Tagged: winter
Winter Oversight
Winter has officially begun here in the Northeast. The temperatures and snow are both falling and the boats are secured in their winter storage places. It seems like the prudent man or woman could ignore their boat until the spring thaw, but, unfortunately, that simply isn’t the case. Over time things shift and paths open up for foul weather to intrude. Recently, during a quick boat check-in, I noticed that a key cover support stand had started to cut through the cover where there was a lot of concentrated stress. The stand had been well padded, but as a result [...]
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 [...]
Checking In
Here in New England, we’re in middle of winter doldrums. Fortunately, it’s been a relatively mild season so far, which is good and bad. It’s good because the number of days with high snowfall accumulations or sub-freezing temperatures has been low. It’s bad because this type of weather can cause otherwise vigilant boaters to “fall asleep at the switch”, ignoring their boats in perhaps their most critical time. It doesn’t take a continual string of record-breaking snowfalls to find the weak spot in an outside cover, allowing snow and water to unexpectedly flow in. And, in similar fashion, it can [...]