There’s nothing like taking your boat out on the water and enjoying a day with family and friends. Boats provide the perfect summer entertainment and can be great for staycations or destinations away. However, once the season ends, it leaves you wondering where you’ll dock your boat until the following summer.
While it’s crucial to find a secure place to store your boat, not all storage is the same. Various factors impact the security, accessibility, and overall condition of your boat. So, how do you decide which solution is right for you? By comparing the pros and cons of each!
At Bluebird Self Storage, we’re passionate about helping our customers find the best storage for their belongings - and even their boats! That’s why we’re diving into different types of boat storage and highlighting our outdoor boat self-storage in Sherwood Park, Alberta so that you can find the best solution for your boat!
Comparing Types of Boat Storage
When your boat’s not in use, it needs to be kept in a dry location rather than stay in the water. While it’s fine to keep your boat on a dock during the season, the potential weather risks and long-term expenses can take their toll. Exposing it to uncontrollable climates, risky seasonal weather like storms and snow, and water damage can harm the integrity of your boat. Inevitably, all of these factors can lead to high repair bills the following year. Luckily, many different types of storage can get your boat out of the water. It’s just a matter of which kind of storage works best for you.
At Home Storage
One of the easiest methods of storing your boat is at-home storage. Once the season’s over, you can simply winterize your boat and leave it in an accessible location! Best of all, it's free! But, sometimes at home storage is too good to be true - and we’ll tell you why it might not be your best choice.
Storing your boat at home does make it more accessible for the following year. All you have to do is attach it to your car and drive it to your dock of choice! It’s that simple. Not to mention, you can avoid paying docking fees and other costs if it’s stored at your house. However, keeping your boat at home comes with challenges that might outweigh the benefits.
At-home boat storage typically results in keeping your boat in the garage, driveway, or street. While this might not seem like a big issue, it can result in the following issues:
- Vehicle Storage Difficulty
- Loss in Equipment Storage
- Problems with Driveway Space
- Potential HOA Fees
- Unattractive to Neighbors
Plus, parking your boat at home doesn’t mean it’s all that safe. With no fencing or security monitoring system, it’s hard to guarantee its safety for the year. While keeping your boat at home can be a cost-effective, smart solution for some, it’s essential to consider how often you use your garage, driveway, and local HOA rules on boat parking.
Marina Storage
An alternative to storing your boat at home is keeping it at your local marina! If you dock your boat at a marina during the season, they probably offer some type of boat storage that you can use during the off-season!
Most marinas offer some type of dry, indoor storage that allows you to winterize your boat once it’s out of the water, making it incredibly accessible once it’s time to hit the water again. The convenience of boat storage at a marina is ideal for many - however, there are certain downsides to consider.
Many marinas have an indoor facility with a set number of slots available - storing your boat might be limited by the number of tenants. Plus, it can be challenging to take your boat from their storage facility and into the water - and there’s no telling how many boats will be stored and what method of dry storage your facility has to offer. Before committing to marina boat storage, it’s essential to check with your local marina’s storage options and see if it’s the best option for you and if they have the availability. If they do, then marina storage might be the best option for you! Ultimately, boat storage needs to be accessible, affordable, and fit within your needs.
However, we still have one more storage option for your boat - a self-storage facility.
Self-Storage Facility
Even though self-storage facilities are commonly used for household, business, or moving storage, that’s not the only service they provide! A storage facility is ideal for storing recreation vehicles like RVs, family cars, and even boats during the off-season.
Self-storage facilities provide the convenience, accessibility, and safety you need to store your boat easily, so you have total peace of mind that your boat is safe until you’re ready to hit the water again. Self-storage provides individuals with enough space to store their boats, plus additional security features they can’t find at home. Gated security, video surveillance, and facility access hours keep your boat safe but making visiting highly convenient. Plus, most self-storage facilities have a large fenced-in lot, providing the outdoor storage space you might lack at home.
