The last warm and sunny days of the year are speeding past and the morning and evening chill air portends the coming of winter. Even the most die hard boaters and jet ski enthusiasts now face the reality of protecting their investment by winterizing their watercraft and moving it into a self storage unit or boat storage facility. The end of daylight savings time brings this reality to the forefront; much like the stroke of midnight on April 15th means the tax return had best be postmarked.
When you’re a boat or jet ski owner you require a secure place to store your craft and if you’re like most boaters, the property around the house or the garage is not a viable option due to space or zoning restrictions. And if you’re selling your boat, do you really want buyers coming to your home? Thus a secure and safe storage facility within reasonable proximity to the home or marina provides an ideal solution. If you’re an old hand at wintering your vessel, or a newbie, the following tips for storing your boat or jet ski are worth reviewing.
• A great source for information is often managers of local storage facilities. Tap their experience for advice relevant to your situation. You might be breaking new ground with utilizing self storage space, but they are not and will be glad to assist you.
• Most facilities discourage or specifically do not permit repairing or extensive maintenance of boats on their premises. So if you need to work on your boat before you put it in storage, check with your self storage provider for their policy.
• If storing indoors, check fuel lines and gaskets, and consider laying down something to prevent damage to the unit’s floor. Cardboard or old carpet works well for this purpose. To prevent leaks and fire hazards, draining gasoline from the fuel tank is highly recommended.
• When calculating the storage space required to store your watercraft, be sure to consider room for all the equipment that you may need to store with it, especially if you have added additional equipment during the summer.
• Just like your car, be sure anything which can freeze is drained or sufficiently protected with antifreeze.
• Be sure to check your insurance to assure it is sufficient to protect you. Self storage facilities typically do not offer this protection for personal items.
• Check your license plates to make sure they will not expire. Some self storage facilities require current licensing while using their facilities, as well as proof of registration.
• Make sure your trailer tires are properly inflated and not showing signs of excessive wear or dry rot.
Following these pointers will help you have a hassle free storage rental experience and when the days start getting longer, you’ll know your boat or jet ski can be launched as soon as you’re ready to go back on the water.
I am a boater and I found this article so informative. I think its very necessary to keep my boat in storage during winter.
This is good info, people need to know the importance of boat maintenance, part of which includes winterizing and storing ones boat.
I’ve been trying to convince my wife that storing the boat indoors would help prolong its life. I’ll have her read this. Thanks!