For some, the winter season is an enforced break, a never-ending bleak abstinence from sailing. For others, it is a time for tinkering, crafting and realising dreams spun in the summer. And some people simply refer to winter as club time. Nowhere are the relationships with members of your own club or neighbours closer than in the winter camp, especially in the hall. They can be found there almost every weekend, whereas in summer, encounters tend to be random and of uncertain duration due to the different destinations and mooring times.
The choice of the type of winter camp is often not only characterised by practical aspects, social aspects can also play a role.
Determine requirements
For long-standing owners who have perhaps even taken over their yacht with indoor storage space, the question of preferred winter storage will hardly arise, at least as long as the storage fee can be paid and no major conversions are pending. And as long as there is no need to broaden your horizons in the literal sense. This is because winter storage is also a limiting factor in terms of the size of the area. Many providers have fixed crane and slip times. Then it doesn't matter if you're retired and have all the time in the world. The boat has to go out and the time of return is virtually fixed by contract. Next spring, the trip starts again at the same place as before.
So if you want to explore new areas with your own yacht, you should weigh up the pros and cons of the wintering options again. After all, if the boat remains where the summer cruise ended during the winter, it can be continued the following year. A place in outdoor storage is almost always available abroad, and if it is a plastic yacht that doesn't need much more than an oil change and new antifouling, a year or two in a different location can open up completely new perspectives.
If more extensive conversions or renovations are also planned, such as a teak deck, it may be worth making a long trip east to have this work carried out in Poland or the Baltic States and combine the shipyard time with winter storage.
Winter storage indoors, outdoors or on a nearby meadow?
Anyone who is faced with the decision of which winter storage facility to look for for the first time, whether as a new owner or when changing yachts, or who has to cut the budget for the hobby, is faced with a difficult decision. Should you spend the winter indoors, with a professional provider or with a farmer? Keep the boat in outdoor storage, in the water or on your own property during the dark months? It's not just the cost that plays a role, but also practical considerations.
That's why it's important first of all to determine the actual requirements, regardless of the budget. What needs to be done on the boat? Are there major measures that can also be carried out by external companies or require certain temperatures?
Cost traps for winter storage
The costs can only be calculated accurately by analysing your needs precisely. To do this, you should compare the various offers thoroughly: Are there any hidden ancillary costs or restrictions such as rubbish charges, costs for the hull wash, storage trestle or mast storage? Can external companies be hired at all or only those with whom the operator has contracts? What happens if the storage time is exceeded due to delayed work? What is the insurance situation?
The needs analysis also includes the correct calculation of travelling times and costs. The supposedly cheaper barn storage at the farmer's can be more expensive in the long run than the warehouse directly at the harbour and close to home if longer journeys are necessary. The shorter daylight hours in winter are also an important argument. It is usually dim under boat covers and under hulls, even in the hall. If there is insufficient lighting, the longer journeys shorten the working hours in daylight.
The right timing also plays a role. When this magazine is published, the season will only be a few weeks away. If you don't want to end up making a panic decision, it has to be made now - calmly.
Safe winter storage in the hall
A space under the roof is on the wish list of many owners. It offers the most advantages
Pro: well protected
A place in a modern hall is the best winter storage for a plastic yacht. It is no longer exposed to the effects of the weather, such as temperature fluctuations, wind or UV rays. It ages much more slowly than a boat in the open air, and a lot of work is made much easier. A thin film or tarpaulin is usually sufficient as dust protection, and can often even be omitted, as many hall regulations only permit sanding work with extraction. Heated halls are the most sophisticated form of accommodation. Painting of all kinds or gluing work can be carried out throughout the winter regardless of the temperature. But be careful when studying the contract. Frost-proof usually means heated, but not warm. It only ensures that the temperature in the hall does not fall below freezing. This means that the engine cooling system, for example, does not have to be winterised in a frost-proof manner. However, double-digit values, which are necessary for the setting of many paints and varnishes or for the reliable curing of epoxy, should not necessarily be expected.
