Pettit's Hydrocoat will keep the gunk from taking hold, as long as the diver keeps it scrubbed. And if you've been on the same bottom paint for more than two years, call your yard and schedule a haul-out just for the weekend. Give the hull a pressure wash, replace the zincs, and slap on a fresh coat. Then back in the water. That's how the pros keep their boats down here. It's not about winter—it's about staying ahead of the growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I leave my boat in the water all winter in Fort Lauderdale? Yes. The water doesn't freeze and the marina won't ice in. But you must keep the hull cleaned and anodes checked, or you'll face problems come spring. What's the best bottom paint for a boat that stays in the water year-round? Ablative paints like Sea Hawk's Smart PWB or Pettit's Hydrocoat are popular because they wear away slowly, releasing biocide. They work well in warm water, but only if the boat is scrubbed regularly. How often should I dive on a boat that stays in all winter? At minimum every 4–6 weeks in South Florida. Growth builds fast in the last quarter when the water is still warm. Monthly is safest if you run the boat often. Does hauling out prevent electrolysis? Only if you disconnect all shore power and bond the shaft properly. If the boat's wiring is suspect, electrolysis can still happen on the hard. In fact, you won't notice corrosion until the boat is back in the water.