In this pontoon boat accessories post, we will address the many things to consider and do when choosing a place to store your boat. If you are like many deck and pontoon boat owners, you live in a neighborhood that has an H.O.A. that prohibits the extended parking of any and all recreational vehicles. So in lieu of the cost-prohibitive marina storage, many owners choose to store their boat outside at a storage facility that facilitates R.V. storage.When choosing a storage facility there a few things to consider. First is location, location, location. Is the facility conveniently located? Is it located in an area that is safe and well-protected? Do you feel safe dropping-off your boat late at night or picking it up early in the morning. Is the area secured by a fence and electronic gate? Is the area well-lit with darkness-triggered lighting and are there security cameras? Preferably, you want your boat stored in an area that is surrounded by buildings or at least a privacy fence. You want to keep your boat out of sight and out of mind of those who may be tempted to make some quick cash with your deck or pontoon boat accessories.
Another thing to consider is accessibility. Is there 24 hour access via security code or key-card, or is there restricted hours? If the storage facility you prefer has restricted hours of access, do they work for you? This is definitely something to consider, especially if you enjoy getting an early start. Make sure that there is plenty of room to navigate your trailered boat in and out of the facility, even if others have a large moving truck parked at their storage unit. Although most people are nice enough to move for you, this is not always immediately possible.
Weather is always a factor when storing your boat outside. Ideally, as I mentioned earlier, you want your boat surrounded by sturdy structures or at least a tall fence. This will provide extra protection against strong winds and/or debris from outside the facility. Speaking of debris, always survey the area when you regularly check on your boat to make sure there is nothing that could possible damage your boat during strong winds. When using a boat cover or tarp, make sure you have one that is big enough cover the entire boat, including the motor. Tarps need to be attached securely keeping all metal grommets away from any scratchable areas using bungees that have plastic, not metal hardware. During very strong winds, the bungees can stretch and retract causing their metal hardware or metal grommets to scratch-up any surface they come in contact with. Finally, make sure your cover or tarp is properly supported with support poles to prevent large amounts of water from pooling. Pooling can damage your cover, tarp, or boat; not to mention it's a real pain getting rid of a large pool.
Lastly, I can't stress how important it is to regularly check on your boat. I recommend checking on it at least once a week, and immediately before and after severe weather. That's one of the reasons why a convenient location is important. The closer you are to the storage facility, the less likely you are to go extended periods of time without a visit to make sure everything is in order. A lot can happen in a seven-day period, so imagine if that seven days becomes fourteen or twenty-one. That small weekly amount of time you spend regularly monitoring your investment, will go a long ways in saving you a lot of unnecessary time and money later on.
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