How to Choose a Good Dry Boat Storage Facility

Palms Marina/ November 21, 2019/ Articles from Palms Marina, Boating

When you decide to take the plunge to become a boat owner, you immediately realize how important the location of the boat becomes. It may be kept in a driveway, garage, backyard, marina, dry storage facility or other places not usually suitable for your boat. This article will address what to think about and look for in dry storage facility. These locations rent space for your boat, giving you various degrees of access and services. The cost per month normally increases as more services and conveniences are offered.

Things to Consider for Dry Boat Storage:

  1. Is your boat stored on a trailer or stacked in a rack with a forklift?
  2. Does the facility have units large enough for your boat and trailer?
  3. Are the header heights of doors high enough for boat’s tower extension, if any?
  4. If self-launching, how far away is the launch? Does the facility provide a launch?
  5. Is there adequate parking for your auto and trailer at the launch site? Is your auto parking covered?
  6. Are you or someone in your party skilled at trailering, launching, and docking your boat?
  7. Are the floors and drives concrete?
  8. Is there adequate security to protect you and your boat?
  9. Are management or attendees on-site should assistance be needed?
  10. Does the facility provide launching services and what type?
  11. Are the storage units maintained with cleaning and pest control?
  12. Does your unit have electricity and is there water available for washing your boat?
  13. Are restrooms and garbage disposal on-site?
  14. Will you have access to your storage unit after hours?
  15. Are fuel services on-site or nearby?
  16. Does the facility have repair and detailing services on-site?
  17. Can independent repair and detailing services securely obtain access to your boat?

Discussion of Dry Boat Storage Considerations (Basic):

  1. ​​If you are stacked by a forklift, access to your boat is limited to open hours only.
  2. The size of your boat is not the size storage space you need. Adding in a trailer, outboard trim, and space for peripherals could add an extra 6 to 8 feet in length.
  3. Lake Boats today have entertainment towers, radar, Internet access points, etc. Having to lower or raise that tower every time you go out or return is maybe worth paying for.
  4. If the boat storage complex does not have a launching ramp or forklift entry to the water, the nearest boat ramp may be miles away. Also be aware that during holidays, the launch area may become crowded, making for long waits for your turn to launch.
  5. After your boat is launched you will need to place your vehicle and trailer somewhere away from the launch area, keeping in mind that others will be filling in behind you. If your vehicle is not covered by a roof, then be careful what you leave inside as the temperature will rise considerably in direct sunlight.
  6. Manning your vehicle and boat when launching from a trailer almost always requires more than 1 person. Make sure all persons involved have experience and skill to launch or retrieve without incident.
  7. Without concrete floors and parking, your boat and vehicle will be exposed to dust and dirt. Mildew from ground humidity may also develop inside your unit.
  8. To keep your boat safe from vandals, the unit needs to be securely locked. Perimeter fencing should include a secured entrance gate to the facility to restrict access. Be aware that should you be launching from a public boat ramp, anything left in the bed of your truck can be a target for thieves. Night time lighting and security camera monitoring can certainly help prevent loss from theft or vandalism.

Discussion of Dry Boat Storage Considerations (Upscale):

9. Few facilities have on-site staff. If they do, they can help remedy unexpected pitfalls like forgetting the key to your lock, a dead battery, needed tools, tire compressors or simply good local advice.

10. Stackable storage will usually have forklifts to place your boat in the water, but boat/trailer storage will rarely have staff and equipment to assist with getting your boat in and out of the water. In recent years, some upscale facilities are providing “valet” services that use tractors shuttle you, your boat and trailer to the launch. They then launch your boat and park your trailer nearby ready for your return. This allows you to lock your vehicle inside your storage unit.

11. Your storage unit is like your home, it needs to be kept clean a free of pests. Management should have an annual cleaning schedule and pest control program to keep your boat in shape.

12. Inevitably, you may need a restroom during your time on land. Especially when washing or working on your boat. And when getting off your boat you will almost always have trash to dispose of.

13. You should have some form of electric charger to keep your boat’s battery fully charged. You should also have overhead lighting available to inspect and maintain the boat and unit it is stored in. Water hook ups are necessary to wash and rinse your boat as well.

14. There might be times you wish to use your boat before or after hours. The facility should provide 24 hour access at their gate and at your unit.

15. Your boat needs fuel to run. You can fill your tanks manually with gas cans or trailer your boat to a gas station, but the preferred method would be to pull your boat to a fuel dock for fill up. That dock should not be too far away or you may run out of gas before you get there.

16. Boat repairs and maintenance are part of owning a boat. If the facility has on-site services for repairs and detailing the hassle to you is minimal. Some operations maintain procedures for contractors to pickup your boat without you being present. Otherwise you will have to trailer your boat to the destination yourself.

17. As mentioned above, some operations maintain procedures for contractors to pickup your boat securely without you being present. These procedures will usually require your authorization before management will release your boat to a third party.

Conclusion:

As you can tell there be many variations of services and conveniences dry boat storage facilities offer. Some are on waterfront property, others 20 miles from the body of water you boat on. Not all of them are strictly for boats and will rent storage for almost anything. If you are someone who moves the boat from place to place, you are probably happy with just storing your boat securely. If using your boat on one location, you will want more amenities. The chart below lists the options included for your situation.

Dry Boat Storage Amenities and Services

Economy

Basic

Premium

Dry Boat Storage Amenities and Services

Economy

Waterfront Location

Shell or gravel floors and driveway area

Concrete floors and driveway areas

Fencing around the facility with locked gate

Fencing around the facility with auto electronic gate

High headers for entertainment/wakeboard towers

On-site management or attendees

On-site Boat ramp for launching

Electricity and water

Night time lighting

Security camera monitoring

Restrooms and garbage disposal on-site

Fuel docks nearby or on-site

Repair and detail services can access boat without you

“Valet” launching service on-site where tractors or forklifts put your boat in the water

Dry Boat Storage Amenities and Services

Basic

Waterfront Location

Shell or gravel floors and driveway area

Concrete floors and driveway areas

Fencing around the facility with locked gate

Fencing around the facility with auto electronic gate

High headers for entertainment/wakeboard towers

On-site management or attendees

On-site Boat ramp for launching

Electricity and water

Night time lighting

Security camera monitoring

Restrooms and garbage disposal on-site

Fuel docks nearby or on-site

Repair and detail services can access boat without you

“Valet” launching service on-site where tractors or forklifts put your boat in the water

Dry Boat Storage Amenities and Services

Premium

Waterfront Location

Shell or gravel floors and driveway area

Concrete floors and driveway areas

Fencing around the facility with locked gate

Fencing around the facility with auto electronic gate

High headers for entertainment/wakeboard towers

On-site management or attendees

On-site Boat ramp for launching

Electricity and water

Night time lighting

Security camera monitoring

Restrooms and garbage disposal on-site

Fuel docks nearby or on-site

Repair and detail services can access boat without you

“Valet” launching service on-site where tractors or forklifts put your boat in the water

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