As summer starts to wrap up, you need to start preparing your boat for winter storage. If this is your first year owning a boat, here are a few tips to help you prepare both the outside and the inside of your boat for storage.
Seal Exhaust Ports
The first thing you are going to want to do is seal all exhaust ports on your boat. When your boat is in storage, pests can use these ports to get into your boat and wreak havoc. You don't have to do anything too crazy; just use duct tape to cover these openings on both the inside and outside of your boat.
Remove Electronics
Next, take out any electronics that you have inside of your boat. Most electronics can become easily damaged when they are exposed to cold temperatures in the winter. Be sure to remove items such as GPS, radio and sound systems, and electronic chargers from your boat and store them inside of your home.
Treat Organic Material
After you remove all the electronics, you are going to want to remove any organic material, such as leather, canvas and fabric. These types of materials can be easily compromised over the winter time when exposed to cold weather and prolonged humidity. If you can't remove these materials, make sure that you treat them. Also make sure that any organic material is as clean as possible before putting it into storage.
Wipe Down All Surfaces Inside
Use a cleaner and wipe down all surfaces inside of your boat. You want to get rid of any dust and crumbs that may be inside of your boat because they could make your boat smell funny when you take it out of storage in the spring and could attract insects and other pests.
Wash & Wax The Outside
Finally, you are going to want to wash the outside of your boat. Make sure that you scrub off and remove all organic material from the outside of your boat. You don't want to leave anything on the outside of your boat that could attract additional critters or stain the exterior during the winter months.
After you have washed the outside of your boat, you are going to want to thoroughly wax the outside of your boat. Waxing your boat will help prevent it from developing rust while it is out of the water and in your storage unit this winter.
For more tips and information on storage options, talk to a full service storage facility like Affordable Transfer Co Inc.