Contra: expensive price
The price is the biggest drawback of heated indoor storage. It can quickly add up to several thousand euros for a ten-metre yacht. Unheated storage is around 25 per cent cheaper, while outdoor storage costs only around half as much. But there are also other disadvantages. Some warehouse operators are very restrictive with regard to working hours and even prohibit personal labour. In addition, the boats are often stored extremely close together, which can make some operations such as polishing at deck level impossible. In addition, unheated halls are real refrigerators in spring. The iron keels cool down considerably at night and prevent heating during the day. Humidity also condenses on them, meaning that paintwork usually has to wait a long time. Very tight and dry halls are also not recommended for wooden boats, except for painting. The wood wants to "breathe" and needs humidity.
Winter storage under the open sky
Pitches in outdoor storage are easy to get and cheap. But the yacht is unprotected
Pro: available
Outdoor storage space is much easier to obtain than indoor space. What's more, it only costs around half as much as a comparable space under the roof. However, this comes with many disadvantages.
Contra: exposed
Although protection from the weather is not absolutely necessary for plastic yachts, it is recommended to preserve their value and prevent them from getting dirty. The best option is a separate tent with a strong PVC tarpaulin, as it takes the wind pressure off the hull. However, this can quickly cost a four-figure sum. A tarpaulin directly over the boat is also sufficient, but it provides an enormous area exposed to the wind, which increases the pressure on the claws. These should therefore be as large as possible so as not to press into the hull. Compared to indoor storage, outdoor storage requires more control, on the one hand to ensure that the tarpaulin is still in place after storms, and on the other because of the high risk of break-ins. Open-air storage is more accessible to thieves than lockable warehouses. In addition, the entire ship should not be barricaded to ensure adequate ventilation, which in turn makes break-ins easier. And last but not least: It is not as easy to form working groups in open-air storage as it is in the hall.
With a standing rig?
Wind load is one of the main reasons against winterising with the mast upright. Constantly working against the leeward claws can lead to delamination of the bearing surfaces or breakage. In addition, a standing rig cannot be checked as thoroughly for damage. Therefore, if it breaks, the fee saved for the mast crane and the time saved are quickly relativised. In addition, a suitable tarpaulin is more complex to produce and more expensive when the rig is upright. And last but not least, the service life of the wires is shortened. They stretch under load even in winter and have to be re-tensioned in spring, i.e. twice as often as usual, which almost halves the recommended 15 years.
Cheap winter storage on your doorstep
In addition to the price, quick access is one of the main advantages of boat storage at home
Pro: ideal for working
Storing your boat on your own property, whether in the open air, in a tent or in a separate annex, is not only the cheapest option because it is free of charge. If you have your yacht on your doorstep, you can also work on it much more effectively than if you have to make long journeys to winter storage every time. You can paint, sand and polish not only at weekends, but also after work. The necessary tools are always to hand and the rules according to which work is carried out are self-determined. The needs of the other owners do not have to be taken into account, as is the case in indoor storage. If the boat is shielded from the outside world by tarpaulins or a tent, it can get dusty and dirty and nobody will be bothered, except perhaps the neighbours. However, they may get annoyed because of noise, unpleasant odours or simply envy due to the changed appearance.
Contra: snappable
If a neighbour feels disturbed, you're usually in a bad position. Another disadvantage is working alone. No quick advice from a club colleague, no beer and a chat in the corner of the hall, no helping hand with heavy loads.
YACHT legal expert Dr Heyko Wychodil on winter storage on your own property
"Storing a boat in your own garden is a risk if it is in a residential area. Neither the building authorities nor the neighbours have to tolerate it. According to building law, it is a structural ancillary facility that requires authorisation. The neighbours who feel disturbed can therefore take legal action against the unauthorised installation of a boat winter storage facility. However, the responsible building authority can also take action. Therefore, obtain the consent of the neighbours before parking the boat. Whether the authority will then take action against the owner is questionable."
Wintering in water
Pro: long season
If you leave your boat in the water, you can sail until late in the autumn or early in the year. There is no need to lay and set the mast.
Cons: Wear and tear and hidden costs
The list of disadvantages is long. If there is no drying phase on land, the risk of osmosis increases rapidly. This is one of the main reasons why yachts are increasingly spending the winter ashore in the Mediterranean. In addition, there are storms and the risk of ice and frost in the north. Even a supposedly favourable price is often put into perspective. Many mooring providers charge similar fees to those in summer. Where it seems cheaper, often half the seasonal price, service surcharges may be added, for example for line control. There is also a charge for craning and antifouling.
