winter storage

[bosshawg]

 not having a inside place to store boat over winter have been looking at this site for a motor cover and wanting to hear if anyone has one of these or know of anyone & if they approve, like it, etc..

http://www.outboardmotorcovers.com/

[djkimmel]

I don't recall seeing one before the covers the whole motor like that - at least that anyone I know was using. My Ranger cover goes over the whole boat and top half of the motor in one piece already, but I do know anglers who have used the separate cover that covers the top half of the motor and like it.

I guess, why not cover the whole motor? These motors aren't inexpensive simple machines? They mention trailering with it on?

I already have my (in)famous orange prop cover on mine. I've heard just enough stories about errant rocks and prop theft, along with watching my Goddaughter when she was younger running around the boat at the campground and 'bouncing' of the prop enough to know I didn't want the sharp edge to take a slice.

[Skulley]

I don't store my boat outside in the winter.  I rent garage space from a single mom around the corner from me.  She is a friend of my bride's and to help her out, I rent the space which also helps me out.  Now my friends that own boats be it fishing, pleasure, or whatever, highly recommend shrink wrapping.  One of my constituents at work (me being his union steward and all)  has a shrink wrap kit.  All he does is buy a roll of shrink wrap now that he has the heat blower and all the other stuff and shrink wraps his every year.  He lives on Grosse Ile and stores his boat outside.  He is a pleasure boater but he also does several other of my constituents and their boats.  I would look into shrink wrapping your boat if you store it outside. 


BD     

[bosshawg]

 the neighbors garage thing sounds like a pretty good idea. glad that worked out great for you. garages around here barely big enuff to put 2 cars in, but in a condo complex what do you expect.
never did or have done the shrink wrap deal. just couldn't get by the cost of it (somebody doing) only to rip it up next season for the trash & then doing over again, year after year. the boat well covered w/a good cover purchase this year, a tarp over that and then a heavy duty shipping cover the dealer gave me when i purchased the boat. that covers the top cowl of motor only, but i believe the full motor cover just adds a some xtra pre-caution to the elements. i do a good job when i winterize so i don't run into problems at start-up come the new season, but w/a boat & motor that's pretty old, that x-tra pre-caution is probably worth the costs.

[Skulley]

Sounds like you got it covered.  No pun intended........... .   There is this storage yard by me that shrink wraps and he charges about $150 for a 20 ft bass boat.  Mine is 18 and he told me that he would charge me $120 for shrink wrap.  I thought that was good.  But I got mine in a garage and that is the ticket.  But if I did store outside, I would get the shrink wrap stuff myself and do it myself.  For what a roll of the wrap costs and the heat gun.  The roll will last 4 or 5 seasons for a 20 footer.  I was told that would be about $60 a year according to the guys at work. 

BD