How to store a pontoon boat without a trailer?

When are you needed to remove your pontoon boat out of the water,  and why do you need to do it in the first place?-

Leaving your pontoon boat in the water for long periods is going to do more bad to your boat than any good. 

Especially in winters, you must remove your pontoon boats from the water as the frozen water or ice can damage the aluminum hull along with undesirable bacterial growth leading to the reduction of the lifespan of your boat. 

Your boat might also become a nesting place for different animals or different migrating birds. All these aspects can seriously affect your maintenance bills and this unsought rise in maintenance bills can be totally avoided.

Why can’t we leave just the pontoon boat on the shore and get done with it?

First off, the tubes or hull of the pontoon boat must be placed on level ground while it is being stored. This is because the hull or tubes of the pontoon boat might get damaged due to any indentation from pebbles or uneven surfaces beneath the pontoon boat. Hence, you must not leave your boat on shore and always must store it with proper care.

Check out Regulations and Safety here!

This article tells you how you can remove your pontoon boat from the water and what are the different ways in which you can store your pontoon boat even if you don’t have a trailer!

STORAGE BLOCKS- 

Storage blocks are a set of hollow reinforced plastic blocks and are easily available at any marine store or at any online retailer. 

They are typically available as a set of 4. Using them is one of the cheapest ways to store your pontoon boat. Also, they are highly versatile as they can be used for pontoon boats of any model. 

Make sure you spread the weight of your boat evenly over all the blocks in order to avoid any damages such as dents on the hull.

After raising your boat properly over the storage blocks, cover it properly to avoid internal damages.

BONUS TIP - Place the storage blocks symmetrically according to the shape and size of your pontoon boat. Also, do not place them too far from each other to avoid damages to the hull.

BOAT STANDS-

Boat stands are essentially reinforced poles that lift up and hold your pontoon boat off the ground. 

Getting your boats onto boat stands is the biggest problem as it might require a crane. You might request your mariner to provide crane services. 

Also, make sure you place your pontoon boat at a place where you want to store it before trying to lift it with a crane as the boat stands cannot be moved.

BOAT DOLLY SYSTEMS-

 The boat dolly is similar to a boat trolley but with a smaller size and smaller wheels but unlike the trailer, it is not suitable for towing the boat along a road. At the same time, pontoon boats can be placed on these devices and transported into storage, through small distances.

RENT A DRY STORAGE FROM THE DOCKS-

You can rent dry storage services from docks. These docks don’t even have to be the dock that provided you with the pontoon boat. 

You can call and check around in different docks around the area you are in the docks that provide such storage services are usually equipped with cranes and other essential equipment required to remove your boat from the water and move it into the storage area.

These services are often expensive but are a great way to store your pontoon boat if you don’t own a trailer.

RENT A MARINA SLIP AT A DOCK-

Marina slips are like small parking slots for your boats in the water itself.  They do not offer much protection to your pontoon boats during the winters as your boat is left in the water itself but it might be the only option if your area has storage shortage issues.

 But you can pay the service providers a few extra bucks for better protection. Covered slips are usually cheaper than other alternatives for storing your pontoon boats. 

The coat of covered slips depends upon the location, season, and length of your boat. The average cost of covered slips in the US ranges from 12$/ft per year to 240$/ft per year.

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR BOAT FOR A LONG STORAGE PERIOD DURING WINTERS-

Fill the fuel tank-  If the fuel tank of your boat is left empty during winters, the tank gets cold and this coldness later condenses and turns into water. 

This is a serious red flag as you don’t want water to be present in your fuel tank as it will result in the formation of rust within the fuel tank, which is undesirable. 

Hence, in order to remove air from the fuel tank, fill the fuel tank to almost full volume by leaving a 1 or 2 inches gap from the fuel inlet and adding a fuel stabilizer.

Clean the engine–  Your old engine might contain dust particles that might settle and stick to important metal surfaces. Hence, to avoid such problems, after filling the fuel tank, drain the old engine oil, remove spark plug wires, spray corrosion-resistant oil through plug holes, put in fresh oil, and connect new spark plugs. Disconnect the battery plugs until the boat is used again.

Use quality covers–  Using quality covers is important for the proper protection of the inner part of the boat.

Winterizing your pontoon is a necessary maintenance step to protect your pontoon boat from potential damages and to avoid unnecessary high maintenance bill charges.

This also helps you in saving your time as the boat is ready when you want to go on your next trip with your family and friends!