Long Term Storage

[jumpjets]

Due to work obligations next summer (2017), I won't be able to use my boat at all. When I winterize it this fall, it will remain 100% untouched until the early spring of 2018. I'm dreadfully concerned about the degradation it will suffer from this neglect. I don't want to dewinterize it and find all the interior covered in smelly mildew, along with corroded mechanical and electrical systems. Here are some options I'm considering:

1. Just sell it. Don't make payments on something I'm not going to use for almost 2 years.

2. Have it professionally cleaned and detailed, with the interior treated by anti-mildew agents, then shrink wrap it and store it. Would this guarantee a mildew free preserved boat, or would it guarantee a mildew filled mess?

3. Pay to keep it in dry stack storage. Have it de-winterized next spring, and have the marina start the engine once a month.

I have asked my wife, family, and friends to look after it for me, use it, run it, etc.... but they declined. I guess I appreciate their honesty.

 

[oldjeep]

I'd go for inside storage. Change oil, start it up to circulate. Drain gas. Clean the inside up well and put some desiccant bags in the boat if you are worried about moisture. Put batteries on battery maintainer. Don't mess with it until time to use it.

Or just sell it

 

[wrvond]

Two years is a long time to sit and a lot of money spent on storage fees.
When I got orders to Hawaii, I left my Camaro in storage on the mainland for three years. I rented a storage unit, drained the fuel/oil and removed the battery. There was a lot of other stuff I did, like prop doors and such open so gaskets wouldn't flatten, etc. I bought a huge plastic bag, rolled the car into it, put the car up on jack stands and sealed the bag shut.
When I returned, I replenished all the fluids, installed a battery and the car ran great. It was just like the day I left it. The storage unit was not climate controlled, either.
I doubt they make a plastic bag big enough for your boat (and trailer), and while shrink wrap is great stuff, it's not air tight, and problematical when it comes to keeping rodents out.
I guess it comes down to how permanent is this boat? Do you plan on moving to something bigger at some point? If so, selling may be the best option, then squirrel away that monthly storage fee you would have paid to help buy new when you get home.

 

[mjf55]

As far as a sell / store decision, how much do you like the boat. Is there an emotional attachment to it or is it just a boat. If it is just a boat, consider selling it, bank the payments and storage fees ( continue to make payments but to your self) and buy another one when you return.

 

[Oshkosh1]

I ended up going to Diego Garcia unaccompanied for a year and had the same predicament. If you're in the military, often you can store things like that through the MWR. They'll charge a small fee but if you simply drain the block, change the lubricants, give it a good cleaning and then cover it, two years is "easy". Ensure the drain plug is out, and it's pitched back far enough to allow water to drain and stay dry.

The boat I just bought had been winterized and stored outside for 6 years. It simply needed a good cleaning AND it still had 1/2 tank of fuel in it...but it started and ran fine. The fuel had some water in it, but I simply dumped the filter every time I ran it and after the 2nd top off...all was fresh again. I wouldn't store it with that much fuel...but as with one of the old car's I purchased(with fuel in it), even relatively old gas will remain volatile and fire as long as the tank is sealed. Lots of hype regarding old gas...it's mostly just that unless it's stored in an open/exposed container.

 

[jumpjets]

I am in the service, and I'm going out on a deployment through the summer. All my other deployments have been during the winter, so I've just been winterizing my boat before I deploy, and I get home just in time for boating season to start again. Not the case this time.

I'm not in love with my current boat. I don't want to pay for it if I'm not using it. My wife truly does love my current boat, but she admits she won't care for it or take it out without me.

The only reason I'm inclined to keep it is the smokin' deal I got on it, and it's in immaculate near new condition, despite it's age. If I sell it, I would not be able to afford another boat at this level of quality. I really want a hot rod cigarette, formula, etc... but those won't be in my price range....well....ever. My little Rinker runs 55mph, faster than most boats on the river, and my wife likes it. It's a great compromise.

 

[JimS123]

Sounds like a boat you wouldn't want to give up. Nor would your wife. Treat it well and it'll be there like new when you return.

Just treat it right in the meantime:
* Winterize it, wax and polish it, clean and wax the upholstery and make sure its completely dry inside.
* Fill up the gas tank. Treat the gas with Stabil - use a few ounces extra.
* Find dry indoor storage and put it there. It doesn't need to be climate controlled - freezing temps are OK.
* Cover the boat with cloth or canvas to keep it clean.....DON'T shrink wrap it......
* Two years storage is OK. Don't have anybody unwinterize it or run it periodically. You'll run it like normal in the water when you return.

