First year to store a boat outside, Any advice

This will be my first year to store a boat outside during the winter. It will be winterized and fully covered but I still have my worries, since I've never done this before. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

If you have have ballast lines in your boat make sure they are empty or run some antifreeze in them. If they are just empty I would pull any ballast bags or anything else for that matter off the carpet so it doesn't trap moisture. Get a couple of those DryZair things. Prop up some of the cushions so there is good air flow. I would store it with your normal cover and then get another tarp style cover that is propped up over your boat or atleast so the tarp isn't right on top of the boat cover. This will allow air flow through there. If you have it under a carport or something like that you probably don't need the tarp. I am sure there are some other good suggestions as well.

Condition the vinyl real well..

Make sure you have some tarp supports inside so the water does not pool in the tarp. Shade the tires from the sun and pump them to their max rated pressure.

Clean snow off of it every time, leave a dehumidifier in there/the packets, moth balls, and a fresh cleaning/polishing everywhere. And make sure you take out anything that can mold.

Take the cover off every month or so to make sure the boat is staying clean. You'd be surprised how much crap can get into a covered boat. Don't know how it gets there, but it does. Nothing like uncovering your boat after 5 months of outdoor storage only to find a big ol' stain on the vinyl from a wet leaf or something that's been sitting there forever.

clean it good, take out anything that isn't bolted down, cover with your regular cover and then a big tarp over the tower/platform/trailer/whatever.

Don't do it there are a lot of inside storage places that aren't too expensive. Every season of outside storage will take years off the life of your boat.

Don't

A lot of guys will build a teepee type frame over the whole boat/trailer (use PVC/black pipe/wood/wahtever you're comfortable with) and cover that with a big tarp. Keeps it dry inside due to steep angle, sheltered fomr elements, and if you got a kerosene heater it'll keep warm if you want to work on anything/clean/check over the winter. I'm either gonna build one of those for mine this year, or buy one of those sheltered tarp canopy garage dealies. Biggest thing is keep it dry and don't let snow pile on top of whatever you use to cover it.

(Message edited by cadunkle on September 28, 2009)

Great thread guys, great info. I'm going to be storing mine outside and there are some considerations here I didn't think of.

If you can find somebody around there to shrink wrap it would be your best/cheapest way to go.

^^^Just get the boat bone dry inside first so you don't get a mildew surprise next spring when you unwrap it.

You could always put a little fan underneath the cover to keep that air circulating...this will help with moisture.

Put some 2x6 under the tires to elevate off the ground and keep tire protectant on the tires.

Just make sure you pull the cushoins out of their "locked in place" where they are touching the other vinyl. This area traps moisture and you will get some nice stains. where the cushions meet the upright.

DO NOT FOR ANY REASON STEP ON THE COLD VINYL! It will crack and tear very easily. Like others have mentioned. Cover the tires and give a very good thurough cleaning and conditioning. Wax the outside as well. As far as on the outside, don't let the ice and snow build up. Try and keep it as clear as you can and make sure there are support poles for the cover in the bow and in the cockpit. If I were sorting outside I would have it shrink wrapped. I know some things may not work and cause you to store your boat outside, but it should be a last resort. Like others have stated it will take years off your boat.

(Message edited by xstarrider on September 28, 2009)

Everyone pretty much covered everything. I would just add taping up all the through-hull openings, exhaust ports, water pickup so no little critters can get inside and mess things up.

Get yourself a self supported cover/awning. I bought the unit Costco sells and extended it. It closes off on all four sides. If done correctly and you winterize correctly it'll protect the boat and you won't have any issues. Clean it, block up the trailer, place anti moisture stuff (i use kitty litter) in it and close it up. I've done all my boats this way and none lost any years off their life.

How much was that at Cosco?

$200 plus another $50 in chain link fence hardware & tarp from Home Depot.

Razzman, that is the only way that I would store my boat outside. I have seen way to many boats trashed after being kept outside!!!

I used to store my MC outside every year in Seattle, usually in something similar to that Costco shed. But there is no way I'd do it here in Eastern WA. Last year we had several feet of snow here & those Costco sheds were collapsed all over town.

To the OP, I'm not sure if your in Nashville or Vegas, but I wouldn't expect winters to be very harsh in either location. So the Costco shed would be great. But anyone in the midwest or Canada, be very careful.

We do use the Dry-z-air dehumidiers and move the cushions & fat sacs out of the boat.

Make sure you vacuum it really well. You don't want any food crumbs, etc. to attract varmints.

If you do this make sure to secure it down. I used 24" rebar stakes bent over at the end and driven in at an angle.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Yea, find someone with a barn that will let you store it in there. Ask around or check craigslist, people do it all the time. It won't be that expensive.

I have basically the same set up as Razzman and its works very well. I have actually been surprised how well those covers hold up. Luckily I found one that is 26' long though. Second what others say about clean it out well, prop up cushions or take them out and store elsewhere, I take out my battery too, block the trailer up to avoid flat spots in tires. The anti moisture stuff works well too.

I store mine under a tarp garage like the one above and it works great. What do you guys mean by block up the trailer?

pull the plug

Ian I think they mean put trailer jacks or block under the axle to take the weight off the tires.

I use the Costco style carport deal. In our old house I moved one from the side yard to the back yard, finished late on a Sunday and thought..."I'll secure it later". Three days later while on a business trip, my wife called to report a wizard of oz type of event. The wind picked up the cover, and it came to rest straddling the fence and some power lines coming off the pole to the house. The elderly next door neighbor thought it was "the big one". The wife called two of our friends for help, a contractor and a lawyer. They came over, saw the cover, rain, metal frame, power wires....contractor did the work, and the lawyer started working on the documents. Luckily no injuries to speak of. Note to self....secure the cover.

Attachment for the current cover: At the base of each leg I dug a hole approx 1ft in dia by 1 ft deep (max). Three pieces of approx 18" rebar hammered into the sides of the hole (equally spaced around the hole) angled down about 45 degrees. Rebar mammered into the ground until just the ends are in hole and below the ground surface. Fill the hole with concrete and set a foundation "j-bolt" into the concrete. Once the concrete sets, I attached a chunk of 4x6 to the concrete using the J-bolt. It will take some force to pull the "spokes" of rebar from the ground.

I then bolted the leg bases for the cover to the chunks of 4x6. Overkill..?? maybe, but I haven't (yet) had to knock on the neighbors door to ask if I can go in their backyard to get my boat cover.

we had a person die last year knocking off snow from the inside when it collapsed.

our trailers always sit on the tires have not noticed any flat spots (although I have heard of the phenomenon)

agree the best piece of mind is inside storage.

we have great inside storage for 250$ for 7 months.

...I have tried shrink wrapping....tarps....all are pia......dont shrink wrap over the tower.

I have to agree Michael. If your area gets any degree of wind, rain or snow, the soft shelters can be a royal PITA, especially if the weather gets a little nasty.

Flat spots are not an issue with radial tires.... this is an old problem from bias ply tires.

If you have the room.
http://www.portablegaragedepot.com/product_images/14x32x12_Round_95433_pic_gray.jpg

If you have a 20k to 120k boat and you cant afford to put it in a storage unit for the winter - you really need to rethink priorities.

That's a personal opinion and not directed at anyone (esp author) - I just am in the mood to be a d1ckhead tonight.