Opinions on winter storage?

[sjcslk]

This is probably a dumb question, but I'm looking for opinions. - I put my motors in a warm indoors environment, so thats not the issue. The boat, also, has always been stored indoors. This year I have a brand new cover that fits tight and repels rain/snow well. I'm debating on if I should just pick up a big tarp and wrap the whole boat ( over the cover) and keep it outside, OR, move it downstate to a garage I have access to. The garage isn't heated. It doesn't seem like it would make much difference. The boat is an older 16' aluminum Lund, but has been kept in excellent condition.

 

[racerone]

Make sure outboard lower units have no water in them.

 

[sjcslk]

Make sure outboard lower units have no water in them.

Thanks but the motors not part of the question. It will be in a heated environment.

 

[briangcc]

As mentioned in another thread.... heated storage is only one freak storm from not being heated. Witness Texas freeze this past year.

As for your plan for the boat itself....does it snow alot where you live? If so, I doubt the tight fitting cover and tarp are going to cut it. You need a support structure in place to shed snow loads. Can be 2x4 or PVC pipe but you're looking at building basically an A frame for support. Blue tarp won't cut it either...been there, done that...picked ice/snow out of a boat when it failed.

 

[racerone]

Lower units should not have water in them.-----Stored heated or outside !

 

[roscoe]

No matter what you cover the boat with, 5 minutes of freezing rain will stick to the tarp/cover. It will allow the snow to build up.

 

[JimS123]

In my youth, Grandpa's boat had to be kept outdoors in Buffalo, NY winters. He always used a double canvas tarp, which was re-waterproofed every few years.

In later years, they came out with these plastic ripstop tarps and all the old geezers said NOOOOO, never on a boat. I personally have seen boats that had indelible mold and mildew spots in the upholstery after using a blue tarp, even if it had vents put in.

Just food for thought.

 

[H20Rat]

Not a question, if I had access to a garage the boat would be in it. Even being covered but outside is hard on a boat.

 

[JimS123]

Not a question, if I had access to a garage the boat would be in it. Even being covered but outside is hard on a boat.

No kidding.

Access, schmackess. There is always a solution.

When I was a youngin and saved and saved and bought my first brand spanking new car ( a 396 Chevelle Supersport), I went down the street and found an old lady whose husband had died and she had no car. For a coupleabucks a month and my promise to shovel her driveway of snow and take her to the grocery store when she needed to go, and viola, I had covered storage for my baby.

Keep the boat outside and in a few years it'll be crap. WORK hard and the boat will last forever.

 

[southkogs]

Dry air (ambient air) is actually a decent insulator. Having your boat in a covered building, even without heat, is helpful. My boat stays in an attached garage, but even if you had it in detached barn, that's ahead of just sitting out in my opinion.

 

[poconojoe]

When I had my 16 foot Alumacraft jon boat, I kept it outside. I had those flat bars (some metal, some fiberglass) that bowed way up which well supported the factory cover, even with the Pennsylvania winters. I did add one more at the stern. There are rectangular sockets they fit into and you can cut the bars if they are too long.

I did have one spot at the bow casting deck that tended to pool. I just added an inflatable under it and all was good.

Later, as the factory cover became older, I added a tarp over it for extra protection.

 

[roffey]

Lower units should not have water in them.-----Stored heated or outside !

correct me if I am wrong but if you lower the motor on a outboard the water drains out? It was my impression the only winterizing on a outboard is checking and changing the gear oil, fogging the motor and stabilizing the gas?

 

[JimS123]

correct me if I am wrong but if you lower the motor on a outboard the water drains out? It was my impression the only winterizing on a outboard is checking and changing the gear oil, fogging the motor and stabilizing the gas?

That is correct.