The fun has to end sooner or later. It’s too cold to be out on the water, and that means it’s time to bring canoes and kayaks out for storage. What’s the best way to keep these craft safe during the winter months?
Upside-Down or Sideways?
Your canoe should be stored upside-down, even if you’re taking it out of the water overnight. This position allows the gunwales to carry the weight. Set your canoe up on saw horses or blocks. Better yet, install a canoe hoist that will put your canoe above you and out of the way.
If you’ve got a kayak, the optimal storage position for it is standing on one end, or on one of its sides. You can also store it like a canoe—upside-down. The best solution is again, hanging it so that it’s up and out of the way. You can purchase special kayak slings for this purpose.
Long-Term Storage
Here’s what to keep in mind when it’s time to put your canoe or kayak away for the winter. First, clean your boat and give it an inspection. If you notice a scrape or wear spot through the exterior color layer, touch it up using a paint made for the material in which your canoe or kayak is crafted. Often this is a plastic polymer.
Ultraviolet light from the sun will fade the color of your canoe or kayak over time. That’s why it’s a good idea to store your boat out of the sun. A garage is perfect, and preferable to storing it outside. If that’s your only choice, don’t cover your canoe or kayak directly with a tarp. This can trap heat—even during the winter months when the sun shines directly down on the tarp—that can damage or discolor your hull. Suspend the tarp over the boat to leave space for air circulation.
Whether inside or out—and inside is better—canoes should always be stored upside-down. If you decide to hang it from the ceiling, use a harness system with wide straps that’ll allow the weight of the boat to rest on the gunwales. Three straps will do the trick. Use one on the bow, one on the stern and one in the center to evenly distribute the weight.
Got Enough Room?
A high-quality canoe or kayak is an investment that you want to protect. Inside storage through the winter is the best way to accomplish this. If you don’t have enough room in your garage to store warm weather equipment like kayaks, canoes, boats, and other watercraft, consider a metal storage shed. We make them large enough to comfortably store a luxury yacht, but our most popular design configurations tend to be for folks who are looking for an on premise solution for storing their growing collection of recreational toys and keeping them safe during the winter months.
Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll send you free information along with a free quote. You’ll appreciate the clear-span truss design of our buildings, which will keep your canoes and kayaks up and out of the way.
