I know we have some good sailing still to come but wanted to start thinking about where and how I am going to store my H18 for the winter. I dont have a barn/out building to keep it in but I live in Memphis so the snow build up is minimal. However, temps can get down to teens and sometimes single digits. Recommendations? Tarp suggestions? What have you found best to do?
I have heard it is a good idea to remove or loosen the tramp. Sails, rigging, sheets how much do you break down?
I only leave out the hulls and beams in the winter. I take the tramp off and mast down, and all rigging components that come off easily. Our beach has a place to store our masts inside and I store everything else in my basement or in my garage.
Besides the snow load, in my opinion on the only issue with the cold is if you get water in cracks or gaps and it freezes. H17 and H21SE have this problem with their wing trunks.
I wrap the mast up in blue tarps and rack it behind our park district boat house. I cover my boat with a cover I bought from Murrays and use a couple of exercise balls to keep water from pooling. The boat sits on sand and well away from the surf line. No issues past 6 seasons but this year I'm borrowing a trailer and tearing the whole boat down for maintenance so the hulls mast and cross beams will be on saw horses out in back yard and the rest in the basement.
I Strip the rigging, tramp, rudder,..ect. down to beam and hulls and park it in the back yard. Everything else going inside except the mast hangs mostly covered under a lean-to roof of my back garage. About 3-4 ft sticks out one end. Have to find a place for my beach wheels first winter I've had them.