Covering for the winter - outdoor storage - what do you do?

[SilentSeven]

Looking like I will have to store outdoors over the winter. Not my preferred solution but seems to be only option available at the moment.

I'm interested in how you cover your boat. Boat is in the pacific northwest; we'll have lots of rain but little to no snow. I'd like something where it's possible to get the boat out now and then for mid-winter use so I'm not too interested in those plastic wrap seals.

Here are some questions I have.

-Portable building solutions - temporary tarp buildings. If you have a model, manufacturer you like, can you refer?
-Tarping if no building - how are you doing it? Do you have some sort of frame? Special tarp used? Anchoring?
-Ventilation and moisture control - approaches?

Need to start my planning now, love some input from others who have addressed this before me.

Thanks!

[nyryan2001]

Silent, are you in good with your local dealer? Good relationship?

every new boat arrives at the dealership with a heavy plastic/tarp shipping cover, felt lined on the inside. Wouldn't be great for constant summer use... But they are perfect for long term winter layup.

8/10 times the buyer of the boat never gets it and they go in the trash.

call your service manager, ask if they have any shipping covers for the smaller ski boats... Arrive with a case of cold beer about 4pm on Friday.....

[SilentSeven]

Great idea; would have never thought of this. Is Nautique shipping anything new these days that would fit a 97 Ski Nautique? Just not in touch with the new models....

[charlesml3]

Items:

- A fitted cover. I assume you have this. The hard part is going to be keeping the rain from pooling and collapsing the cover. Use ropes, poles, straps, whatever to keep the cover up so the water will slide off.

- A big blue tarp. Few of these boat covers are really waterproof. You need a tarp that'll completely or at least mostly cover the entire boat.

- Damp-Rid. Get three large buckets of Damp-Rid from Lowes. Put one in the bow and two more on the floor near the back.

Get the boat as dry as you can. Take the battery out and store it somewhere that isn't freezing. Don't put it flat down on concrete. Set it on a block of wood or something. Charge it once a month or so.

Get the vinyl clean and give it a good coating of 303.

Leave the plug out. Get the Damp-Rid in and cover everything and make sure it's lashed down tight. Keep an eye on it over the winter. Make sure rain isn't pooling on the side you can't see from the house.

[simplysanj]

I have been considering this Navigloo because it looks like it can hold up to some deep snow but might have some issues with the tower:

http://www.navigloo.com/en/Navigloo-...30-p17c59.html

[SilentSeven]

@charles - thx. Yes, I have done something similar in the past to this. Just looking for more specifics (tenting solutions, etc).

@simply - wow. that's a real solution for snow country! Thankfully I don't have the situation here. And no tower.

Still looking to hear (and see) what others are doing.

Thx

[DLafont]

Items:

- A fitted cover. I assume you have this. The hard part is going to be keeping the rain from pooling and collapsing the cover. Use ropes, poles, straps, whatever to keep the cover up so the water will slide off.

- A big blue tarp. Few of these boat covers are really waterproof. You need a tarp that'll completely or at least mostly cover the entire boat.

- Damp-Rid. Get three large buckets of Damp-Rid from Lowes. Put one in the bow and two more on the floor near the back.

Get the boat as dry as you can. Take the battery out and store it somewhere that isn't freezing. Don't put it flat down on concrete. Set it on a block of wood or something. Charge it once a month or so.

Get the vinyl clean and give it a good coating of 303.

Leave the plug out. Get the Damp-Rid in and cover everything and make sure it's lashed down tight. Keep an eye on it over the winter. Make sure rain isn't pooling on the side you can't see from the house.

This has been my recipe/strategy for years, and it works pretty well. I have two main tarps on top of the cover. I also tape over any holes either under the hull or exhausts, etc. to avoid critters crawling in there. I also number the tapes (1of5, 2of 5, ...) so I am sure to not forget one come the spring. I also put the trailer on blocks to limit suspension loading. I've been meaning to remove wheels from the trailer, but have never gone through and done it. Then I count the days(October-May) until I put it back in the water ...

As for pulling it out mid-winter, then it would be a bit of a pain to do that unless you scale things back a bit.

[seth]

I have used a huge 9oz. tarp from Harbor Freight to cover my whole boat (tower included) for the winter and it worked perfectly and cost less than $70. 9oz. is the same weight they use for those portable garages that always blow away! I ran a rope from the nose up and over the tower to each rear corner and water never pooled.

[HS]

check to see if Issaquah Mini Storage has a covered spot available It's right of E. Lake Sammamish Pkwy across from Fred Meyer; it is secure.

[96SNEFI]

I use those telescoping cargo or load bars whatever they're called to prop up the tarp so that water doesn't pool. One or two in the back area seems to do it. I cut them to size and don't really use the telescoping but it works.

[SilentSeven]

Where are you getting those telescoping tarp supports? I need to put those on my buy list.

EDIT: OK, see some on Amazon, should have looked there first.

[charlesml3]

Just looking for more specifics (tenting solutions, etc).

A good solution for tenting is a long "come-along" strap. Hook one at the bow eye, go up and over the windshield and down to the stern eye. Ratchet it snug, but don't put a ton of force on the windshield. All you need it to do is hold the tarp up. I never have found one long enough so I end up hooking two together.

-Charles

[SilentSeven]

@charles - like that one...easy, quick and folds down to nearly nothing.

So how are people anchoring the tarp ends?

[swc5150]

Just about every dealership should have the ability to shrink wrap it fairly cheap. That's all the original shipping packaging is. Or, order some shrink online and use your own hair dryer. It's really easy to do...I did it numerous times when working at an MC dealership.

[charlesml3]

So how are people anchoring the tarp ends?

There's nothing fancy about lashing down the tarp. It's just a matter of messing around with it until you have it pulled tight. I usually have six or eight feet of rope tied to each grommet of the tarp. I then pull those down to the trailer somewhere and tie them individually.

-Charles