Talk to me about outdoor storage......what am I doing wrong?

[Maslin]

Storage rates will obviously vary by area, but by me open storage is 100 to 150 a month. Covered is 250ish. Indoor wasn't an option pricewise because it's like 700 plus because it's one of those luxury deals where they like gas it and clean it for an additional fee sonyou don't have to do that peasant crap to be on the water.

We're $65 a month outside storage, $110 a month covered, $185 a month in a shared "garage". Currently waiting for a garage spot to open up, the gravel parking lot gets the boat super dusty with only 3 sides covered.

 

[AuburnVFR]

I have a similar issue and need to apply some waterproofing to the aftermarket cover to keep the rain water from getting in. My working theory on water getting in the under-seat compartments is that it is not sitting level enough side-to-side. I tested with a water bottle on a fairly gentle side grade. It will overflow the rear corner of the drain channel on the low side and into the compartment before it runs out of the side. I'm not sure if propping the seats open with a pool noodle is helping or hurting in that regard. I will do some more trouble shooting when I bring it home after we are done boating this season.

 

[zipper]

You can also add solar powered vent fans to the cover to help circulate the air out and dry it out. I've never had to do this, but it might help???

We have two solar fan vents on the Beneteau. One on each hatch. They work well keeping the boat cooler and drier. They could be mounted to a soft cover but may need support.



Park it inside if possible.

 

[2kwik4u]

I have a similar issue and need to apply some waterproofing to the aftermarket cover to keep the rain water from getting in. My working theory on water getting in the under-seat compartments is that it is not sitting level enough side-to-side. I tested with a water bottle on a fairly gentle side grade. It will overflow the rear corner of the drain channel on the low side and into the compartment before it runs out of the side. I'm not sure if propping the seats open with a pool noodle is helping or hurting in that regard. I will do some more trouble shooting when I bring it home after we are done boating this season.

I'm pretty certain I have a similar issue with the port rear gutter. The boat sits bow high, but listing to port when parked on the trailer. Every time I've gotten in it, that gutter is full of murky water. Not clear rainwater, but not really dirty water either. Like runoff from a dirty cover. I'm certain that it won't drain over to the engine hatch gutter and then to the scupper. I wonder if I could get some levelling boards setup in it's parking spot to level it out, and let those gutters do their job. Likewise the area under the bench and the area behind the captains seat collect water. Moreso under the bench seat, most likely because of the listing.

Sounds like I need a combination of things if it's going to sit out. First is a larger/more resilient cover. Second is a level boat. However the best solution is to get the thing under cover so I can leave it open to dry. Not gonna lie, I would rather clean dust from the inside than mildew/water.

Lots of other boats are stored outdoors there at the campground, and after looking around, none of them how towers, and they all have the covers that don't have openings in them, and ratchet down to the trailer. Not sure if I want to try that first, or just get storage across the street.

 

[Babin Farms]

We have ours outside except for winter & this is what I do. Take anything wet out of the boat when it gets home, prop a couple of seats partially open, open helm door, prop ski locker partially open, pull the drain plug and put the cover on. If there is no rain in the forecast I won’t use the ratchet straps to pull it tight, I’ll leave it loose to let air circulate under the cover and only tighten the straps if there is rain coming

 

[2kwik4u]

We have ours outside except for winter & this is what I do. Take anything wet out of the boat when it gets home, prop a couple of seats partially open, open helm door, prop ski locker partially open, pull the drain plug and put the cover on. If there is no rain in the forecast I won’t use the ratchet straps to pull it tight, I’ll leave it loose to let air circulate under the cover and only tighten the straps if there is rain coming

I think part of my problem is the carpet holding water from the dog/kids while we're boating. I haven't been taking the carpet out, but probably should have. In general, most of our compartments stay dry during the day, and would represent a very small amount of water.

maybe I just need seadeck throughout eh?.......I'm sure the wife won't take that as the answer as quickly as I would like

 

[BlkGS]

I think part of my problem is the carpet holding water from the dog/kids while we're boating. I haven't been taking the carpet out, but probably should have. In general, most of our compartments stay dry during the day, and would represent a very small amount of water.

maybe I just need seadeck throughout eh?.......I'm sure the wife won't take that as the answer as quickly as I would like

I'd absolutely go with either seadek, or for a lot less mo ey the stuff from blacktop jetsports. I didn't have a choice, my boat came.without the carpet but with the snaps and they were SOOO annoying to step on. I had to pull them and replace with foam mats.

