Winter storage alternatives ?

[Bubba1235]

If a person does not have a building to store their boat in, what is the best way to store it for the winter? (Winter being serious in the mid-west with lots of rain, ice, snow.)

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Winter storage alternatives ?

make a tent frame with 2 inch pvc, and cover the boat.

 

[rndn]

Re: Winter storage alternatives ?

Shrink wrap works great as long as it's done right. Make sure there are no spots to puddle and you'll be good to go. Most people around here, upstate New York just shrink wrap and leave the boats out in the weather. I know of no one that has ever had an issue. It get's a little pricey but for the peace of mind, it's worth it to me.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Winter storage alternatives ?

mine sits between my house and my neighbors...
has a semi custom fit aftermarket cover.....
i've got a hardtop. so i use a large beach ball on the closed bow + a pole support after the hardtop..... bungees to hold the cover on...

i also scrape the snow off after ea. snow, or depending on how much snow. in the middle of the storm..... if ice is expected. i put another cover on top of this one then remove after the ice storm....

 

[ziggy]

Re: Winter storage alternatives ?

this cover is (sorry iboats, i needed a wide beam to compensate for the hardtop, you didn't have one wide enough) overtons top of the line cover. i've found it pretty much satisfactory. don't leak and is watertight best i can tell, unless they get compromised somehow with a rip or deep scratch, specially on the inside, no mildew problems as it's a breathing cover. no humidity problems that i'm aware of. what this cover don't like is fuel. topped off and the fuel expanded out my vent onto the cover. this degrades the inner lining. whatever it's made of, i don't know, but it don't like fuel....

 

[109jb]

Re: Winter storage alternatives ?

Shrink wrap seals well, but it also holds any water that is already in there. Think greenhouse. As for what I do in northern Illinois, I have a pole that goes into the bow seat socket and the rear center seat socket. Between these 2 poles is another pole. Then a blue tarp thrown over and secures with high tech nylon rope. Costs about $30 total and the blue tarp is slick enough that the snow doesn't accumulate much.