Inside Vs Outside

I

irishfire

New Member
Sep 15, 2009
134
toronto
Boat Info
78 SRV 240 weekender
Engines
1 lonely 5.7L Merc
Hi everyone, i am looking to store my boat this winter (new to boating) and would really like to know if storing in a barn vs storing outside shrinkwrapped......what is the better option...its only a 350 dollar difference...

Thanks any advice is appreciated
 
Best option-inside heated. No winterization or techs crawling around your boat. Just drain the water systems and clean the head. Next best, inside cold. Need to winterize but no wild temp changes that cause condensaton and mildew. Boat stays clean. Outside cold. Least desirable. Winterizing needed and temp changes can be a problem. Darker shrink wrap is better than clear for reducing condensation. This is a necessary evil for some boaters due to lack of inside storage facilities.
 
I would vote for inside vs. shrink wrapped. I've seen a few rough barns which wouldn't provide much protection but would guess you are looking at something a bit nicer... :grin:

If it is inside and not shrink wrapped then you can work on it and do things over the winter which would be difficult if it was covered and in the elements.
 
i am thinking inside too and its is 300 cheaper....but what kind of problems would mice cause?
 
Mice can do a lot of damage by building nest in seats, beds, and other places. You don't want mice anywhere near your boat in the winter. They also chew wires and do other bad things.
 
We are prefer inside cold. I open everything up (cabinets, drawers, refrigerator door, etc) and put bounce sheets all over.

I would prefer inside heated, but it is a little more costly and there is a waiting list right now for our area.
 
You may want to check what the rules are about working on your boat in the storage barn (if indeed you plan any work this fall / winter / spring). At our marina there is no work allowed on any boat iin the indoor storage due to insurance reasons - and for sure someone would end up with an over zelous project and get spray paint or dust everywhere. We are opting for outdoor shrink wrap so I can work on her any time the weather permits. Hopefully we have a few more weeks before they have to go away in these parts.

Good luck.
 
Just curious on whats the barn setup, how $300 cheaper? does that mean free because the shrink wrap will cost $300?
 
it is an equestrian barn with a sand bottom, promising a dry climate....they are only charging 480.00 for our 24 footer....which is 300 cheaper than wrap and outdoor storage...they do not allow people to work on their boats, but ours is in great nic so it doesnt need any work done....inside heated would be a great option but they want 10.00 per foot...thats half what our boat is worth...lol...
 
Dont want to Hi-Jack ... But I have the same question ....

If I store my boat outside would i need to winterize ? here in the SF bay area the coldest it ever gets is around 32 Degrees F over night.
 
I keep mine in a garage we bought last Dec. We have power but no water. It's in there 365/24/7 unless we're on it. It's been nice.
Garage11-17-08.jpg
 
Regarding the Bay area queston, I don't think you need to worry about winterizing. I'm pretty familiar with that climate (just got back from a week there). Even though you get some chilly weather it does not last long enough to cause worry. Our boat is routinely exposed to high 20s/low 30s for short periods, and we've never had a problem as long as it's in the water.
 
Excuse my ignorance, but if the boat is being laid up for more than a couple of months, is it not prudent to "winterize" it due to other factors beside cold? Seems that changing the fluids, putting antifreeze in and fogging the engine kind of retards rust and other breakdowns, as well as stabilizing the fuel (damn ethanol).

We winterize, and I store in my garage, but I have a smaller boat. Either way, I think I would opt for indoor no matter what.
 
Definitely indoor whenever it's an option. As for mice....it might be a wives tale but place the Bounce dryer sheets throughout the boat. I don't know for sure that it was the dryer sheets but I had a convertible that I stored in the winter and never had mice.

.
 
billandamy said:
Excuse my ignorance, but if the boat is being laid up for more than a couple of months, is it not prudent to "winterize" it due to other factors beside cold? Seems that changing the fluids, putting antifreeze in and fogging the engine kind of retards rust and other breakdowns, as well as stabilizing the fuel (damn ethanol).

We winterize, and I store in my garage, but I have a smaller boat. Either way, I think I would opt for indoor no matter what.
Click to expand...


I'm starting to think that "winterizing" when storing it in the garage is pointless. I hear the general rule for running the motor is 3 months. Therefore if its being stored inside pull it out mid winter and run it for a few OR fog the engine. I don't see a point in antifreeze when you can just drain the water out of the motor and keep that valve open to let an remaining water evaporate. I would still change all the fluids before putting it away for the season, but other than that what else is there?
 
Slacker said:
I'm starting to think that "winterizing" when storing it in the garage is pointless. I hear the general rule for running the motor is 3 months. Therefore if its being stored inside pull it out mid winter and run it for a few OR fog the engine. I don't see a point in antifreeze when you can just drain the water out of the motor and keep that valve open to let an remaining water evaporate. I would still change all the fluids before putting it away for the season, but other than that what else is there?
Click to expand...

Youve seen my garage! Pullign my boat out would be a hassle. Between the kids crap, quad, bikes, mower and other junk that Id have to move to get it out, plus the 1/8" I have to work the boat out of the garage and that air conditioner duct that scratches the wake tower, that would be a half day work just to run it for 15 minutes.

For you, yea, maybe just worth doing what you say.

The way I look at it is for the extra few $'s over the cost of materials, someone else can do all of the work, and I can just not think about it until the boat comes out for spring.

Sorry I cant go wakeboarding today. Frikkin perfect too! Hot, no wind....uuugh! Darn kids! Anyone want to pick my son up at day care and watch him for a while so we can go boarding?
 
billandamy said:
Youve seen my garage! Pullign my boat out would be a hassle. Between the kids crap, quad, bikes, mower and other junk that Id have to move to get it out, plus the 1/8" I have to work the boat out of the garage and that air conditioner duct that scratches the wake tower, that would be a half day work just to run it for 15 minutes.

For you, yea, maybe just worth doing what you say.

The way I look at it is for the extra few $'s over the cost of materials, someone else can do all of the work, and I can just not think about it until the boat comes out for spring.

Sorry I cant go wakeboarding today. Frikkin perfect too! Hot, no wind....uuugh! Darn kids! Anyone want to pick my son up at day care and watch him for a while so we can go boarding?
Click to expand...


I'd ask Lisa, but I may be pushing it:) However, she doesn't have a car seat for him. If she did she may not mind.
 
Changing fluids is not winterizing. That's maintenance. As far as running antifreeze, etc. It's just not done anymore for inside heated stored boats. Fogging engines, same thing. Our boats sit for 6 months with no issues. If I were not going to launch a boat for an extended period of time I would do the antifreeze and fogging in addition to the fluid changes. If that was my situation, the boat would be for sale and might sit for quite a while before being started. I would want to insure that all was well on start up. For routine storage it's not needed. There is no corrosion to worry about with a boat put away clean and dry in a warm building.
 
sbw1 said:
Changing fluids is not winterizing. That's maintenance. As far as running antifreeze, etc. It's just not done anymore for inside heated stored boats. Fogging engines, same thing. Our boats sit for 6 months with no issues. If I were not going to launch a boat for an extended period of time I would do the antifreeze and fogging in addition to the fluid changes. If that was my situation, the boat would be for sale and might sit for quite a while before being started. I would want to insure that all was well on start up. For routine storage it's not needed. There is no corrosion to worry about with a boat put away clean and dry in a warm building.
Click to expand...


You confused that crap outa me... so you're saying fogging and antifreeze is not done anymore with inside storage, but if your not using it for a long period of time you would fog it and do the antifreeze? Did you mean keeping it outside?:huh:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,193
Messages
1,428,284
Members
61,104
Latest member
Three Amigos
Back
Top