Tell her it's so the kids don't hurt themselves on the snaps.

 

[Evil Sports]

Time for a new cover and X the carpet. My 2013 212 is on cover #2. Got rid of the carpet for full seadek about year 6, could be the best mod I did out of all. It spends May to October outside and I never really had much of an issue. I could tell when cover #1 was at the end of its life. I keep my bow up high on the trailer with hopes that water will run out. Last year would have been the telling one for me as we had 20 days of rain in July and I didnt have any mold or smell issues. If I had the opportunity to keep it in that $900 place and it was convenient I would do that for sure but still X the carpet.

 

[CanTex]

I thought that.....I'm not sure it's the complete answer because of how the tower protrudes through. There's always going to be some runoff that gets in through the tower openings.

Any thoughts on just coating the cover in "Never-Wet" or something like that? If it keeps the majority of the water out, will it also not let the water that's already in there back out?!?!

What about some sort of fan sewn into the cover? Like a solar powered vent?



Just let it run 24/7 on low speed?

Yes - leave it on 24/7 low speed

 

[tdonoughue]

Back when I had carpet, I hung it...

https://jetboaters.net/threads/hanging-the-carpet.2774/

 

[Babin Farms]

I think part of my problem is the carpet holding water from the dog/kids while we're boating. I haven't been taking the carpet out, but probably should have. In general, most of our compartments stay dry during the day, and would represent a very small amount of water.

maybe I just need seadeck throughout eh?.......I'm sure the wife won't take that as the answer as quickly as I would like

Sea Deck for the win. I love ours. It was the first thing the wife ordered once we took possession of our boat.

 

[drewkaree]

Similar setup to you - outdoor storage, shaded, afternoon sun, mooring cover. I have none of the issues you have, but there are some differences between our use and yours. You have the snap-in carpet, your area is way more shaded than mine, and your boat is 2 years older than mine.

We almost immediately got rid of the carpet just because it was hot as snot underfoot. When we did have it, whenever we removed it, there was always SOME moisture underneath. My suggestion would be to start pulling your carpet after a good weekend of airing it out, and see if that helps. Going to SeaDek, we've NEVER Had an issue, but you may not want to drop the cash if you're going to a bigger boat. Make the move either way - SeaDek or bigger boat. Realize that with a bigger boat, you're STILL going to have to deal with this, so you might want to hold off on the boat and test out SeaDek on the current boat so the wife gets used to it, and it's likely it's going to be HER decision to upgrade to the SeaDek on the new boat - win for you!

If you've never done anything to your cover since you got it, that's likely part of the issue. Your old canvas cover was at least somewhat breathable, your black mooring cover is not nearly as breathable, and it's strapped down tight to the boat. It's supposed to be water "resistant", and IIRC, there's some sort of liner or coating on the underside to help it shed water. If you've not touched it, the water shedding coating is likely worn and needs a refresh. Mine was starting to let greater amounts of water in, so I used 303 Fabric Guard on it, and since that point, it's been perfect at shedding water. Seams are a must to really coat, I've got a post somewhere here where I did mine, and that'd be my second suggestion for things to do.

The last thing that we do is that at the very least, we take a towel to everything inside prior to covering it. You say you're getting water in the gutters by the seats, which to me, points to water intrusion, either by the tower or through the cover, or both. Nothing you can do about the tower area, but the cover can be addressed. Fabric guard is a cheap addition and you can likely extend the current cover at least a season or more than it would last you. You'll also get an idea of how well it works, and you'll likely want to keep doing it on a new cover when you DO decide to make that move. Drying everything out before putting the cover on will definitely help you identify if the cover needs attention, and also help with some of the issues you're having.

