For some, the winter season is a forced break, a seemingly endless and dreary time away from sailing. For others, it is a time for tinkering, pottering about and bringing to life the dreams hatched in summer. And some simply refer to winter as ‘club season’. After all, nowhere are relationships with fellow club members or neighbours closer than at the winter storage facility, particularly in the hall. There, you’ll find them almost every weekend, whereas in summer, encounters tend to be more random – due to differing sailing destinations and mooring times – and of uncertain duration.
Thus, the choice of the type of winter storage is often influenced not only by practical considerations; social factors can also play a part.
Assess requirements
For long-term owners, who may even have taken over their yacht with a covered berth, the question of the preferred winter storage option is unlikely to arise, at least as long as the hall fee can be paid and no major refits are due. And as long as there is no need to ‘broaden one’s horizons’ in the literal sense. After all, winter storage is also a limiting factor when it comes to the size of the sailing area. Many providers have fixed crane and slipway times. In that case, it doesn’t matter whether you’re retired and have all the time in the world. The boat has to be taken out, and the date of its return is, as it were, contractually fixed. Next spring, the cruise will start again from the same spot as before.
So anyone wishing to explore new waters in their own yacht should weigh up the pros and cons of the various winter storage options once again. After all, if the boat remains moored over the winter where the summer cruise ended, the voyage can be continued the following year. A berth in an open-air storage facility is almost always available, even abroad, and if it’s a fibreglass yacht that needs little more than an oil change and a fresh coat of antifouling, spending a year or two in a different location can open up whole new possibilities.
If more extensive refits or refurbishments are also planned – such as a teak deck – it may be worth undertaking a long cruise eastwards to have this work carried out in Poland or the Baltic states and to combine the time in the shipyard with winter storage.
Winter storage in a hall, in an open-air storage area or on a nearby field?
Anyone facing the decision of where to store their boat for the winter for the first time – whether as a new owner, when changing yachts, or when having to cut back on the budget for their hobby – is faced with a difficult choice. Should you store it in a hangar, with a professional provider or at a farmer’s? Should you keep the boat in an open-air storage facility, in the water or on your own property during the dark months? It is not just the costs that matter, but also practical considerations.
That is why it is important, first and foremost, to determine the actual requirements, quite apart from the budget. What work needs to be done on the boat, and what is essential? Are these major projects that may need to be carried out by external contractors or that require specific temperatures?
Cost traps associated with winter storage
Only by carrying out a detailed needs analysis can the costs be calculated accurately. To do this, you should compare the various quotes thoroughly: are there any hidden additional costs or restrictions, such as waste disposal charges, costs for hull cleaning, the storage cradle or the mast cradle? Are external contractors permitted at all, or only those with whom the operator has contracts? What happens if the storage period is exceeded due to delayed work? What is the insurance situation?
Part of the needs analysis involves accurately calculating journey times and costs. What might appear to be the cheaper option – storing the boat in a farmer’s barn – can, in the long run, work out more expensive than a boathouse right by the harbour and close to home, if this involves longer journeys. The reduced daylight hours in winter are also an important consideration. It is usually dim under boat covers and beneath hulls, even inside a hall. Without adequate lighting, the longer journeys mean that the time available for working in daylight is reduced.
Timing is also important. By the time this issue is published, the season will be drawing to a close in just a few weeks’ time. If you want to avoid making a decision in a panic at the last minute, you need to make it now – without rushing.
Safe winter storage in the hall
A space under the roof is on many homeowners’ wish list. It offers the most benefits
Pros: well protected
A space in a modern hall is the best winter storage facility for a fibreglass yacht. It is no longer exposed to the elements, such as temperature fluctuations, wind or UV rays. As a result, it ages considerably more slowly than a boat stored in the open air; moreover, many maintenance tasks are made much easier. A thin plastic sheet or tarpaulin is usually sufficient as dust protection; often, it isn’t even needed, as many hall regulations only permit sanding work if it is carried out with a dust extraction system. The premium option for this type of storage is a heated hall. Painting of all kinds or adhesive work can be carried out throughout the winter, regardless of the temperature. However, take care when studying the contract terms. ‘Frost-proof’ usually means ‘heated’, but not necessarily ‘warm’. It merely ensures that the temperature in the hall does not fall below freezing. In such cases, for example, the engine cooling system does not need to be winterised to be frost-proof. However, double-digit temperatures – such as those required for the curing of many paints and varnishes or for the reliable cross-linking of epoxy – cannot necessarily be expected.