As a marina, self-storage facilities offer convenience, safety, and overall comfort, making boat storage a seamless experience. However, self-storage facilities can be more accessible when it’s time to take your boat back to the water. At our self-storage location in Sherwood Park, Alberta, we offer all our tenants secure outdoor boat parking, ideal for keeping your boat during the off-season. Our outdoor parking gives you the ability to store your boat during the winter months without taking up valuable space at home.
Finding the best storage for your boat comes down to several factors - accessibility, price range, and security. Ultimately, it’s important to have the right amount of protection for your boat, but make sure it’s at a price point and location that’s best for you.
How to Prep Your Boat for Self-Storage in Sherwood Park, AB
Before placing your boat in storage, whether it’s at home or in a self-storage facility, it’s essential to take the proper precautions before storing your boat for the winter. Luckily, Bluebird Self-Storage has all the boat storage tips you need to keep your boat in pristine condition until the following summer.
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Winterize Your Boat
Having access to freshwater during the summer months is ideal for travel but not for storage. Before placing your boat in a storage unit, it’s essential to drain all remaining water. Instead, replace it with antifreeze to keep your pipes from freezing.
Loss in Equipment Storage
Problems with Driveway Space
Potential HOA Fees
Unattractive to Neighbors
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Clean Everything
From the inside out, it’s best to keep your boat incredibly clean. Start by vacuuming and wiping down the inside of your boat, then wash off the exterior. This keeps any lingering bacteria or water from staying on your boat during the winter season. Also, flush your engine with clean water before storing it for the season, so it can’t erode during the months ahead.
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Invest in a Cover
Most importantly, cover the interior to keep humidity, water, snow, or other external elements from harming your boat. You’ll also prevent UV rays from discoloring the fabric.
At our storage facility in Sherwood Park, you can keep your boat stored outside during the winter.
If you feel that your boat needs a reliable storage solution during the winter months, look no further than a self-storage facility located near you. A local self-storage facility can provide you with the space, amenities, and security you need to maintain your boat during the off-season. Plus, the team of storage experts at a self-storage facility is equipped to make your storage situation easier than ever!
If you’re local to Sherwood Park, Alberta, and in need of outdoor boat parking near you, our facility has everything you need to keep your boat secure during the winter months. With our storage facility in Sherwood Park, you can reclaim your garage, driveway, and other valuable outdoor spaces at home. Not to mention, our state-of-the-art storage units are ideal for packing up your other valuable belongings. Whether you need household storage, moving storage, or business storage, our Sherwood Park AB self-storage units and secure outdoor parking lot can easily protect your belongings. Best of all, we’re located near surrounding neighborhoods, such as Charleton Heights, Summerwood, Nottingham, Mills Haven, Sherwood Heights, and Davidson Creek! If you’re local to Sherwood Place, Whitecroft, or in the Edmonton area, our Sherwood Park storage facility is ideal for your needs!
At Bluebird, we want storing your boat to be a seamless experience from start to finish. That’s why we focus our attention on making our indoor and outdoor storage options ideal for your needs. Every Bluebird facility is equipped with well-lit hallways, smart technology solutions, a modern interior, and friendly staff to help with your storage experience. Our indoor storage units provide climate-controlled solutions, in addition to our unregulated units, so that you can find the best solution for your stuff. If you need to store other items besides your boat at our facility, we have the means to protect your possessions easily.
Our outdoor facilities are gated and keypad controlled, so only staff and tenants can access our units. Not only can you store your boat securely - you can come back and visit it whenever you’d like during access hours!
With Bluebird by your side, you enjoy our facility’s convenience, easy access, and beneficial amenities. If you’re ready to experience self-storage like never before, it’s time to visit our self-storage facility in Sherwood Park, Alberta. Together, we can securely store your boat for winter and other household items.
Thinking about storing more than your boat at our storage facility in Sherwood Park? We have the solution you need - The Ultimate Packing & Storage Guide!