Are you having issues with water in any of the storage areas? If those are getting wet as well, that's not helping your situation, so mebbe check that also.

As long as you have power, I'd drop a fan in there as well, because it sounds like you have a lot of excess moisture in there, and that might take a bit of mechanical aid to truly dry things out. Extension cord and a timer on the fan seems like it would help. With night time temps dropping, you may also have dew/moisture buildup overnight that's never really getting a chance to dry out, and is contributing to the problem.


TL;DR
Dry your boat after use - free
Pull your carpets - free
Fan inside under the cover - cheap/easy/maybe necessary
303 Fabric Guard the cover - cheap/easy/can't hurt to try/maybe necessary

My current situation (and none of the issues you are having):

 

[RobbieO]

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:
View attachment 187749

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:
View attachment 187750

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:
View attachment 187751

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!

$900 a year is a steal. I pay $245 a month, it’s gated and has security.

 

[RobbieO]

$900 a year is a steal. I pay $245 a month, it’s gated and has security.

I forgot to mention that it is covered storage

 

[mwalker4]

When I was in your situation, I kept in my garage for summer months. So much nicer to have it home to get ready. In winter either shrink wrap it and outside storage or use one of the barns where they pack them in and you don't have access for 6 months.

 

[sunbyrned]

Similar setup to you - outdoor storage, shaded, afternoon sun, mooring cover. I have none of the issues you have, but there are some differences between our use and yours. You have the snap-in carpet, your area is way more shaded than mine, and your boat is 2 years older than mine.

We almost immediately got rid of the carpet just because it was hot as snot underfoot. When we did have it, whenever we removed it, there was always SOME moisture underneath. My suggestion would be to start pulling your carpet after a good weekend of airing it out, and see if that helps. Going to SeaDek, we've NEVER Had an issue, but you may not want to drop the cash if you're going to a bigger boat. Make the move either way - SeaDek or bigger boat. Realize that with a bigger boat, you're STILL going to have to deal with this, so you might want to hold off on the boat and test out SeaDek on the current boat so the wife gets used to it, and it's likely it's going to be HER decision to upgrade to the SeaDek on the new boat - win for you!

If you've never done anything to your cover since you got it, that's likely part of the issue. Your old canvas cover was at least somewhat breathable, your black mooring cover is not nearly as breathable, and it's strapped down tight to the boat. It's supposed to be water "resistant", and IIRC, there's some sort of liner or coating on the underside to help it shed water. If you've not touched it, the water shedding coating is likely worn and needs a refresh. Mine was starting to let greater amounts of water in, so I used 303 Fabric Guard on it, and since that point, it's been perfect at shedding water. Seams are a must to really coat, I've got a post somewhere here where I did mine, and that'd be my second suggestion for things to do.

The last thing that we do is that at the very least, we take a towel to everything inside prior to covering it. You say you're getting water in the gutters by the seats, which to me, points to water intrusion, either by the tower or through the cover, or both. Nothing you can do about the tower area, but the cover can be addressed. Fabric guard is a cheap addition and you can likely extend the current cover at least a season or more than it would last you. You'll also get an idea of how well it works, and you'll likely want to keep doing it on a new cover when you DO decide to make that move. Drying everything out before putting the cover on will definitely help you identify if the cover needs attention, and also help with some of the issues you're having.

Are you having issues with water in any of the storage areas? If those are getting wet as well, that's not helping your situation, so mebbe check that also.

As long as you have power, I'd drop a fan in there as well, because it sounds like you have a lot of excess moisture in there, and that might take a bit of mechanical aid to truly dry things out. Extension cord and a timer on the fan seems like it would help. With night time temps dropping, you may also have dew/moisture buildup overnight that's never really getting a chance to dry out, and is contributing to the problem.


TL;DR
Dry your boat after use - free
Pull your carpets - free
Fan inside under the cover - cheap/easy/maybe necessary
303 Fabric Guard the cover - cheap/easy/can't hurt to try/maybe necessary

My current situation (and none of the issues you are having):

View attachment 187842

Question: I didn’t realize there is an undercoating on these covers. When you spray with 303, do you spray the top or bottom?

