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

[Home Cookin']

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

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

no, you don't.

 

[JEBar]

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

if the boat is properly winterized, add me to the group that believes a heated storage area isn't necessary .... our winters are anywhere near as cold as those for folks in the northern parts of the country but from time to time we do have lows in the single digits .... for me one of the major assets of having an outboard is the ease of winterizing

Jim

 

[90stingray]

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

Storage for $500-1000? Why not by the top of the line cover and keep it at your house outside?

 

[Campylobacter]

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

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

Not sure how you winterize a boat. I don't do any of the preventive maintenance on my boat as a seasonal thing. For instance, my lower unit oil gets changed every 100 hours, regardless of the weather. I do use the boat as long as I can break the ice out to the main lake, which hasn't frozen here in ages.

Edit: I should mention it is an outboard, and nothing in the boat holds water.

 

[H20Rat]

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.

Visiting miami and the keys in 3 weeks... Been to florida a couple other times, one of these times i might miss my return flight home!

 

[jestor68]

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

no, you don't.

One of the reasons to drain the lower unit before winter is to insure there is no water in it. So while you don't "have to", it's a good idea.

 

[Home Cookin']

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

One of the reasons to drain the lower unit before winter is to insure there is no water in it. So while you don't "have to", it's a good idea.

now that I'll agree with. and if you find significant water in the lower unit you don't put LU oil back in; you go and get the seals fixed so it doesn't happen again. I have had many old outboards over almost 50 years and have only had one that got water in it. After all, if you find a small amount of water that you find tolerable, it won't freeze and crack.

Remember, there are 2 reasons to "winterize." one is to protect from freeze damage. the other is to protect from the effects of sitting idle for more than 3 months--which has nothing at all to do with temperature. Your annual maintenance, like checking the LU for leaks, has nothing to do with either, but it's a good time to go through the maintenance list, and better to catch the problem of a leaking LU before the freeze than after.

 

[TilliamWe]

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

no, you don't.

You're so funny. You want to disagree with me about draining the lower unit oil, but when some else points out your fallacy, you admit that you do have to do it. Nice touch, Home Cookin'. Nice touch.

FACT: you drain the lower unit oil every fall. If you don't you are taking an uneccessary risk.

As far as "winterizing the boat", you need to make sure it's completely dry and/or have some moisture control in place. Lube anything that needs it. and winterze any onboard systems that hold water.

Once those things are done, the need for heated storage goes out the window, so to speak.

 

[oldjeep]

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

Storage for $500-1000? Why not by the top of the line cover and keep it at your house outside?

Because if you want to keep a decent boat outside up here in the winter, you really need to shrink wrap it. Shrink wrap costs almost as much as storage.

 

[oldjeep]

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

you need to make sure it's completely dry and/or have some moisture control in place.

Moisture control? If you park inside, you don't cover the boat

 

[BoatDrinksQ5]

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

Any problem with a very loose fit/ draped cover as a dust/dirt stopper? (Polebarn storage)

Essentially a boat cover but not stretched tight around the rear platform?

 

[oldjeep]

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

Any problem with a very loose fit/ draped cover as a dust/dirt stopper? (Polebarn storage)

Essentially a boat cover but not stretched tight around the rear platform?

No, as long as it is well ventilated. Problem is that covering boats inside makes them a lot more inviting for mice to move into.

 

[emoney]

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

Visiting miami and the keys in 3 weeks... Been to florida a couple other times, one of these times i might miss my return flight home!

Be careful with this. While it wasn't Miami, it WAS the fact that we had visited Florida 11 times in a 2 1/2 year span that led to us move down here 14 years ago, lol. I can honesty say, though, for all it's faults, it's still one of the better decisions I've made. Since no where is perfect, this will have to do.

 

[oldjeep]

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

Be careful with this. While it wasn't Miami, it WAS the fact that we had visited Florida 11 times in a 2 1/2 year span that led to us move down here 14 years ago, lol. I can honesty say, though, for all it's faults, it's still one of the better decisions I've made. Since no where is perfect, this will have to do.

I think once you've been in Naples in the middle of the summer you get cured pretty quick Parents lasted a few years down there full time before buying a place in WI to escape the crippling south florida summers.

 

[Home Cookin']

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

whatever you do, don't move to the mid-Atlantic areas (Virginia/North Carolina) even though they have neither the extrerme heat or cold of way north/way south. Just don't. Too much happiness will kill you.

 

[TilliamWe]

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

Moisture control? If you park inside, you don't cover the boat

???? You're kidding right? And to keep mice away, dryer sheets.

And you're boat smells Snuggly fresh when you get it out in the spring!