Storing Your Boat For The Winter

It is that time of year again when you need to be thinking about how to store your boat safely over the winter period. What are the options for storing your boat? And what are the pros and cons of each storage option? Read on to find out more information.

There are a number of options all with a different amount of costs and preparation. Click below to navigate to the storage option you are thinking of or continue reading to find all the information of each winter boat storage option.

• Dedicated Indoor Boat Storage
• Dedicated Outdoor Boat Storage
• Self-Storage
• Garage/At Home Storage
• Stored In Water

Dedicated Indoor Boat Storage

Up and down the country, there are many indoor boat storage companies and facilities, usually they are situated near large bodies of water such as the coast, canals or large lakes such as Windermere in the Lake District.

There are several great advantages of storing your boat indoors. Your boat will not be subject to and adverse weather conditions such as ice, wind and snow, which could cause sever and sometime irreparable damage to your boat. Alongside safety from the bad weather, your boat will also be safe from any vandalism or theft of items stored in the boat, or even theft of the boat itself.

Aside from safety, one of the main benefits of an indoor boat storage centre is that you are able to work on your boat as and when you like over the winter period.

The main draw back of an indoor boat storage facility though is cost, as you can appreciate boats are not small and therefore require a large amount of storage space. Though, if you have spent a lot of money on your boat, then the investment is a good one.

Outdoor Boat Storage Facility

The other most common way to store your boat for winter is storing it in an outside storage facility which are usually located on the shores or close by to a body of water. The boat yard is a much cheaper option than an indoor storage facility, but you will more than likely be limited to the time in which you can work on your boat, as some close for the whole winter period.

Some boat yards do have stacked storage for smaller boats and some can have shelters. However, most outdoor marine storage centres will leave your boat expose to the elements. This exposure to wind, rain and ice could mean that your boat becomes damaged or accrues mould inside and out. The best way to combat this is to cover or wrap your boat. You should make sure that the wrap is airtight and the best way to achieve this is to call a professional wrapping company to come and shrink wrap your boat for you.

Self-Storage Containers

This can be quite a costly way of storing your boat over winter and can only be used to store smaller boats as the units/containers are limited in size.

However, it does mean that you can access the storage facilities as and when you would like, and you should be able to carry out any restorative care or repairs to your boat. As with any indoor storage options, your boat will not be subjected to any severe or harsh weather conditions or face any problems with barnacles or algae forming, as it would if your boat was stored in water.

Garage/At Home Storage

This would undoubtedly be the option that everyone would choose if they had the opportunity. The big problem with this is space at your residential address. If you are lucky enough to have a large garden or driveway then storing your boat outside your property is an option. If you are not going to be working on your boat though, you will need to make sure that it is wrapped and stored securely.

In the fortunate instance that you have a garage, car port or even an outbuilding that you could use to store your boat, you are one of the lucky boat owners. Whilst your boat is stored for winter you have the ability to perform any external repairs or any interior cosmetic changes you want to make.

Wet Storage

Probably the cheapest option short term is to store you boat in the water. However, you could run into problems in the future. In the UK it is recommended that at least once per year that you check your hull to perform any repairs that are needed and to remove barnacles and algae build up.

Storing your boat in water will also leave your boat subject to the weather. This could include the water freezing around your boat which could cause damage. Water surges like waves and rises in river levels can also cause unwanted damage and even destruction to your boat.

If you have no other option but to leave your boat stored in water, we do also suggest that you check to your boat regularly and also remove any items that could be of interest to thieves or vandals.

We hope that you choose the best option for yourself and your boat when storing it for the winter. Remember, spending a little extra money now, could prevent further costs when you want to start to use your boat next spring or summer.

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