Boating is very fun, but it is not always possible during the winter months. So, if your boat needs to go into storage for the winter, you may be wondering what the best boat storage options are, and how much they cost.
Boats can be stored under a tent, at a marina, in a storage unit, or at a boat storage facility. It typically costs $20-$200 per foot to store a boat, although the costs vary depending on the type of storage and the storage facility’s rates. Dry outdoor storage typically costs less than indoor.
Now that you know a little bit about how to store a boat for the winter, you may be wondering what the best way to store your boat is. It all depends on the kind of protection you want and how much you’re willing to spend.
Boat Storage Options
Marina
Although marinas are typically used to store boats during the spring and summer months when the boats can be used regularly, they can store boats during the winter months as well. Most marinas have dry storage available, and in climates where the water does not freeze, they may also offer wet storage. However, this is rare because of the possibility that the water will freeze.
Sometimes marinas offer services that help you clean, repair, and prepare your boat to be stored for the winter. However, these services are expensive and the prices vary depending on how much work you want to be done on your boat, how large your boat is, and the overall rates of the services that the marina charges. Before you store your boat for the winter, check if your local marina offers any of these services.
Boat storage at a marina is very convenient because when it is warm enough for you to use your boat again, you only have to go to one place, and you can easily get your boat back into the water. The marina may even put your boat in your dock area for you, which saves you the hassle of moving everything from a storage area and getting it into the water.
However, the marina is usually one of the most expensive places to store your boat. There are typically very few spaces available for dry storage, and they provide a lot of services that will cost extra money (although some are included in the original price). The convenience of storing your boat at the marina costs money. However, if you can afford the costs that come with storing your boat here, it is definitely one of the best places to store it.
Storage Unit
During the winter, you can store your boat in a storage unit. However, long storage units are hard to find at times, especially if you have a large boat.
Sometimes, storage units require you to have a permit to store your boat in their facility. Before you purchase a storage unit, check out the facility’s boat requirements and restrictions. Also, be sure to double-check the storage unit’s measurements and make sure that it will fit your boat and that you will be able to walk around it while your boat is in the facility. If there is no extra room, it will be tricky to get it in and out, as well as perform any winter maintenance you might want to do.
Storage unit facilities are not typically designed to have boats stored inside, and they can be very narrow. Because of this, it will likely be difficult for you to get your boat in and out of the storage unit, even if you have experience doing it.
Storage units are great places to put your boat into and forget about it, which means you can be worry-free all winter. However, before you put your boat into storage, you will need to prep it by yourself because no one at the storage facility will do it for you. This will take a lot of work, but if you have the time to do it, a storage unit is a great place to store your boat in the winter.
Dry Boat Storage
During the winter, you can also store your boat in a dry stack facility along with many other boats. These facilities are sometimes called boatels, and they provide dry storage for your boat during the winter. These dry stack facilities put boats on large racks inside of a covered building or structures. This means your boat will not be exposed to the harsh winter weather, which is great!
However, boatels are sometimes hard to find and can be expensive. Check to see if you have a boatel near you and what their rates are before you decide to store your boat there.
Under a Tent
If you have some space in your front or backyard, you can put a tent-like structure up and put your boat in it. This is one of the most convenient options because you won’t have to pay any fees, your boat is close by, and the tent will keep away the worst of the harsh winter weather.
This is by far the cheapest way to store a boat, and it is one of the easiest ways.
If you do not want to purchase the tent-like structure but still want to store your boat in your yard, you can build one yourself. According to some DIY enthusiasts, you can build your own protective structures out of PVC pipes and a large boat cover, but you can also build one out of scrap wood and a tarp or two.
Source
How Much Does It Cost to Store a Boat?
It costs $20-$50 per foot of the boat to store it outside and costs $50-$200 per foot of the boat to store it in an indoor facility. Most boat storage facilities charge per season, which is great if you are only going to store it during the winter.
Every storage facility will have their own rates, and storage units will charge you per month rather than per season.
You will have to provide the cover that you put on your boat during the winter, and you will probably have to be the one to prepare your boat to be in storage, although some facilities will offer those services for an extra charge. Before you start prepping your boat for winter, check the boat services the storage facility has to offer and try to determine what their prices are. This could make or break the decision for some people.
