It’s every boater’s least favorite time of year … wintertime: the time to take your boat out of the water and store it for the cold months ahead. We take our boats out of the freezing water in the winter months to prevent damage, so it only makes sense that we’d want to prevent other forms of damage from occurring during the storage period. You may need a boat storage dehumidifier to help you.
Whether you plan to store your boat outside on the trailer, indoors, have it dry-stacked, or shrink-wrapped, the following five steps apply:
- Unpack: Remove everything that should not remain unattended for the season. This includes all personal items, loose items, and valuables. You may also want to hold on to any important paperwork.
- Conduct a Thorough Cleaning: Most boats have cushions or carpets. Remove them and give them a thorough cleaning with carpet cleaner and other fabric-specific cleaners. Wash your boat from front to back, including all lockers, drawers, and cabinets. If you have curtains or other light fabrics, remove them and hand wash them at home or drop them off at the cleaners. If you have space at home, you may want to store all fabrics and cushions indoors for the season for added protection.
- Dehumidify: Once your boat is squeaky clean, air it out so that no condensation or dampness is present. You’ll need a fast way to absorb any present moisture in your boat. Using a boat storage dehumidifier will help speed up the drying process.
- Winterize the Engine and Systems: Winterizing the engine and systems is the next step, although you’ll need to rely on your boat’s specific manual for doing so. Every type of boat (and engine) slightly varies from another. This step will include emptying all tanks so that there is nothing capable of freezing and running antifreeze (non-toxic) through all pipes and pumps.
- Store: Whether you store your boat outside on the trailer, indoors, or have it dry-stacked or shrink-wrapped, you’ll want to be sure that it is 100% covered and does not permit entry for any critters or debris. This will also help keep moisture out.
To avoid any unnecessary moisture, and musty smells, it is recommended to store your boat with a dehumidifying product inside. Because electronic or renewable dehumidifiers won’t have enough juice to run the entire season, Disposable Moisture Absorber & Odor Removers perfect moisture absorbers for boats.
Eva-Dry offers many boat-specific products perfect for dehumidifying. To view disposable moisture absorbers and odor removers for boat storage, click here. To view electronic and renewable dehumidifying products great for in-season use, click here.
We encourage you to contact our team if you have any questions.
