Sherri Ramos
Most boat owners dread the day they have to place their boat in storage for the season. This means the long days of summer have fallen by the wayside, and long days at the lake or the beach are gone. If you are a new boat owner, you may still be trying to figure out where to store your boat, but unfortunately storage is just the first step. Taking these basic steps will ensure you have many more successful boating seasons to come.
Storing Your Boat
If you are new to boating, or are looking to do something different than you have done in previous years, you have three basic choices when it comes to storing your boat.
Shrink Wrapping Is For More Than Easter Baskets
If you choose a storage option besides keeping your boat in a slip throughout the winter, you may want to consider having your vessel shrink wrapped prior to placing it in storage. This is a process in which your vessel will be covered tightly with industrial plastic. Shrink wrapping your vessel has many advantages:
There are many companies that offer this valuable service, but if you do not want to pay the cost to have it done, you can also find kits to do it yourself.
Review Your Boat Insurance
If you have been relying on your homeowners and auto insurance policies to cover your boat, you may want to think again. While these policies will offer you some semblance of coverage, they usually will not cover your boat in the case of physical damage, liability, or even theft when your boat is on the water. A separate boat insurance policy is going to provide you with the highest level of coverage, not only when your boat is in the water, but when it is in storage as well.
Contact your insurance agent you have the rest of your policies with. Ask them if you can have a separate policy written just for your boat insurance. If they carry marine insurance, you will probably qualify for a multi-policy discount, which could result in substantial savings for you.