Boats, like any other vehicle, need to be regularly serviced, but unlike other vehicles, getting your boat to a mechanic or a specialist is significantly complicated by having to get your boat out of the water. This can be a relatively simple process for a boat like a Dinghy, but as the size of the boat increases so does the stress, and potentially the cost too.
Knowing how often you’ll need to take your boat out of the water depends largely upon if you notice any damage to the hull and what type of finish has been used to coat the hull. Traditionally boats have been taken out during the winter, and this occurred for a number of reasons. Firstly, boats were and are rarely used during the winter, so keeping them in the water is pretty pointless. Secondly, if your ship dock isn’t very protected from the elements, then your ship could be damaged during rough seas, what with ice breaking and knocking into it. Thirdly, finishes weren’t as variable as they are now, and they’d need another coating every year.
Nowadays, underwater finishes have advanced to the point where they can provide significantly more protection than they could previously. A good Coppercoat finish is able to persevere through at least ten years, with the potential for many more. This is able to protect you and your hull from the general wear and tear a ship experiences. As the harm caused to your hull can build up over time, this is the most obvious way for you to reduce the number of times that you need to take your boat off the water.
The other whole side to the discussion of getting your boat out of the water is how you actually accomplish the task. If the boat is small enough, you may be able to tow your boat out of the water through the same place that you got it out of the water and with very little hardware; if your boat weighs a significant amount, you may need to acquire the services of your harbour to use their machinery to raise your boat out of the water. This can be expensive, but if you have a really big yacht, then you’ll need equally large machinery to help you and the price will only increase even further.