Tagged: storage
Early Winter Check
With single digit temperatures forecasted for this week, it’s obvious that it’s early Winter in New England. Everywhere you look there are winterized and covered boats sitting on trailers and stands. At first glance, it would seem that everything is set until spring commissioning and in most cases that is true. However, for ultra-protective owners, there can still be things worth checking. For example, all possible water should be removed from the bilges, followed by disconnecting the pump and battery connections to prevent battery depletion. Following this, the batteries should be charged 100%, and then disconnected, to avoid freezing and [...]
Out of Sight…
It’s the dead of winter here in the Northeast. Temperatures vary daily between the teens to the mid-30s, and snow is a frequent occurrence. As most boat owners, I tend to think less about my boat during the winter months, it’s basically out of sight and out of mind. And, therein lies the rub. You see, I checked on the boat last weekend and, surprisingly, found a considerable amount of snow on the cover, which was placing excessive weight on many parts of the cover structure. This was unexpected as I have used the same basic cover set-up for several [...]
Time To Check In
It’s been a mild winter in New England so far this year. There’s been some snow and cold temperatures, but, in general, it’s been a pretty light affair. That’s the good news. On the other side is the fact that easy times often lead to complacency in various areas, including winter boat monitoring, and that can lead to problems. Boat covers can shift in winter winds, chafing against shiny fiberglass surfaces and allowing snow and ice to enter the boat. Small rodents, left undisturbed, can feast on wiring and upholstery. And, engine drive covers can tear enabling drive-splitting ice to [...]
Winter Guests
Recently I had to make a trip to the boat to handle one last important winter storage chore, namely, rodent control. Several times in the last few years, I’ve opened up the boat in the spring and found mouse nests comprised of fabric scraps, wire insulation, sticks, and a variety of other materials. And, while some of these self-made winter homes were in non-critical storage spaces, others were built in the middle of key wiring junctures creating high risks of fire and wiring harness failure. While I’m as much of an animal lover as the next person, the situation is [...]