I have 2 boats the good one sits in the shed no room for the other just a 14 foot bench boat the motor and electronics can come off and stay in shed if I put a tarp on it will it be OK. Asking because if not will have to look for storage. I’ve never had one sit outside before very simple boat but I cannot flip it over on trailer.
I’ve always stored my boats outside – you won’t hurt it.
Just make sure you get a solid cover that won’t tear and won’t allow water in. You might need to build something for the cover to stay taught – you want to make sure the snow doesn’t build up and then tear the cover or allow water in.
Ive had boats sit outside before and no significant damage occurred just filthy come Spring time. I put a regular cover on, then a poly tarp over top of that with very good pitch to reduce snow or water buildup. Make sure the tires are on pavement or concrete, blocks work OR jack the entire trailer off the ground and have on jack stands. This should be easy with a small boat.
Make sure you lower the motor all the way to get every drop of water out of the lower unit. Perhaps put some painters or duct tape over the prop to ensure nothing makes its way in there.
Add stuff inside to deter critters.
I have left several of my rigs out in Iowa winters. If boat has drain plug pull it out and raise front of boat higher because no matter how well you cover it, it will get water in it. The winter winds and heavy snow cover makes them hard to cover effectively.
I would not have an issue storing a 14 foot bench boat outside. I see a lot of people store much nicer, bigger boats than that outside all winter. I would never store my own boat outside but its also pretty new and I really don’t have a storage location for it on my property. I’m not gonna be one of those guys that just parks it in my yard either so I pay to have it stored in the winter indoors.
If you can keep the snow and sun off it you will be fine. My Pontoon is aging very well and its been stored outside most of its 12 years.
Similar question but a bit more specific maybe. We just got a used Reata that’s in great shape, but we don’t have a heated garage or room in the garage to store it there.
At the same time, I want to keep it through a good chunk of the fall as that’s my favorite time to fish. Anything I should do besides trying to drain it real well after use once the temps drop below freezing overnight?
I will eventually store it for the winter, so once it’s really cold it’s going away. But that time in the fall where you might get below freezing overnight but still hit 50s during the day is my favorite fishing time.
Box fan with an extension cord to dry it out under the tarp Phil, with vented cover of course.
Imo it’s imperative to have the boat dry before storage day comes, and if it’s early winter those temps make it real tough to dry out. Fall fishing always seems to get inside of my boat wet.
MrPike, your boat will be fine. I stored boats outside for years, never an issue and in fact I think they are less attractive to mice when outside since they aren’t a warm cozy space like they are indoors.
Just make sure you have them well tarped so no moister gets in and NO POOLING of snow or water on top of the tarp. To accomplish this, you need a very steep A frame that will allow snow to slide all the way off the tarp and over the rail.
For lack of a better description, I built a custom “big sawhorse” for each of my boats. The top of the sawhorse had a 2×6 that ran the full length of the boat from bow to stern and the legs supported the sawhorse at the bow and right at the stern. The “top” of the sawhorse was about 4 feet above the floor of the boat, so you can see how much pitch is needed to get water to slide all the way over the rail. Each boat is different, so you have to do some custom design, but when done right this system works well, is sturdy, and easy to install and then store in the summer.
Build the sawhorse first, then buy a tarp to fit.
I will eventually store it for the winter, so once it’s really cold it’s going away. But that time in the fall where you might get below freezing overnight but still hit 50s during the day is my favorite fishing time.
Make sure you pour RV antifreeze in the livewell drain after each use so that water doesn’t freeze and burst the drain tube or fittings. Some boats have enough “pitch” to drain the livewell hose completely, but I would not want to take the chance with your Ranger as a burst hose could be a real beech to get at.
Grouse
If you can turn the 14 footer upside down on the trailer.The snow wont be an issue.
If you can turn the 14 footer upside down on the trailer.The snow wont be an issue.
I’ve never had one sit outside before very simple boat but I cannot flip it over on trailer.
Guessing he already addressed that issue.
My bad,missed that.
I would cover it if you have problems with a lot of tree crap,otherwise leave it open and remove excessive snow if possible.Sun does more damage in reality.I stored boats like this for a few years with no issues.Keep the bow elevated for drainage.
If you can’t get the snow out,just support the rear frame of trailer to keep weight off tires/springs.
The key is to keep the inside dry. I would definitely cover the boat. I think where you may run into issues is when you get water to pool inside the boat. Late winter/early spring freeze/thaw cycles will cause that water to expand when it freezes and contract when it thaws. Over time the stress of those cycles can impact rivets.
Similar question but a bit more specific maybe. We just got a used Reata that’s in great shape, but we don’t have a heated garage or room in the garage to store it there.
At the same time, I want to keep it through a good chunk of the fall as that’s my favorite time to fish. Anything I should do besides trying to drain it real well after use once the temps drop below freezing overnight?
I will eventually store it for the winter, so once it’s really cold it’s going away. But that time in the fall where you might get below freezing overnight but still hit 50s during the day is my favorite fishing time.
What Grouse said about RV anti-freeze in the livewell. Also, in the fall every time I take the boat out of the water I fire the engine up just long enough to blow the water out of the lines. The impellor is still wet, and running it for a few seconds won’t hurt it or the motor. I’ve done this for years fishing the Mississippi all the way through winter if a ramp stays open and never had a problem with freezing. The day you decide to be done for the winter though, be sure get all the water out of the motor and the boat(moisture).
Thanks for the tips guys, I’ll pick up some antifreeze for sure. Just looked at the forecast for the next 10 days and we are going to hit 40s overnight soon, crazy how fast that’s coming!
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