Financial Setback, Need advice on storage....

Pshabou

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Hello Everyone, thanks for reading my post.

My parents have had a financial setback and I am trying to help them save money as much as I can. They currently own a 24 foot pontoon boat and a jetski for all their grand kids.

I am trying to save them money when it comes to storage. They are currently spending about 1,000+ dollars total on storage for both items per winter. I know how to winterize and will be winterizing both the jet ski and the pontoon boat, the jetski I will store in my garage.

The problem and advice I need is for their giant pontoon boat, I will winterize the 50hp mercury bigfoot but dont know where to store the thing. Many people on their lake keep their pontoons on their lifts over the winter, they have been doing it for over 10 years with no problem (as opposed to paying a guy to pull it out winterize and store it on his lot). So i went out and purchased them a pontoon lift, cantaliver style for around a 1,000 dollars as gift. Is there any alternatives to shrink wrapping? I have watched some videos and looks pretty hard to do, especially while it is in the water and on a lift. Some of you may wonder why don't I pull it out of the water, well the access they use is pay per use and have no where to store it, even after asking friends and family.

So basically, after winterizing the pontoon, and lifting it out of the water with winter coming, how do i protect it from the climate?

Paul
 

smokeonthewater

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The same way you protect it from the environment all summer comes to mind.....

Otherwise build a structure from PVC or lumbar and tarp it.... Use plenty of tie points and tape folds it needed.... Can use 2 or more tarps so if one deteriorates in the sun the one below won't.
 

Pshabou

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May 26, 2015
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Thank you Kevin,

I was considering using the good cover that came with the Pontoon boat, nice canvas cover that buttons down. These covers, are they made to withstand the Winter (Snow and ice).....Would this be a good idea? I could tarp the motor, also the captain area has another special cover for that as well.

This would be an easy option.

Paul
 

JoLin

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Those tailored covers aren't made to withstand a snow load. It's gonna rip and leave you without any protection. You need a supporting skeleton for whatever you cover it with. Either have it shrinkwrapped or do what Kevin suggested and build a frame. I've done it both ways with different boats over the years and either can handle a foot or more of snow. A boxy pontoon boat should be relatively easy to frame out.
 
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smokeonthewater

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Depends on where you live... In the south where you would be lucky to get 2" of snow followed by a week in the 50's any decent cover would be fine if well supported.... In the north where you might see 3' or more of snow you better have the cover steeper than 45*, slick, and well supported.
 

Pshabou

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May 26, 2015
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Thanks for all of the suggestions, I will be building a frame, and following Kevin's advice.

The state is Michigan.

Paul
 

southkogs

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They leave their lift in the water during the winter in Michigan? WOW. The lake my family's place is on is midway up the LP - near West Branch. EVERYTHING on that lake comes outta' the water in the winter.
 

oldjeep

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They leave their lift in the water during the winter in Michigan? WOW. The lake my family's place is on is midway up the LP - near West Branch. EVERYTHING on that lake comes outta' the water in the winter.

I'm guessing he is not in the UP. The snow up there is house high at our league championships every year. No way you are leaving anything on a lift there.
 

Scott Danforth

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Anyone that leaves their lifts in the water in Michigan or Wisconsin are just lazy.

Most people I know on various lakes, pull the pier and lift out. Boats, jet skis, pontoons, swim rafts, etc are either stored in a garage, barn, storage facility or covered in shrink wrap or a tarp.

Many pontoons are pulled out with a scissor trailer then stored on property on foam blocks.

Most lakes have laws against leaving docks and lifts in the water
 

64osby

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I have seen many that pull the toons up on shore away from where the ice will be. Just get it on some foam or something else so it wont freeze to the ground.

The double tarp works. It has kept snow out and no water from late fall to early spring in my boats.
 

southkogs

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I have seen many that pull the toons up on shore away from where the ice will be. Just get it on some foam or something else so it wont freeze to the ground.

The double tarp works. It has kept snow out and no water from late fall to early spring in my boats.
Did that with out 'toons for years ... coupla' board and a come-a-long and she sat up on shore all winter long on some blocks.
 

oldjeep

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Around my folks place in WI, most folks just drop them in the front yard on blocks for the winter. Most are also shrink wrapped. Their pontoon fits in the garage, so I just clean it up and back it in.
 

superbenk

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I would also be afraid of ice damaging or collapsing the lift as it expands & moves. That sounds like a really bad idea that will cost more in the long run. Maybe you should have gifted them a year of storage fees instead of the lift.
 

rogerwa

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I store mine on my property in northwestern Wi on blocks. I build a 2x4 frame (I used PVC for a couple years but it collapsed) by running a beam down the center at about 7' off the deck. Every 8' I have a riser to hold it up. I have a 25' pontoon so I get a 30x40 tarp and drape it over the boat. I then use tarp clips, rope, and some hooks and tighten the tarp down by connecting the tarp clip and hook (connected by rope) to hook under the deck trim. Between the angle of hte tarp and the tightness, the snow just slides right off. I can put the whole thing together for quite a bit less than $100 and about an hour.

For the jet ski, I just winterize WP_20141011_002.jpg the motor, put the mooring cover on it and then wrap it with a tarp. I prop the trailer up off the tires with concrete blocks under the axle because int he past it has sunk down in the soil and the the soil freezes and squeezes the tires. This way in the spring, it is ready to roll away..
 

Pshabou

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May 26, 2015
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I live in Wixom, southern Michigan, hr from the Ohio border. Our winters have not been to harsh on us recently. In the last 5-10 years we haven't had more than 7-8 inches of snow fall at a time. Reason why I would like to leave it in the water is because their access is a pay per use. Each time they take the pontoon in out out is 100 dollars (long story), this just happened recently.

Trust me, I am not a lazy person, They just don't have 200 dollars to take the pontoon in and out, plus 550 for winter storage (going rate over here) ever year. I am already winterizing everything they have and storing the jetski at my place, pulling the jetski lift out of the water as well.

Thank you everyone for the replies. This is what I am planning on doing, I built a frame for the existing canvas cover. I will use the canvas cover with the wooden frame underneath, plus on top of the canvas cover 2 layers of tarp. I believe this should be good enough for the pontoon. I will also winterize the motor and cover the motor as well with a couple layers of tarp.

Thanks Again!
Paul
 
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