Leaving your boat outside during winter

This year we decided to leave our boat on the trailer at the beach, due to the fact we had a lot of maintenance to do, and we want to sail once in a while when the wether is not too bad.

But I'm asking myself, why do we take our boats inside during the winter period? Which parts cannot handle the cold? (and maybe need some extra protection?)

The cold isn't the problem.
You have to be sure that there is no water trapped in (e.g. rudders), because ice needs more volume than water. Well you know this from beer bottles in freezers...
Apart from that there is more exposure to UV radiation, rain and strong wind, hence your boat and equipment suffers simply more. If you have a good tarp, you can minimise this.

Cheers,

Klaus

I also left all my cats in the netherlands outside in wintertime. (Though just this summer I built a open shed around it).

There are three issues which I always carefully check (besides the possible water inside the hulls):

Each cat has a depressurize inlet/outlet and drainplugs. When you let the drainplugs out, take care for possible waterinlet. When you leave them in, be sure that the depressurizing works.

Also make sure that the beams are level to each other on the trailer (beams in each others horizon), so there is no torsion in the connection points. Support the girders for the hulls on the trailer if necessary seperately.

Be sure that the lying mast has no waterinlet.

succes

ronald

It's best to remove the tramp to protect from UV and the weight of snow. A tarp can be used, but you'll want to remove the snow after each storm. Leaving snow in place captures rain by refreezing, and this adds more weight than just the snow alone (which can also be heavy).

Mike

A boat should only be outside when sailing.

Karl, show us the pictures again of you bringing your boat into your basement through the window. Your neighbors probably think you're a tweeker.

If you have a Hobie 17 or any boat with wing sockets, be sure to dry them out, and then back fill with antifreeze, and cover.

What he said, but to play it safe, do a soap/air test before adding the antifreeze to rule out any tiny cracks/leaks which may allow the antifreeze to seep in.

Mike

Surely you are not on one of the North Sea beaches? They even dismantle the clubhouses and take them off of the beach for winter along there!
I have seen boats on those beaches that are nice and shiny on their high side, but the side that faces the sea all the time has been sand-blasted right into the gelcoat

~~ HHMM ??? Where to start? A long long time ago, ok.. just messing here... A few years ago I didn't cover my 17 in time before winter came. Thought I'd be able to get my butt out there and get the snow off of it. One time it snowed for 3-4 days straight and I couldn't see the boat anymore. I said screw it.Come spring time, both rear rollers dissapeared into the hulls. Yep, you guessed it fiberglass time. The following years I built an "A" frame to put my cats under. (I covered them first) My seat sockets always had a slow leak in them so antifreeze won't help you, put duct tape over them to keep snow/water out. I put a bead of silicone around them after I put the seat in for the summer...I'am not sure how to put picts up here but ya can send me a PM or popeyez7@aol.com for picts.~~

Ok, thanks everybody.... This is clear!

FYI

We do not have the boat at the North Sea, but at a lake. We always use a tarp over the trampoline, and we also leave the drains out. (so we already did rather ok)