I will admit i dont like seeing boats left in the water because we have had so many of those boats left in the water and he just died. The reason why they say to bungee the sidestays is because normally when people leave they're boats with their mast up the mast is really sloppy and slips every where. The dungee is just to stop the loose stays and to setle the mast down in windy conditions. Make sure you sail your boat alot and give a good pollish/scrub on the boat when left or it will die.