2kwik4u
Jetboaters Fleet Admiral
- Messages
- 7,559
- Reaction score
- 9,860
- Points
- 562
- Location
- Buffalo, NY
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2017
- Boat Model
- AR
- Boat Length
- 19
We bought our '98 RInker in 2006 and it was stored "Semi outside" in a garage with no door on it, but under roof. We used it quite often until 2012 when we sold it for almost what we paid for it to being with. Each weekend we would come home, throw the cover on it, and back it in the garage.
Looked like this:
We would often play all day on the water, then come home and immediately throw the cover on it. We lived in a condo, and Granddad let us keep it in that garage for free so long as we brought him a milkshake whenever we showed up. The cover was a canvas "generic" style cover that came from the previous owner. Had some vents on the top, and a draw string around the hull. VERY similar to the mooring cover we have on the Yamaha now. We never had any issue with mold/mildew. No funky smells, no big deal.
Fast forward to 2017 and we buy our fancy dancy new AR190. It's been in our garage at home for the last 6yrs, and it looks pristine inside and out. Well, maybe not pristine, but damn near like new minus a few wear spots here and there. Anywho, it's in great condition, and I'm certain that's because it's lived most of it's life as near to "indoors" as possible. HOWEVER, I've started storing it outside now. I wanted the garage space back, and with the camper/campsite I have a place that doesn't cost my anything to keep it there. Looks like this:
The lot is mostly shaded. Boat sits in front of camper with the black Yamaha mooring/trailering cover on it. I've been leaving the bimini open, but don't want to on a regular basis. Every time we've been out in the last month of storage like this, it's been wet inside when we put it away/put the cover on it. The lot is "mostly" shaded, but the boat does get a little afternoon sun. I'm getting mildew and a bad odor pretty badly now, and there are noticeable signs of water/mildew on the cushions and carpet. It's like the thing is never getting dry all the way. The rear "gutters" around the seats are always full of water, and the area under the bench and behind the seat are also wet every time we've opened it. I'm unsure if it's because I'm putting it away wet and there's no airflow in there, or if it's drying then getting rewetted with the rain and can't dry properly because of the cover.
When I close it up, I've been stacking the seats on the bench to try to promote airflow around them. Noth hatch doors are open, and the ski locker is open. The bow is raised as high as the jack will go, and then set on a jackstand for security (still running the POS factory jack). The tongue is also "uphill" so I think most of the water COULD drain out of the bottom if it ever got that far. I've left some things hanging from the tower under the bimini, and I always come back to those being dry (even if it's rained), but the bimini is starting to look rough already from being deployed 24/7. I think that it's also shading the cover and preventing it from getting any heat to help with drying the inside out.
How do you guys that store outdoors deal with water intrusion like this? Just let it be wet in there? Take the carpet out and home to dry then replace each time? What about the carpet in the storage areas? Should I put a small fan in there to just run all the time and keep air moving? I have electricity available on site, and wouldn't mind it sitting on a trickle charger while I'm at it. Surely I'm not the only one that deals with this.
Follow up question. There is a boat storage place across the street from camp. Has a waitlist, but it's $900/yr for a spot that looks kinda like this:
Not quite as nice, but that same "3-sided pole barn" look to it. Would that keep enough rain/weather off of it to justify the cost? Could I store it in there between weekends with the cover off and expect it to dry out and stop smelling funky?
I'm super happy to have been parking BOTH cars back in the garage. I was really looking forward to NOT having to scrape windows on the car this winter. We're also considering a larger boat (when are we not right?) and that won't fit in the garage anyway, so I need to figure this mess out in general. I'm open to any input here on how to proceed. TIA!
Looked like this:
We would often play all day on the water, then come home and immediately throw the cover on it. We lived in a condo, and Granddad let us keep it in that garage for free so long as we brought him a milkshake whenever we showed up. The cover was a canvas "generic" style cover that came from the previous owner. Had some vents on the top, and a draw string around the hull. VERY similar to the mooring cover we have on the Yamaha now. We never had any issue with mold/mildew. No funky smells, no big deal.
Fast forward to 2017 and we buy our fancy dancy new AR190. It's been in our garage at home for the last 6yrs, and it looks pristine inside and out. Well, maybe not pristine, but damn near like new minus a few wear spots here and there. Anywho, it's in great condition, and I'm certain that's because it's lived most of it's life as near to "indoors" as possible. HOWEVER, I've started storing it outside now. I wanted the garage space back, and with the camper/campsite I have a place that doesn't cost my anything to keep it there. Looks like this:
The lot is mostly shaded. Boat sits in front of camper with the black Yamaha mooring/trailering cover on it. I've been leaving the bimini open, but don't want to on a regular basis. Every time we've been out in the last month of storage like this, it's been wet inside when we put it away/put the cover on it. The lot is "mostly" shaded, but the boat does get a little afternoon sun. I'm getting mildew and a bad odor pretty badly now, and there are noticeable signs of water/mildew on the cushions and carpet. It's like the thing is never getting dry all the way. The rear "gutters" around the seats are always full of water, and the area under the bench and behind the seat are also wet every time we've opened it. I'm unsure if it's because I'm putting it away wet and there's no airflow in there, or if it's drying then getting rewetted with the rain and can't dry properly because of the cover.
When I close it up, I've been stacking the seats on the bench to try to promote airflow around them. Noth hatch doors are open, and the ski locker is open. The bow is raised as high as the jack will go, and then set on a jackstand for security (still running the POS factory jack). The tongue is also "uphill" so I think most of the water COULD drain out of the bottom if it ever got that far. I've left some things hanging from the tower under the bimini, and I always come back to those being dry (even if it's rained), but the bimini is starting to look rough already from being deployed 24/7. I think that it's also shading the cover and preventing it from getting any heat to help with drying the inside out.
How do you guys that store outdoors deal with water intrusion like this? Just let it be wet in there? Take the carpet out and home to dry then replace each time? What about the carpet in the storage areas? Should I put a small fan in there to just run all the time and keep air moving? I have electricity available on site, and wouldn't mind it sitting on a trickle charger while I'm at it. Surely I'm not the only one that deals with this.
Follow up question. There is a boat storage place across the street from camp. Has a waitlist, but it's $900/yr for a spot that looks kinda like this:
Not quite as nice, but that same "3-sided pole barn" look to it. Would that keep enough rain/weather off of it to justify the cost? Could I store it in there between weekends with the cover off and expect it to dry out and stop smelling funky?
I'm super happy to have been parking BOTH cars back in the garage. I was really looking forward to NOT having to scrape windows on the car this winter. We're also considering a larger boat (when are we not right?) and that won't fit in the garage anyway, so I need to figure this mess out in general. I'm open to any input here on how to proceed. TIA!
