One of the luxuries of life is to live near the water. There are many people who spend their days dreaming about a beach house or a cabin somewhere on a lake. To go along with these wonderful things, you will also probably want to have a boat. Getting your friends on a picnic out in the open water is an unforgettable experience for everyone. However, if you are a boat-owner in a place with four seasons, then you might worry about what to do with your boat once the winter arrives. Lucky for you, Kokusai Express Japan is here! Today, we take a look at some ways to store your boat in the off-season. Read this article, and you will never worry about your boat during winter again!

Before you store your boat in the off-season, clean it up!

This is the first major rule that you need to think about! A clean boat is a safe boat – and you want your boat to be as safe as possible. It will not matter just how safe your storage facility is if you leave a mess on your boat. Food that goes bad can easily attract insects, ants, and rodents to your precious baby – and in turn, they will leave destruction in their path.

In order to stop this from happening, carefully examine your boat before you store it in the off-season. If there are any perishable items on board, make sure you toss them out. Don’t forget to check any drawers or places where you store your food. Empty them out into a container. It is also a good idea to actually clean and polish your boat. This way, you will see in what condition it is prior to using warehouse Japan that is safe – and you will know if something happened to it during its stay there.

Find storage or a warehouse for your boat

Now, when it comes to you actually being able to find a nearby storage facility, you might be tempted to skip on the whole process. Why waste money on storage when you can use your garage to store your boat in the off-season, right? This, however, is not an advisable choice. Yes, doing so will save you some money. However, it will be taking valuable space in your garage.

If you have an average size home, then your boat will take the room from your car in the garage. Storing a car in the winter is pretty important – some can easily malfunction if left too long out in the cold. And in places where winters can get pretty rough, you might not even be able to access your car if it starts snowing too much. Repairing (or worse – replacing) your car can end up costing way, way, way more than a simple storage facility for your boat.

Another important reason why you should use a storage facility to store your boat in the off-season is for the simple reason of moving through your garage. Maybe, like a lot of people in the world, you are using your garage for storing various items there. From holiday decorations to off-season clothes, your garage is full of boxes that are waiting for you. If you add a boat to that mix, then you will only be adding another difficulty of moving through the room and getting to the box you need.

Evade using boat docks

Another popular alternative to store your boat in the off-season is to use a boat dock. These may be efficient, and you do not need to use professional sea freight forwarders for moving your boat – but they do come with disadvantages of their own. First, if you do not have a dock of your own, then you might be facing some pretty tough fees to pay. Secondly, these docks sometimes don’t offer enough security. It is something worth looking into, but your best bet would still be to use a professional storage facility.

Remember to water-proof when you store your boat in the off-season

This is an important thing that you need to consider when storing your boat in the off-season. It is also one that many forget. Just because you are taking your boat away from the water does not mean it will not come into contact with moisture. And this can only lead to one thing – forming of rust.

It doesn’t really matter if you are storing your boat inside or outside, or if you are using anything to prevent mold in storage. You still need to pay attention to the exposed metal parts – and weatherproof them – just in case. This way, when the spring comes, you can save valuable time (and money) and just push your boat into the water without replacing the rusty parts!

Conclusion

To conclude, there are a couple of things to remember:

1. First, before you store your boat in the off-season, make sure to give it a good scrub. It will significantly reduce the chances of unwanted guests appearing over the winter. You will also have a clear image of your boat’s condition before storing it.
2. Then, find a good storage facility near you that will accept your boat. Garages and boat docks are always an option, but they come with their own sets of disadvantages. These usually outweigh the price you will pay for storage, so you might be better off skipping them.
3. Finally, prepare your boat for the winter. You will want to do anything you can to stop rust from appearing.

This way, your boat will be ready in the spring. All you need to do is put it in the water and enjoy your time in it!