Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

pbolden · Sep 5, 2012

Hello Everyone,

Do the advantages of heated storage warrant the higher cost over cold storage? In my area (Ohio's north coast) the average heated storage charge is $6.00/sq.ft. were cold storage averages $3.00/sq.ft. My boat: 21' X 8.5'= 178.5' thus heated storage would be $1,071 opposed to cold storage which would be $535.50. The difference is over $500.

Thanks,
Paul Bolden

tkz · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

Is that per month? Holy crap!

Home Cookin' · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

plenty of boats have been stored overwinter unheated. My uninformed opinion is that as long as it's drained and dry, it's OK. Leave it uncovered so you won't trap moisture; dust is better than mold.

Bondo · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

Home Cookin' said:
plenty of boats have been stored overwinter unheated. My uninformed opinion is that as long as it's drained and dry, it's OK. Leave it uncovered so you won't trap moisture; dust is better than mold.

Ayuh,.... Drained, 'n dry is all it takes,.... save yer money, No heat needed....

BoatDrinksQ5 · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

Yeah a couple grand extra.... definitely not worth it! Heck its cheaper to just have a marina winterize it for ya if thats out of your comfort zone.

The other bennefit would be being able to take it out on any warm stretches late in the fall or early spring....when there is still a serious threat of freezeup afterwards.

But heck for a 2k savings you could afford to have a shop winterize it for you 4+ times for that! haha Plus it would be supporting your local mechanics. Even in your budget if it was the type where they drive to your boat so its easy for you!

(Unless you are talking about those prices for the entire winter....then i guess the savings arn't as high...but you still save enough to have someone professionally winterize it for ya if you are that hesitant to do it yourself.) But generally if you watch a lot of youtube videos, read here, read manual... your comfort level should go up.... pretty straight forward.

oldjeep · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

I can't imagine wasting money on heated storage unless you had full access and were planning on working on the boat over the winter. Inside is good enough - failing that, a good shrink wrapping if it is outside. Mine just gets drained and parked in one of the garages at the lake house with my dads pontoon and the jetski in the other garages.

sktn77a · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

Seems steep. Have you checked around? Winter inside storage here is $50-$100/month. Would help to put your real location in you profile.

H20Rat · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

think of it this way, how much do you trust that heated storage? Enough to trust your outdrive and engine? All it takes is one good blizzard to knock out power and your heated storage turns into cold storage.

jkust · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

Here it will get to negative 30 F and colder and there are no issues with non-heated storage. Now I say that buy I keep my sig boat in my attached garage and it's never as cold in the garage as it is outside ambient temp-wise. Draining the water from the block is free.

shrew · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

smokingcrater said:
think of it this way, how much do you trust that heated storage? Enough to trust your outdrive and engine? All it takes is one good blizzard to knock out power and your heated storage turns into cold storage.

I wouldn't consider heated storage a reason to NOT winterize the boat. I agree that cold, in itself isn't going to hurt the boat. Properly covered, snowload won't either. It would be nice if you had a lot of work to do over the winter and had access to the boat during that time, but other than that, I don't see the need for it.

TilliamWe · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

pbolden said:
Do the advantages of heated storage warrant the higher cost over cold storage?...
In my area (Ohio's north coast) the average heated storage charge is $6.00/sq.ft. were cold storage averages $3.00/sq.ft.

No
Certainly not TWICE the cost!

As stated, you MUST winterize. Once you do, heat is completely uneccessary.

Home Cookin' · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

TilliamWe said:
No
Certainly not TWICE the cost!

As stated, you MUST winterize. Once you do, heat is completely uneccessary.

unless it's an outboard, which winterizes itself.

LippCJ7 · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

Personally if I could keep my baby in heated storage I would, but I would still winterize her in case my heat ran out for some reason.

If you have the money go ahead and get the heated storage, but I winterize mine and park it right outside my bedroom window so its under armed guard too!!

absolutely no reason that I can think of that would say you must keep your boat in heated storage.

pbolden · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

Thanks Guys,

FYI...These are the average prices in this area but I didn't point out that they weren't monthly charges but for the entire winter season (Nov-Apr). Also mine is an O/B.

Paul Bolden

TilliamWe · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

Home Cookin' said:
unless it's an outboard, which winterizes itself.

Still have to drain and re-fill lower unit and winterize the BOAT.

UncleWillie · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

Cold and dry is better than warm and moist.
As others stated, the warm is not guaranteed.
You still need to winterize.

If you keep it indoors and cold, be sure the place is very well ventilated,
A drafty barn is better than an air tight garage.

H20Rat · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

TilliamWe said:
Still have to drain and re-fill lower unit and winterize the BOAT.

except nothing breaks on an outboard or boat if you don't drain it. Outboards are self draining, and not all outboards are lucky enough to get yearly gear oil changes.

oldjeep · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

smokingcrater said:
except nothing breaks on an outboard or boat if you don't drain it. Outboards are self draining, and not all outboards are lucky enough to get yearly gear oil changes.

As long as you remember to tilt it down before you store it

Brewman61 · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

I live where it gets really cold in winter, well below zero is not uncommon, and I've kept my winterized (do it myself) in that environment for the past 7 or so winters, one or two inside, the past 5 seasons outside. I don't have room on my property to store the boat so I rent an outdoor stall at the local Mini Store facility. No problems at all doing this. Not sure what the advantage of heated storage would be- you can't not winterize in case the heat in the building fails, that being the case, might as well not spend the bucks on it.

emoney · Sep 6, 2012

Re: Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

I, for one, think it's much better to have "warm storage". Notice, I didn't say "heated". Big difference.

Moving to Florida solves most of life's problems.

Heated storage or cold storage. Which is best for the dollar?

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