 

[TimW451]

I think you will always have a problem if it is not getting enough sun to dry itself out. Any cover good enough to keep 100% of water out, keeps it in too. If you get some sunlight, but not enough, try reducing the amount of water on the inside by wiping down the boat before covering it and restore cover with water proofing. If you know about where it is coming in you can try to loosely cover that section with a tarp. I like the fan idea if you have the power source. Otherwise I’d keep a 4 lb bucket of Damprid in the boat.

HTH

 

[drewkaree]

I have no idea if you can currently get this at a reasonable price, but I know you can get it for a lot cheaper than DampRid. Calcium Chloride.

Pelletized for winter use on sidewalks and roads is the easiest to find, but right now, they may not have any around you. That's all DampRid is, with a permeable membrane over the top of the bucket. Look at a label if you don't trust interwebs folklore - if it's not on the label, find the SDS, and it'll show you. If you want the CC crystals, you can order them from Home Dumpot right now - 50lbs for $22, vs $11 for the 4lb Damp Rid.

I personally used calcium chloride last year, and can attest that it works exactly the same. I bought the DampRid 5lb rectangle refillable containers the first year I had the boat, and I have been reusing them every year since. Last year, I couldn't find the bagged calcium chloride and didn't have time to order a bag, so I ended up overpaying for a bucket of the roof melt pucks and simply broke those down and used them. Perfect, easier to find large amounts for refills, cheaper, and work identically.

When the crappy plastic refills finally break on me (I expect this season to be the last for 2 of the 4), I'll sandwich some fiberglass screening between some wood to make a frame, and put that over a bucket - the bucket is for the water from the CC as it breaks down over the winter. DON'T get a blend, pure CC only.

My refill DampRid: DampRid 5 lb Fragrance Free Refillable Moisture Absorber FG280 - The Home Depot

Calcium Chloride crystals: Snow Joe MELT 50 Lb. Resealable Bag Calcium Chloride Crystals Ice Melter MELT50CC - The Home Depot

Question: I didn’t realize there is an undercoating on these covers. When you spray with 303, do you spray the top or bottom?

I can't say for certain that this is the case, but I believe it to be the case. If this is indeed true, it's likely something similar, Scotch Guard or the 303 stuff, or whatever, and those wear off with time. When we did tent camping, that was the thing to do at the beginning of the season, spray it down, and treat the seams.

I didn't do the interior of the cover, but others may have. Seems like it might last longer, but I couldn't say for certain, as I only did the topside. Seams are still an issue. I got the gallon size refill jug, someone here suggested using a weed sprayer so I got a gallon-size sprayer, and just dumped the whole gallon in there. I think it was @BigN8 or @Neutron who mentioned NOT spraying this on the lawn, as it would "waterproof" your grass in areas that were oversprayed or soaked through, and kill the grass in those spots, so I just did mine in the middle of the road. When done, I just grabbed a funnel and dumped the sprayer contents back into the refill jug and washed out the sprayer. I can tell you from experience with herbicides and pesticides do NOT leave any product inside them, and clean them out well afterwards, or you may have a single-use-only sprayer. Usually $10-20, but still a waste, when you can reuse it next time.

After all this rain this past weekend, I'll be able to tell if I might need to reapply. I don't know how long the 303 should last, but my boat is outside 24/7 after it comes out from winter storage, and I just did it last year. Scotch Guard worked really well on any of our tents, so I feel comfortable recommending it, but this is my first experience with the 303 Fabric Guard. Thus far, I've been happy with it, for the cost and ease. I haven't found Scotch Guard in a liquid, just spray cans, and that would be a huge PITA. Tents were on the edge of comfort. If anyone else has a fabric waterproofer that works as well as the 303, I'll be your huckleberry. The 303 should give me 3 applications for certain, possibly 4 out of a gallon, and cost me a total of $83 at the time. $20-30 per application isn't too bad, just keep it from freezing, and it should be good for a few years.

