It doesn't make sense to take your boat out on the water all year round when the conditions are harsh. When your boat is not in use, it should be safely stored away in a storage unit. However, you can't just pull your boat from the water and stick it in a storage unit. There are things you need to do to ensure your boat will be ready for the water when you need it again.

Scrub Your Boat Down

The first thing you are going to need to do is clean your boat. You never want to put a dirty boat in storage. Start by taking out the bilge drain plug and allowing anything that is stuck in your boat to come out. After that, you are going to want to scrub the inside of the boat. You are going to want to wash down and scrub the hull and the decks on your boat. Then, you are going to want to open the strainers and thru-hulls on your boat, as well as the seacocks. Scrub off all the things that grow on your boat over time, such as barnacles.

You want to scrub every surface in and on your boat, removing all the dirt and build-up that occurs during a season out on the water.

Dry Your Boat Thoroughly

Before you move your boat into storage, you need to make sure it is dry. You shouldn't expect to deep clean your boat and move it into storage on the same day. You should allow for a few days in between cleaning your boat and putting it into storage to allow for adequate drying time.

Raise up the bow of the boat in order to ensure that all the water left on your boat from the deep cleaning is removed from your boat.

Get some mildew control bags and place them inside the cabin of your boat, as well as all the storage compartments on your boat. This will prevent mildew from taking over while your boat is in storage.

Secure Loose Items

Finally, you are going to want to secure any loose items on your boat. You don't want to leave items out on your boat. Put all your navigation and electronic equipment away. Put the pads for your seats inside of storage compartments. Tie down any moveable part of your boat that you can't simply put away.

Before you put your boat in storage, scrub the inside and outside of your boat down well. Remove all the junk that accumulates on the outside of your boat over time. Make it shine and allow it to dry before putting it in storage. Secure and properly store all loose items as well. Contact a boat storage business like Sand Bar Marine for more information.

Share