Out door winter storage in car port?

(naptownwake) · (naptownwake) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 10-29-2008, 12:23 PM

I'm thinking of building a car port for my boat, and leaving it in the cover over the winter. I would also affix tarps to the sides of the car port, to keep lateral rain out.

my question is, if frost or any other moisture builds on the cover, will that inevitibly lead to mildew in the boat itself? Or will the cover do a good enough job of keeping moisture out?

I also plan to put a few pouches of a chemical drying agent (Used to keep car parts dry in assembly plants) in the boat to help keep it dry.

Does this sound safe?

(lavinder)

If you have electrical connection close, put a dehumidifier in the boat.

(bill_airjunky)

Should be fine, Jack.

If electrical is an option, then a dehumidifier, fan, bilge heater or light bulb is always a good idea. It just depends on your climate. A dehumidifier around here would dry out the interior so bad it would end up looking 100 yrs old by spring.

(Message edited by bill_airjunky on October 29, 2008)

(naptownwake) · (naptownwake) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 10-29-2008, 12:49 PM

Is that what you do, lavinder?

(pri3st) · (pri3st) **Join Date: Aug 2007** 10-29-2008, 12:51 PM

Depends on the material of the cover. If it's Sunbrella or similar, no worries. I wouldn't even bother with the carport. My boat sat all winter with a Sunbrella cover on it, & one of these dessicant trays inside ( http://www.drizair.com/products.html ) & was bone dry in the spring. As long as you have a quality, breathable cover that doesn't allow water to pool up on it you shouldn't have a problem with mildew/mold.
This is where I got my cover. Couldn't be happier
http://skiboatcovers.com/boatstyle.php?manufacturer=malibu

(naptownwake) · (naptownwake) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 10-29-2008, 12:55 PM

This is the cover that came with my boat, which I just bought. It is a custom cover, but I'm not sure who made it.

(elc) · (elc) **Join Date: Jan 2008** 10-29-2008, 1:14 PM

Jack - I did the exact thing you are talking about. My brother and I built a car port type garage with a metal roof and tarps on the sides.

I store the boat with the cover on but take it out a couple times a month during the winter months. Although I live in southern california it does get frost pretty frequent where I keep the boat. I did not have any problems this past year.

(naptownwake) · (naptownwake) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 10-29-2008, 2:21 PM

Thanks, ed. Did you mean that you took it out a couple times just to make sure everything was ok?

(elc) · (elc) **Join Date: Jan 2008** 10-29-2008, 3:08 PM

I take it out a couple times a month to at least check on it. If its a nice enough day we will take the boat to the lake.

(jmanolinsky) · (jmanolinsky) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 10-30-2008, 9:13 AM

Congrats on your new boat, Jack!

Jman

(naptownwake) · (naptownwake) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 10-30-2008, 9:26 AM

Thanks Jman, only 4 months of excruciating winter to go!

I wish someone could give me the Han Solo treatment and freeze me for winter.

(lavinder)

I keep my boat in the driveway under it's waterproof (more like resistant) cover and a dehumidifier running in the boat. The cover has vents to keep airflow going. I am in the thought process of building a carport for it.