One of the challenges of living in the northeastern states is all of the work that must be done in the winter months to put away recreational vehicles and boats for the season, while planning ahead for the work that must be done to take them back out again when spring comes around. Affordable Storage Fall River is a self storage facility that provides space for boat storage in Massachusetts, as well as storage for RVs, personal watercraft, ATVs and other vehicles associated with New England summer fun. This particular article will focus on the ins and outs of how to store your boat to ensure that it is protected during the off-season and will also feature tips on what you need to do to get your boat ready to get back out on the water once the seasons change.
Preparing for Boat Storage Begins in Summer
Before you take your boat out of the water, you need to be prepared. Make sure to purchase a quality boat cover or look into using marine shrink wrap to protect your boat once you have completed all of the winterizing and cleaning that needs to be done. Find out what you will need to do to shrink wrap your boat and make sure you are up to the task. You don’t want to end up frantically running around trying to find an alternative solution if something doesn’t work out by the time you are ready to move your boat into a self storage facility.
The next step is to look into proper hull support. Depending on the type and size of your boat, you could use jack stands, blocks, a trailer or a custom cradle. Many boat owners are not aware just how important good hull support is for the protection of their boat. Hull support is used to protect the keel, bulkheads and your boat’s engine during its time at boat storage in Massachusetts during the off-season. Choosing a secure facility, such as Affordable Storage Fall River, to keep your boat will not just protect it from damage caused by vandalism or accident, but is sometimes the only way for homeowners to store a boat due to restrictions posed by neighborhood associations or city regulations.
When you take your boat out for its final trip of the season, perform a complete inspection. Look for damage, check to see if any repairs need to be made and then make those repairs before you put your boat into storage. It is essential that you fill any cracks in the hull or other areas of the boat, as these cracks can become worse during the freezing weather of winter while your boat is in storage. Use this final trip to check your boat for any items that you don’t want to remain on the boat while in storage and to ensure that everything is closed, locked and put away properly for the end of season.
Taking Your Boat Out of the Water
For best results, you should check with the website of your boat’s manufacturer or go through the operating manual, for instructions on how to store your boat and remove it from the water to avoid damage during the haul out process. If you do anything wrong that goes against the manufacturer’s instructions, you could inadvertently void the warranty. It is very important that you do this part correctly to protect your warranty and your boat. Give yourself plenty of time to allow your boat to completely drain out before putting it into a self storage facility for the off-season.
Take care of the following things immediately after removing the boat from the water:
- remove the bilge drain plug
- clean out all of the thru-hulls and strainers
- open the seacocks to allow water to drain out
- scrub away any barnacles and algae
- clean the interior of the boat
- remove any food that has been stored from cupboards and fridge
- use mildew odor control products to prevent moisture issues
Again, check with the manufacturer’s instructions about winterizing your boat to make sure that you haven’t missed anything important. Once that is complete, all you need to do is take your boat to Affordable Storage Fall River. Ask about the different types of boat storage in Massachusetts that are available and whether your boat should be stored outdoors or, if it is a smaller, personal watercraft, if it should be stored inside the self storage facility units. Knowing how to store your boat and where your boat will be best protected during the off-season will help you to enjoy your boat once again when the weather turns warm.
Taking Your Boat Out of Storage
As soon as the signs of spring begin to emerge, you can begin making preparations to take your boat out of the self storage facility in Fall River. Doing all of the pre-storage maintenance ahead of time will make it easier to get your boat back out onto the water, but there are some things that you should still do before taking it to the marina to make sure that everything is good to go. Start by performing a visual inspection on the boat and the trailer to make sure that there isn’t any new damage that occurred over the winter. If any repairs need to be made, take care of it before you move your boat.
Take a look at the battery and the other electronics, testing them to make sure that they are working and go through the steps of de-winterizing your engine, such as replacing any fluids that you removed prior to boat storage in Massachusetts and installing brand new spark plugs. Clean the boat and polish the exterior, taking care to do an even more close inspection for any cracks, damage or other issues that could have come up over the winter. Make sure that your registration, trailer and any other equipment are properly registered with the state and that everything is up to date.
Where to Store Your Boat in Southeastern Massachusetts
If you need to find out where, when and how to store your boat in the South Coast area, look no further than Affordable Storage Fall River. As a local self storage facility that has been serving residents and seasonal visitors to the area for many years, Affordable Storage has lots of secure, gated space for recreational vehicle and marine equipment, as well as indoor self storage facility units for smaller vehicles and vessels or equipment. Give us a call to find out more about our options for boat storage in Massachusetts to protect your marine investment.