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Treat interior wood for winter storage?

dhill

Member III
Hi everybody,

Does anyone treat the interior wood (e.g., conditioner/polish for protection) for storage during the winter?

Thanks!
Dave
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Hi,
Our interior is varnished and I do a light sand and recoat about every 5 years. If the teak is oiled I would likely add a coat of teak oil annually, but not too thick.
I think the main thing for the interior is to clean thoroughly to remove grease in the galley, crumbs on the salon floor, hairs under cushions, etc, then if not using the boat during winter, remove cushions, books, food, blankets, etc. and store them in a dry, warm location. Winterize the engine, plumbing, etc and then ensure good ventilation throughout winter. I use the Stor Dry flat silver dehumidifier which apparently circulates 800 cubic feet of air per hour, which I think reduces the likelihood of mould and stale smells in the boat. It's important to check the boat regularly for water leaks and any other developing problems to avoid nasty surprises in the Spring.
Frank
 

Sean Engle

Your Friendly Administrator
Administrator
Founder
You can also have the boat shrink wrapped if she's on a cradle to keep the water and critters out. I've always marveled at the New England boats and the winterizing procedures you guys follow. Here in the PNW we're mostly concerned about mold....and earthquakes....but that's another story... =)

//sse
 

Bolo

Contributing Partner
I only pull my boat out of the water every other year for bottom inspection and re-painting. Otherwise I keep it in the water. In both cases I make sure air is circulating. I keep the center hatch solar vent in good working order and replace it as soon as it breaks and is in not repairable. When in the water during the winter, with shore power, I run a West Marine Air Dry Fan dehumidifier. I also make the two hour trip to the boat during the winter at least once a month to check on things. Keeping moisture out of the closed boat as much as possible has helped greatly in keep mold and mildew out.
 

ddoles

Member III
I store my boat in NJ out of the water and covered for the winter. To control mold I try to remove everything I can that would provide a good mold growth surface. This means unneeded paper, blankets, towels, cushions, etc. Then I open all bins, cupboards, etc to allow some level of air circulation. Finally I load the boat up with DampRid containers. Then I visit the boat periodically through the winter to keep an eye out for any problems (and work on a few project). Come spring I find mold has not been a problem.
 

mjsouleman

Sustaining Member
Moderator
I am in the process of preping for winter also.
I am on the Sakonnet River in Portsmouth, Rhode Island in salt water. My marina requires all boats to be pulled no later than Nov 1st for warm, or cold storage.

After normal boat winterizing, I remove cushions, empty the galley, bag the sails, and remove other assorted items. Following this, I wipe down the interior with mold and mildew spray. Finally, I wipe all interior teak with a good teak oil and let dry. I leave a dehumidifier and fan running all winter.

Mark "Souleman" Soule
 

hjohnson

S/V Sagres
We're in the PNW, and our boat gets used 12 months a year. To keep the "boat stink" at bay, when not aboard, we leave a 100W lightbulb in an appropriately rated socket going to put in just a little bit of heat and help dry things out. It's done wonders to keep the mildew at bay.
 
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