Winter Storage Options for Your Boat
Thursday, November 7th, 2013Budget vs. Convenience
Storing a boat or a yacht is important to help keep it in tiptop shape over the winter, or any other time you take it out of the water. The amount that the boat weighs can have an impact on storage, as can its foot length.
Trailering Your Boat
Boat Trailer By Tawker via Wikimedia Commons
If you have a small budget, then storing your boat via a trailer is something that you might want to consider. Trailers are the most popular option among boat owners who do not have the funds to dry dock the boat in the marina over the winter. There is honestly nothing more inexpensive than trailering your boat. You can take a trailer to your home, and set it in the driveway, or off to the side of the yard – on the street if necessary, and if you have proper registration for the trailer to do so.
Trailering offers the added benefits of being able to bring your boat to any marina, beach, or other place with a dock or boat ramp. This allows you to come and go with your boat as you please, instead of being stuck to the schedule that the marina sets for you.
Marina Storage
However, if you have a budget that might permit the possibility of storing your boat or yacht at the marina instead, you might want to opt for this instead of a trailer to ensure that the boat is stored correctly and taken care of during the times you cannot be there to attend to the boat’s needs. While the trade off is the hours at which you can go to the marina to see or sue the boat, it could be worth it if you do not have the facilities to store your boat at home in a driveway, or if you do not have a car that is big and strong enough to tow it.
Rack Storage
Another option is rack storage, which is a good option for boats that are smaller. Rack storage facilities dry dock the boat in a rack inside a warehouse of sorts. They cover the boat and keep it clean and dry. You can come and go according to the facility hours, the facility will retrieve the boat when you want to take it out and will store your boat for you when you are finished.
Are you ready to sacrifice the ability to come and go as you please so that you do not have to do the storing? On the other hand, do you know how to hitch a trailer and keep up with the boat’s maintenance if you keep it at your home? We ask these questions because the answers will make the difference between the choices you make. Ultimately, while the main differences between the three options are money and convenience, the decision on how to store your boat is entirely up to you.