Boat Storage Tips

If you’re fortunate enough to own a boat and you enjoy taking it out on the open water whenever weather permits, odds are, you most likely take care your boat during the boating season to ensure it’s optimal performance.
In the offseason however, when you can’t be as hands on with your boat, most likely you want to ensure it’s in safe hands and in protective housing.
Boat storage can be a complicated affair, not only from the point of view that your boat is a delicate structure, but also because it is as difficult to prepare a boat for storage as it is to house it safely in the winter months.
Approaching dedicated self-storage facilities that specialize in boat storage, with the experience to protect your boat and its accessories safely against the vicissitudes of the harsh winter, may be your best option, especially as you would like your boat ‘action worthy’ at the press of a button when you want to hit the waters again.

Here are a few considerations for preparing your boat for housing during the offseason:

Points To Prepare A Boat For Self-Storage
• Clean your boat of food crumbs and left over beverages before storage, to prevent rodents and cockroaches from making your boat their winter residence.
• Your first precautions must be to prevent corrosion, during storage. For this it is imperative for you to flush out the grime, salt and dirt by appropriate means and add an anti-freeze element into the cooling system of the boat to tide over harsh winter conditions without destroying the system
• Top up your fuel and add an additive for fuel stabilization and to prevent condensation during the winter months. Also consider changing the oil and filters. Start the engine and let it run for about a quarter of an hour before as final steps before placing your boat in storage.
• After you take the boat out of the water, make sure immediately to pull out the bilge drain plug and then scrub clean your boat’s decks and hull.
• Place mildew control-bags in all compartments of the boat to avoid the prospects of a stench when you are ready for taking out the boat in the spring
• Some owners prefer shrink-wrapping the boats to save everything inside.
• Purchasing a good boat cover is a great option as well
• Disconnect and remove the batteries and electronics and place them in a warm spot in the boat storage facility.
• If you own a kayak or canoe, make sure to go only for dedicated self storage facilities
• You must make sure to visit your boat in storage, regularly
• Always verify from the boat owner’s manual that your warranty does not expire during the storage period. Take corrective action if you have to, well before committing the boat for winter storage.
• If you want an affordable and good quality storage option, you can consider an outdoor facility with an efficient cover
• Identify and utilize a proper support system like jack stands, blocks or trailers when you haul out your boat for winter storage, and pay special attention to the hull and the keel, during the process
• Remember to take out your boat for a small trip to record all the problems that you may see with a minute eye, and then, attend to the shortcomings before storage.

These are just a few helpful tips that you may consider when it comes to storing your boat. Big Box Storage specializes in portable storage, so it’s best to check with an experienced boat storage facility expert, who may offer further advice to the tips we’ve recommended.

Happy boating!