How to Store a Boat for 3 Months in Florida

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Shrink wrap in FL? Last thing I'd do. If you really want to protect it use a sunshade material. That's what I do.

Right on. Shrink wrapping in FL would just promote mildew inside the boat. Ventilation is what you need, not sealing up the boat.

[a64pilot]

Sorry about the spelling of dirt daubers, yes they can be bad news, read the attached link, look for the write up of the two fatal air crashes they have caused
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud_dauber

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Sorry about the spelling of dirt daubers, yes they can be bad news, read the attached link, look for the write up of the two fatal air crashes they have caused
Mud dauber - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Misspelling a word on the forum!! You should be chastised severely, ridiculed by all other forum members, keel hauled and persecuted to the full extent of the law.

[Lojanica]

SunPac. Formaldehyde bags.

Dehumidifier with the drain hose going out of the boat. Simple system is to get a dehumdifier with a pump made for a basement so it can pump a 10ft preesure head.

Close everything up and tape holes tight. The dehumidifier will keep it very dry. The formaldehyde gas will kill everything since the boat is not vented. The taping everything will keep the pests out.

Fill the diesel tanks with fresh fuel and stabilize the fuel.

[Dale Hedtke]

Go for as much ventilation as possible. Also, try to keep the sun off the boat as suggested above. It's a boat, so water coming down on it won't hurt much.
I would recommend installing a "garboard drain." This is a removable pipe plug installed in the lowest part of the bilge so it will drain completely. The idea is that if the boat does get water inside, it will drain out. In our area marinas sometimes just drill a 1/2" hole in the bottom of the boat and patch it before launch.
If you have any varnished exterior woodwork, make sure the finish is intact.
As stated above, 3 months isn't really long for a boat to sit.

[Stu Jackson]

Have you considered just leaving it in the water? Get a small solar panel to keep the batteries topped off. By the time you decommission the boat, it'll be halfway to May. Then you have to start all over to commission it again. Have it hauled and bottom painted right before you head north.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Have you considered just leaving it in the water? Get a small solar panel to keep the batteries topped off. By the time you decommission the boat, it'll be halfway to May. Then you have to start all over to commission it again. Have it hauled and bottom painted right before you head north.

Yeah, not a bad idea.
OP, you may be overthinking this... it's just 3 months right?

[youngsalty]

Thanks everybody for the responses, very helpful.

I have though about just leaving it on the dock. It is a well sheltered marina and fresh water canal at that. Although the cost is $200 more a mouth, so that's an extra $600. That pushed me to dry dock. I am twisting the idea of sailing north in March but I would like to have those south winds and warmer temps in May. So I think the hard and 2 tarps will be fine. I am fill the tanks, wiping down everything, using a roach bomb, opening everything to vent inside, and removing 2 of 3 batteries for trickle charge. A few other things to but that about does it. Thanks again everybody.

[Cheechako]

Watch those tarps, Florida gets some severe wind gusts, sometimes every afternoon for several days. I have seen 70mph + in February at anchor. anything tied to you lifelines will wear right through the vinyl coating etc.

[tuffr2]

I know more about storing RV's in Florida than boats but they are probably close to being the same. You are lucky that March and April are not the worse months to store a boat in Florida. The month of May is probably as bad as the two previous months. Make sure the boat is in the sun and not under any trees. Leave any hatches just cracked enough to let ventilation in but not the rain if possible.

Again you really are not storing 'long term'. That will save you a lot of issues. Try to pick it up as early as possible in May and you will not have any problems.

Cool boat - good luck