 

[2kwik4u]

@drewkaree

I've had similar thoughts on getting some of those microwavable desiccant packs and just recharging them after each outing.

I'm wondering if potassium chloride works the same as calcium chloride. I'm working on a vibratory conveyor system for a customer that manufacturers KCl, and they sent me ~4k lbs of it for testing. Said they don't want it back. I know during testing it was exceptionally prone to sticking to the side walls of the conveyors and felt "slimey" after it sat for awhile. Guessing it was pulling the water out of the air. Definitely going to have to look into that.

That garden sprayer tip is huge too. I'm thinking of getting the boat home this week and getting it good and dry as well as treating the cover. I was going to get "Never-Wet" from Home Depot, but it only comes in a spray can that I'm aware of. Will have to look into that.

Do you know what the coverage is on the 303? Say a gallon covers 100sq ft and you get 3 applications, so you have ~33sq ft of cover. Just trying to get an idea of how big my cover is.

Also, any issues with over spray onto the boat/trailer? Figured I would put the cover on, then spray it while it's stretched tight. Not sure how else to apply.

Thanks for the long reply there. Appreciate your time!

 

[zipper]

Similar setup to you - outdoor storage, shaded, afternoon sun, mooring cover. I have none of the issues you have, but there are some differences between our use and yours. You have the snap-in carpet, your area is way more shaded than mine, and your boat is 2 years older than mine.

We almost immediately got rid of the carpet just because it was hot as snot underfoot. When we did have it, whenever we removed it, there was always SOME moisture underneath. My suggestion would be to start pulling your carpet after a good weekend of airing it out, and see if that helps. Going to SeaDek, we've NEVER Had an issue, but you may not want to drop the cash if you're going to a bigger boat. Make the move either way - SeaDek or bigger boat. Realize that with a bigger boat, you're STILL going to have to deal with this, so you might want to hold off on the boat and test out SeaDek on the current boat so the wife gets used to it, and it's likely it's going to be HER decision to upgrade to the SeaDek on the new boat - win for you!

If you've never done anything to your cover since you got it, that's likely part of the issue. Your old canvas cover was at least somewhat breathable, your black mooring cover is not nearly as breathable, and it's strapped down tight to the boat. It's supposed to be water "resistant", and IIRC, there's some sort of liner or coating on the underside to help it shed water. If you've not touched it, the water shedding coating is likely worn and needs a refresh. Mine was starting to let greater amounts of water in, so I used 303 Fabric Guard on it, and since that point, it's been perfect at shedding water. Seams are a must to really coat, I've got a post somewhere here where I did mine, and that'd be my second suggestion for things to do.

The last thing that we do is that at the very least, we take a towel to everything inside prior to covering it. You say you're getting water in the gutters by the seats, which to me, points to water intrusion, either by the tower or through the cover, or both. Nothing you can do about the tower area, but the cover can be addressed. Fabric guard is a cheap addition and you can likely extend the current cover at least a season or more than it would last you. You'll also get an idea of how well it works, and you'll likely want to keep doing it on a new cover when you DO decide to make that move. Drying everything out before putting the cover on will definitely help you identify if the cover needs attention, and also help with some of the issues you're having.

Are you having issues with water in any of the storage areas? If those are getting wet as well, that's not helping your situation, so mebbe check that also.

As long as you have power, I'd drop a fan in there as well, because it sounds like you have a lot of excess moisture in there, and that might take a bit of mechanical aid to truly dry things out. Extension cord and a timer on the fan seems like it would help. With night time temps dropping, you may also have dew/moisture buildup overnight that's never really getting a chance to dry out, and is contributing to the problem.


TL;DR
Dry your boat after use - free
Pull your carpets - free
Fan inside under the cover - cheap/easy/maybe necessary
303 Fabric Guard the cover - cheap/easy/can't hurt to try/maybe necessary

My current situation (and none of the issues you are having):

View attachment 187842

Are there any vents on these newer covers? I don't see any. The factory cover on my 07 had vents. The custom bow and cockpit covers both had Boat Vents at the support poles. The cover on our dinghy has a Boat Vent. Albeit, my wife made that one.