Backyard storage, shrink-wrap at a boatyard, or indoor storage - how should you store your boat for the  winter? That depends on your goals for the off-season - whether you want to save money and keep the boat in the backyard, have it fully protected indoors, or be able to work on it in a heated storage facility. Boating World takes an indoor-outdoor look at the different possibilities, discussing the pros and cons of each method.

Method 1: Backyard Storage
The majority of owners keep their trailerable boats in their backyards, largely because it's the cheapest form of winter storage. Plus, it allows them to work on their boats whenever weather permits. While a backyard cover is the most common way to protect the boat, the experts note that you need to pick the right cover and set it up properly.

"The best option is to buy a cover with a fabric that's breathable and water-resistant," says John Pierce, president of Safety Components Fabric Technologies, which manufactures high-end cover materials like WeatherMax. "People use all types of regular boat covers, and if you don't get the proper air flow, it can really promote mildew. There has to be a good balance between water resistance and breathability, and it also has to be able to block UV rays to prevent damage to the upholstery."   

Any boater who has seen the black blotches on the upholstery and smelled that blue-cheese odor when lifting the cover in the spring knows what Pierce is talking about. But a cover's strength is important, too. "The cover also has to withstand snow and wind loads," Pierce says. Boat covers, he notes, have an extreme price range from $49 for the least expensive universal covers at mass retailers to $2,000 to have a custom cover and frame made for your boat. "A custom cover will always outperform a universal cover," says Pierce. "It'll maintain a nice, snug fit, with no sagging or wind whipping, and will last from five to 10 years."

Dave Karpinsky, vice president of marketing for Taylor Made Products, which manufactures covers for thousands of boat designs, agrees that the material's strength is crucial for how well it protects. "A thin material on cheaper covers can snag on a windshield or cleat and rip, so it'll lose its shape and any sense of a snug fit quickly," he says. "It's better to invest in a stronger material. Some of the new ones like Hot Shot or Ultima also have a slicker surface, so snow tends to slide off faster than the traditional poly-cotton materials." Beyond the materials, of course, the cover has to be strongly supported by an internal frame to maintain its shape. 

"I had a custom canvas cover made for my boat and a door installed in the cover at the corner so I can enter it anytime to work in the winter," says Les Martin of Brick, N.J., who owns a 29-foot Crownline. "During the colder winter months, maintenance on the boat is more comfortable due to the sun heating up the canvas and keeping the interior warmer."

Other boat owners have installed portable garages in their backyards as winter shelters. "We bought a portable, round-topped, 16-foot-by-32-foot garage," says Rory Mainer, owner of the 25-foot Parents Gone Wild. "For the cost of one season  of indoor storage elsewhere, our Crownline is now protected from the wind, sun, rain and snow year-round for many years. Having it located on our property, under cover, allows me to work on projects during the off-seasons."

Method 2: Shrink-wrapped At A Boatyard
Shrink-wrapping your boat is like wrapping it up in a cocoon. "The best thing about the shrink-wrap we sell is it keeps the boat dry and ventilated, and you don't have to baby-sit it all winter," says Mike Stenberg, president of Dr. Shrink. "Besides, the boat is clean as a whistle when it comes out, the material is recyclable, and you get your garage in the winter."

Like a boat cover, notes Stenberg, shrink-wrap has to be ventilated and well-supported to carry snow-bearing loads. Many boatyards specialize in shrink-wrapping boats and store them on their premises through the winter. Stenberg says that the costs often depend on where the boat is located. "A boatyard might charge $15 per foot on a 20-foot boat on the East Coast, and that same boat might cost $6.50 per foot in the Midwest." To keep costs low, there are also do-it-yourself shrink-wrap packages sold at retail stores like West Marine for boats up to 25 feet.

Method 3: Indoor Storage
There are many different forms of indoor storage at a marina or boatyard, from unheated warehouses that offer UV and weather protection to dry stacks in climate-controlled indoor spaces.

Some owners prefer the boatyard taking control of maintenance and storage. "I have my marina do the winterization," says boat owner Tony Campitelli of Westminster, Md. "That way, if something goes wrong, you're sort of covered. Besides, it would take me a day of work to winterize it. Keeping it in an indoor rack facility is also like being in an unheated garage. It offers great protection."

"Dry storage keeps the boat out of the weather but puts you at the mercy of the dry-storage facility," counters boat owner Phil Belcher of Palmyra, Va. "My experience has been that the facility tells you the date when you have to bring your boat in, which sometimes is weeks before you were planning on pulling the boat out. Once in storage, there's no access to the boat until springtime. In the spring, the facility controls which date the boat is pulled out of storage - maybe several weeks after you planned to be on the water."

But some Northern boat dealers are seeing a migration toward indoor facilities among clients. "The heated indoor storage has the greatest benefit for larger vessels with multiple engines, generators and air-conditioning systems," says Peter Blacklock of Torresen Marine in Muskegon, Mich. "You don't need to winterize them, and some of the captains work on them year-round."

Kevin Miller, general manager of Gull Lake Marine in Richland, Mich., says that heated or not, his dealership still winterizes the boats. "It's a process of taking the stale oil and other fluids out after a boating season," says Miller. "We tout the heated storage as a controlled environment - humidity can be more of an enemy to the boat than cold weather. We keep it at 50 to 55 degrees - warm enough so the boats can be worked on all winter." Miller says his dealership charges $36 per foot to keep boats in its heated dry-stack facility in  the off-season and $24 per foot in the non-heated building.

Given their druthers, many owners would keep their boats at home in a heated garage - though the size of most boats precludes this. But for those who do have the space, it's the next best thing to having the boat in the water. "It's certainly my first preference," says Belcher. "The wife knows where to find me because I'm at home. It's also minimal cost and allows me to tinker in the boat at any time, regardless of  the weather." But even that has its downside, according to Belcher: "The con is that the wife fusses that I spend too much time tinkering in the boat."


COMPARING THE METHODS

Backyard Storage

Pros: Least-expensive method, and you can work on the boat whenever.

Cons: Greatest exposure to the elements, and if it's not done properly, the boat could end up with mold and mildew issues.

Cost: Boat covers range from $49 to $2,000, depending on whether you get a universal cover or a custom-made one.




Shrink-wrapped At A Boatyard

Pros: Doesn't take up backyard space, and if it's installed properly, it seals tighter than a drum.

Cons: Can be expensive, and you have to repeat the process each year.

Cost: Prices per foot vary depending on the location, but generally start around $6.50.




Indoor Storage

Pros: Keeps the boat entirely out of the elements, and allows for year-round maintenance.

Cons: Can be expensive, may not offer easy access to the boat, and dependent on marina for launching after the season starts.

Cost: Dealerships charge per foot, and prices vary according to season and facility.