Storing boat in storage shed on farm

[p sully]

9-1-03<br /><br />We are just completing our first season of ownership of our Sea Ray 185 BR and we had a great time.We have been storing it in our garage all summer but plan to have it winterized at the end of this month and plan to rent storage space. We found a farm very near the lake we use most often and it has a couple of steel sheds with storage space available.They have sliding doors on the sheds and do not store hay in them.I heard a horror story from a friend about mice causing <br />considerable damage to their RV they had stored on farm and wondered if we have a similar risk. <br /><br />Another person told me to put some moth balls arounf the storag area of the boat and that will keep any mice out? I have a canvas trailering cover but i'm sure the mice could chew through this if they wanted to.Has anyone had any experience with storage in farm sheds?<br />P Sully

 

[JB]

Re: Storing boat in storage shed on farm

Mothballs are a good idea, Sully.<br /><br />Make sure that there are no folds in the cover for the mice to nest in, and put mothballs inside the boat as wewll.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[DJ]

Re: Storing boat in storage shed on farm

p sully,<br /><br />Put the mothballs in a open plastic container or something.<br /><br />Don't just toss them in. They may stain carpeting or upholstery.

 

[BassMan283]

Re: Storing boat in storage shed on farm

Mothballs will work but fabric softener sheets work at least as well and smell a lot better (well, some folks think so). A lot of people I know use thme in their motorhomes and swear by them. Just toss them around here and there.

 

[PAkev]

Re: Storing boat in storage shed on farm

You might also want to think about parting with a few sheckles to buy a large tarp. Pidgeons and other nesting birds overhead your storage area can make a real mess of your cover.<br /><br />It wasn't mentioned in the context of previous posts but even though you may have insurance on your boat, make sure the storage property owner also has insurance that may cover repair or replacement of your boat if something catastrophic should happen. If they or you have any doubt of coverage, I would probably request a binder from their insurance company which should not cost you or them anything extra.<br /><br />Kevin

 

[bubbakat]

Re: Storing boat in storage shed on farm

I store mine in my barn with very little problems<br /> I use the moth balls and also put out a poison called combat it won't harm other animals and is deadly on mice.<br />when they die they don't stink either.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Storing boat in storage shed on farm

Stuff some dryer sheets in your exhaust too, to keep the mice from building a nest in there.

 

[lakeman1999]

Re: Storing boat in storage shed on farm

I think (from my experience) that chipmunks/ground squirrls are worse than mice, and would not trust any one cure. For sure get some rat poison, which is not really poison, but is coumadin, same thing as heart attach medicine, and scatter it around inside, and on the ground, and trailer under it. The "rat/mouse" poison, does not poison them, but thins their blood (and they being small they get a bigger dose than humans, or a larger mammal) to the point that as they bump, and run into objects, and squeeze through small openings, the injure themselves internally, and bleed to death internally, thus a humane kill that is safe for the rest of us, as a doctor prescribes it for thinning blood.

 

[flashback]

Re: Storing boat in storage shed on farm

I keep mine in an old chicken coop(minus the chickens, guess the farmer decided he could make more dinero storing boats) the only problem I have had is dust, I have to keep a good cover on the boat or the darn thing gets filthy.

 

[Skiuseme]

Re: Storing boat in storage shed on farm

In addtion I place a big tarp under my trailer just to help with the moisture that seeps up from the ground. I understand that I its ment to get wet but I dont like it moisture is seeping up from the ground... The idea came from storing old cars so they wont rust out.

 

[p sully]

Re: Storing boat in storage shed on farm

I can't tell you how often this forum has kept me away from getting into trouble in my first season of boat ownership.Thanks to everyone who gave me advise on protecting against mice and other critters and on my surge brake problem on my trailer.You guys are great,someday I hope to have enough experience to help others.<br />P Sully