Proper winter storage

[balletz]

I have an all wood Peterborough that I wish I could bring into the house for winter but have been voted down. The garage is out as is the basement, living room dining room and my bedroom. I am left with leaving it outside in the Connecticut winter. As this will be my first winter with a wooden canoe, can anyone give me some suggestions on proper winter storage?

Thanks and regards,
Bill

 

[Dan Miller]

Well, your SO deserves a prize, as bringing your canoe into the heated house for the winter would be about the worst thing you can do... The garage would be best, better for boats than cars as far as I'm concerned. Barring that, covered, off the ground is best. Under a porch roof? If you tarp it, do it loosely so it doesn't trap moisture. If not undercover, make sure you keep the snow off it - snow gets heavy.

 

[balletz]

Thanks for the tip...I made a long, tent between two trees with a very long log and drapped a long tarp over it. The sides give me a little room to walk around the canoe and are firmly staked to the ground. The canoe is about two feet off the ground. I check it constantly for we have a good squirel population here and the inverted canoe would make a nice winter home.

As for the SO: I think she is wise to my tricks..!

Bill

 

[Michael Grace]

Bringing your all-wood canoe indoors for the winter- in a heated, low-humidity environment- can cause serious problems as the wood dries and contracts. Your solution is a good one. The peak should keep snow from building up, but do watch out for those varmints. A bored rodent relaxing in the cozy under-canoe environment won't mind gnawing on your antique wood. We have an amazingly pristine 1917 canoe that is nearly perfect- not even scuff marks on ribs from normal use- except for several small areas of mahogany trim that have been chewed. This is easily repairable, and the repair will be nearly invisible, but I will always know it is there and will always wish that it hadn't happened. [Note- it didn't happen here in south Florida... maybe some gator bite marks, though!]

 

[JClearwater]

My solution

You can try my solution - I got rid of the SO and kept all the canoes. No nagging, No nagging, No nagging.

Jim C.

 

[Michael Grace]

Yikes! I hope Tanya doesn't read that last post... she'll lose all hope!

 

[balletz]

Well, if it was JUST canoes then we wouldnt have such a stromy issue...but there are other things parked in the back that the SO calls my little boat yard; small sailboats, row boats, old Lyman power boats etc. What I need is a big old barn in my back yard with a little freight elevator and no phone!

Thank you for the advise and tips....you folks are very helpful and I can always count on good suggestions with a dash of humor! I need that too.

Bill

 

[Douglas Ingram]

Dan's advice is good, as usual.

Those fabric buildings are excellent storage if you have the space and don't mind the look. My SO accountant doesn't mind the low impact upon the bank account! I put up a 28' x 30', 14' ceiling, for about 5k. Buy bigger than you expect! Mines full now! about 14 canoes, 6 molds, and lumber.