A lot more maintenance will be required if you leave it in the water. Plus
a lot more prep work.
I highly recommend you don't leave it in the water if you can avoid it.
The larger the boat, the more you will enjoy it as a cabin boat.
Make sure you get plenty of power. Whatever it is rated for max - go with
it. You won't be sorry.
In the 24' boat I would want the 5.7l engine w/ the bravo III outdrive.

Problem w/ leaving in the water is the fiberglass will absorb water into the
fibers and create blisters. You need to have a barrior coat installed to
seal it and then bottom paint installed to keep algea from sticking to it.

You will also find that the boat stays dirty all the time in a covered slip
from all the spiders, birds, etc...

If stored outside, you will need a good cover that will not hold water to
prevent the gelcoat from fading.

Best is to keep in a rack building or trailer to a garage or covered place
and keep a cover on it.

Good luck,

--
Tony
my boats at http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com

"Mark_S" wrote in message
...
I am new to boating and am looking at cuddy cabins by Stingray in the 20
to
24 foot range. All of my boating will be done in the Chesapeake Bay.

I would like to keep the boat in a boatel, but a slip near the Baltimore
harbor is much closer to where I live. How much extra maintenance would
be
required if the boat was kept in the water?

Any help is appreciated!