I speak from personal experience. Stored under cover in a dry place is all you need.

BUT, the most important thing you can do is come back safe and sound....and thank you for your service.

 

[southkogs]

Definitely check for options with your base. When I was up on Ft. Campbell last year, they had one yard that was LOADED with RVs, boats and such. There may well be some options for you depending on the base.

Thanks for deploying out. My brother-in-law has to go again too. Appreciate you guys at the sharp end of the stick.

 

[Silvertip]

Two years is a long time to sit and a lot of money spent on storage fees.
When I got orders to Hawaii, I left my Camaro in storage on the mainland for three years. I rented a storage unit, drained the fuel/oil and removed the battery. There was a lot of other stuff I did, like prop doors and such open so gaskets wouldn't flatten, etc. I bought a huge plastic bag, rolled the car into it, put the car up on jack stands and sealed the bag shut.
When I returned, I replenished all the fluids, installed a battery and the car ran great. It was just like the day I left it. The storage unit was not climate controlled, either.
I doubt they make a plastic bag big enough for your boat (and trailer), and while shrink wrap is great stuff, it's not air tight, and problematical when it comes to keeping rodents out.
I guess it comes down to how permanent is this boat? Do you plan on moving to something bigger at some point? If so, selling may be the best option, then squirrel away that monthly storage fee you would have paid to help buy new when you get home.

You were extremely lucky using a plastic bag to protect a vehicle. Plastic material can spot the paint on cars.if left in contact for long periods. Yes -- new cars are protected with plastic sheets/coverings during transport but those coverings have been formulated to prevent damage. A simple plastic bag is just that -- a simple plastic bag.

 

[BRICH1260]

I say keep it. Give it the best winterization you can, changing all fluids in engine and drive, remove the water pump and loosen the serp belt, fog the engine good. Add damp rid and dryer sheets, open all enclosures and cabinets, even remove the seat cushions and store at home if you can. Remove the batteries and have wife charge occasionally. Tarp it with a good breathable cover and store under a hard roof. It`ll be just as you left it when you get back.

 

[wrvond]

You were extremely lucky using a plastic bag to protect a vehicle. Plastic material can spot the paint on cars.if left in contact for long periods. Yes -- new cars are protected with plastic sheets/coverings during transport but those coverings have been formulated to prevent damage. A simple plastic bag is just that -- a simple plastic bag.

This bag was specifically made for car storage. I doubt it was a simple plastic bag like you would carry your sandwich to work in.

 

[444]

Winterize it like your normally would. Park it indoors somewhere with the cover OFF. Leaving the cover off lets it dry out inside and prevents trapped moisture problems. If you don't have a spot indoors to park it, sell it. Leaving boats sitting outside for extended period is why so many of them for sale are rotted out junk.

 

[jumpjets]

I definatley want it stored indoors. I'd rather sell it than come home to deal with mildew, rot, corrosion, critter nests, chewed up wiring, etc...

Next question: Where can I store it indoors?

1. Dry Stack Marina. All of these are incredibly expensive in my area, since they are on the ICW and close to the ocean. I'll pay it if it's the only option, but I'd prefer not to.

2. Local mini-storage. I don't think there are any of these big enough to hold my boat. I'm going to keep looking though.

3. Rented warehouse storage. Does such a thing even exist? Can I rent a corner of an industrial warehouse and have a friend periodically check up on it?

 

[southkogs]

What about a buddy's garage ... let him use it a little to keep it loose in exchange for storage? Obviously, you gotta' really trust the guy ...

 

[spoilsofwar]

2. Local mini-storage. I don't think there are any of these big enough to hold my boat. I'm going to keep looking though.

When I went to Afghanistan in '13, I was living in a house with no garage so I had to find a place to keep my (then) brand new boat. The boat stayed laid up from winter of 2012 till summer 2014. I located an RV storage facility, and rented a 60'x20' (and something like 30'-40' high) unit for $180 a month. It was big enough I kept the boat, two cars, and household stuff in it while my wife went to stay with her parents for the year. So those types of storage facilities are out there, you've just got to look and maybe be willing to drive a while. The one I used was sort of in no mans land, between two small towns.

Just do the normal winterization process and the boat won't care that it sits. A winter or two isn't much difference.

Best of luck on your deployment, Sir.