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Old 12-03-2017, 08:30 AM   #41
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Many large storage operations on Lake Michigan splash boats starting mid April and empty a huge building as fast as possible (Travel Lift dependent). If you don't have a seasonal slip in their associated marina, you have two or three days gratis in one of their transient slips, and then have to either get out of Dodge or pay their transient rate. An alternative if your boat was "last in" (first out) is to have them reposition your boat outside...then launch it later. There's a fee for that. Or if there's a space inside that's not in the way of emptying the building, they will reposition it inside...again, a fee to move and re block it. Basically, you have to plan around their launch schedule. We live in the South and keep the boat up north. I try to get the boat in the building right after Labor Day so that it's parked at the very back. That allows for a late Spring launch (late May) without having to reposition. By the way, there are a number of facilities with unheated indoor storage...a good alternative if you don't need or want to work on the boat over the winter.
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Old 12-03-2017, 10:36 AM   #42
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Rufus,
That was one of my issues.... little flexibility and a fee for everything. Just got discouraged. But, if one is "stuck" in the north and is a marina resident, they have a bit more choice.

When I had a Wisconsin operation, and did some boating up there, I was fortunate to have an aircraft hangar that would store my boat (heated). Worked well for a few years, but found myself spending more time in FL during the winter months from Aug thru June.

Seriously, there were a few very warm falls and a few times when WI was warmer than FL in Dec.
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Old 12-03-2017, 01:56 PM   #43
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A heated building sure seems like a convenient way to go, IF you have to store the boat for the winter.

After examining all of the storage options, I've decided against it for two major reasons:

One, it's costly..... enough money to motor to warmer locations.
Seevee, thought you were going to do the Great Loop. If you will be satisfied in doing the loop in a year, well, so be it. My thought is to do the loop in 3-4 years. We would leave the boat at a convenient marina or heated storage area so we could pick up the next zone in the spring. Heated storage costs for a winter won't differ much from the cost of a slip in FL and we avoid the cost or making a return round trip in the boat. There is a big time factor savings involved.


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Two, it's time consuming, tying the boat up for 5 or 6 months, about HALF of the usable time of the year.
Certainly, the boat will be tied up in the winter but if we only do the winter storage thing for 2-3 seasons, there will be plenty of other years to enjoy FL in the winter.
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Old 12-03-2017, 03:54 PM   #44
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Seevee, thought you were going to do the Great Loop. If you will be satisfied in doing the loop in a year, well, so be it. My thought is to do the loop in 3-4 years. We would leave the boat at a convenient marina or heated storage area so we could pick up the next zone in the spring. Heated storage costs for a winter won't differ much from the cost of a slip in FL and we avoid the cost or making a return round trip in the boat. There is a big time factor savings involved.

Certainly, the boat will be tied up in the winter but if we only do the winter storage thing for 2-3 seasons, there will be plenty of other years to enjoy FL in the winter.
The idea of sacrificing half the year of boating for multiple years is difficult for me to deal with. I'd rather loop multiple times. The loop doesn't have to be in a year to fit, can take as long as 15 or 18 months. The only restriction is NY to Chicago must be completed in 5 months.

Now, admittedly, we've never winterized a boat and shut one down for months, not when we lived in NC and certainly not in FL. For others, that's a common and easy to deal with approach.
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Old 12-09-2017, 05:25 AM   #45
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How far north would one have to go to encounter facilities with heated (climate controlled) winter storage for yachts? I know they exist in NY and MI but how about NC or VA?
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