Downside: it’s expensive
The cost is the biggest drawback of heated indoor storage. For a ten-metre yacht, this can easily run to several thousand euros. Unheated storage is around 25 per cent cheaper, whilst outdoor storage costs only about half as much. However, there are other drawbacks too. Some indoor storage operators are very strict about working hours and even prohibit owners from carrying out work themselves. Furthermore, the boats are often parked extremely close together, which can make certain tasks – such as polishing at deck level – impossible. Furthermore, unheated halls are like refrigerators in spring. The iron keels cool down significantly at night and prevent the space from warming up during the day. Humidity also condenses on them, meaning that painting usually has to be postponed for a long time. Furthermore, very airtight and dry halls are not recommended for wooden boats, except when painting. The wood needs to ‘breathe’ and requires humidity.
Open-air winter storage
Berths in the open-air storage area are easy to come by and inexpensive. However, the yacht is left unprotected
Pros: available
A space in an open-air warehouse is considerably easier to secure than one indoors. What’s more, it costs only about half as much as a comparable indoor space. However, this comes with a number of drawbacks.
Con: exposed
Whilst protection from the elements is not strictly necessary for plastic yachts, it is recommended to preserve their value and prevent them from getting dirty. The best option is a dedicated cover with a sturdy PVC tarpaulin, as this takes the wind pressure off the hull. However, this can easily cost a four-figure sum. A tarpaulin placed directly over the boat is also sufficient, but it presents a large surface area to the wind, which increases the pressure on the supports. These should therefore be as wide as possible to prevent them from pressing into the hull. Compared to indoor storage, outdoor storage requires more monitoring – firstly, to check that the tarpaulin is still in place after storms, and secondly, due to the high risk of break-ins. Outdoor storage is simply more accessible to thieves than lockable halls. Furthermore, to ensure adequate ventilation, the boat should not be completely covered, which in turn makes break-ins easier. And last but not least: working groups, such as those formed in the hall, do not form as easily in outdoor storage.
With a standing rig?
Wind load is one of the main reasons against leaving the mast up over the winter. Constant stress from the leeward shrouds can lead to delamination at the contact points or even breakage. Furthermore, it is not possible to inspect a standing rig as thoroughly for damage. If a breakage does occur as a result, the savings on the mast crane hire and the time saved are quickly offset. Furthermore, a suitable tarpaulin is more labour-intensive to produce and more expensive when the rig is left standing. And last but not least, the service life of the wires is reduced. They stretch under load even in winter and need to be retensioned in spring – twice as often as usual – which almost halves the recommended 15-year lifespan.
Cheap winter storage right on your doorstep
As well as the price, quick access is one of the main advantages of storing your boat at home
Pros: ideal for working
Storing your boat on your own property – whether in the open air, in a tent or in a separate outbuilding – is not just the cheapest option, as it’s free. If you have your yacht on your doorstep, you can also work on it much more effectively than if you had to make long journeys to winter storage every time. This means you can paint, sand and polish not only at the weekends, but also after work. The tools you need are always to hand, and you set your own rules for how the work is carried out. There’s no need to take other owners’ needs into account, as you would in an indoor storage facility. If the boat is shielded from the outside world by tarpaulins or a tent, it can gather dust and get dirty, and it doesn’t bother anyone – except perhaps the neighbours. However, this can sometimes lead to trouble with them – due to noise, unpleasant odours or, quite simply, the changed appearance, which may even arouse envy.
Con: vulnerable
If a neighbour feels disturbed, you’re usually in a tight spot. Another downside is working on your own. No quick advice from a fellow club member, 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 one’s own property
“Storing a boat in your own garden poses a risk if it is in a residential area. Neither the planning authority nor the neighbours are obliged to tolerate this. Under planning law, this constitutes an ancillary structure requiring planning permission. Neighbours who feel disturbed by the unauthorised establishment of a winter boat storage facility can therefore take action. However, the relevant planning authority may also take action. You should therefore obtain your neighbours’ consent before storing the boat. It is questionable whether the authority would then still take action against the owner.”
Hibernating in the water
Pros: long season
Anyone who leaves their boat in the water can sail until late autumn or even early in the year. There is no need to lower or hoist the mast.
Cons: Wear and tear and hidden costs
The list of drawbacks is long. If there is no drying-out period on land, the risk of osmosis increases rapidly. This is one of the main reasons why yachts are increasingly being overwintered on land, even in the Mediterranean. Added to this are storms, and in the north, the risk of ice and frost. Even a supposedly low price often turns out to be less attractive than it seems. Many mooring providers charge similar fees to those in summer. Where it appears cheaper – often half the seasonal price – service charges may be added, for example for line checks. There is also the cost of craning the yacht for antifouling treatment.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital