View topic - Pls give tips and tricks for storing a canoe outdoors

Well, we ran out of the room for indoor storage. The newest to the fleet we had to store it our on the deck, burrito wrapped in poly tarp (2 layers on top, one on the bottom) and locked to the shelter pillars. Now it is on saw horses, still Burrito wrapped (when not in use), and locked to the chain linked fence posts in the back yard. Have not been able to come up with anything better. No room to hang off north side of house, or to build a shed off the house. Can't get it down the basement, or in the living room (as a coffee table of course!)
Any tips for lowering the UV and water damage? Have to get this worked out before I bring home the WW kayak (which I CAN stand on end and lock to the house)!

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"I've never met a river I didn't like. The experience is what we remember and the challenges make for great memories". Me

Any room under the deck?

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If you must store it outside, avoid wrapping the canoe in a tarp or draping the tarp directly over the boat. Rather, rig the tarp for shade & shelter without direct contact with the canoe. A bit of air flow will help you avoid any mildew build-up.

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www.mikemonaghan.ca

Also, it would help eliminate 100's of insects and critters finding a home under and in the canoe if you put some kind of mesh below across the gunwales!!

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Tarp it without touching the canoe. Use the chain link fence to hold the tarp up. Be prepared to change the tarp about once a yeear because the sun will fade it. The lock is a good idea.

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As per the posts above, burrito wrapping a canoe will destroy it.

An inexpensive fix for covering a canoe on sawhorses is to cut, glue, and screwnail together a light frame (peaked roof) out of 2" x 2" lumber, which is cheaply bought at any Home Depot, Rona, Lowes, etc.

Then using a staplegun, staple a cheap blue tarp onto the frame, but leave an inch or so around the bottom uncovered for air circulation. 2 people will be able to pick it up, and place it over the canoe. Security the frame lightly to the deck will help against wind.

I store my canoe in a hinged-lid plywood box that I attached to the back of my garage. The bottom 4" around the box are mesh, and the canoe sits inside it on saw horses.

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Ubique

Deck is only 12" off the ground, so that is a no. But the rest of the ideas or super helpful!

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"I've never met a river I didn't like. The experience is what we remember and the challenges make for great memories". Me

Agree about keeping the tarp or cover off to prevent mildew slime on the hull.

For lack of indoor storage I store a number of canoes outside, and have found three principal concerns:

Like cartopping a canoe always tie or strap it down, or gusty winds will take it for a ride. That also means making sure whatever rack the canoe is resting on can’t blow over with the canoe firmly attached.

Wasp nest can be a problem hereabouts, so I always have a look inside the hull before shouldering the canoe.

The biggest issue I have with outside storage is cavity nesters, especially house wrens, making nests inside the inverted deck plates. House wrens can make a new nest in a day’s time. Semi-deflated dollar store beach balls tied inside the stems as nests preventers work as easily as anything.

http://www.canoetripping.net/forums/for ... preventers

Thanks for asking. I too am thinking about how to shade my 4-boat rack, to keep the sun off that top canoe. No easy solutions at-a-glance. I was thinking a tailored wrap/cover with a tarp would be easiest, because I don't want to impede taking boats on and off, and a constructed awning here would have to hold through thunderstorms and a snow load.

An alternative to a tarp for a wrap/cover, there are manufactured covers, but I haven't looked closely because I didn't want to spend the money ($350?).

I have discoloured a Royalex canoe from having a plastic sheet over it one winter. Some helpful family member did that for me. And I have had a cat find a resting/pooping/scratching spot on top of deflated air bags in an upside down canoe. I still hate cats. At least I've never had a racoon family, like my friend had move into his kayak. I think he threw that boat out.

My spot is relatively enclosed between garages, so maybe I'll just leave it at that. I feel the canoe will last long enough even with some exposure. Maybe good enough is good enough.

I can't see how to construct an awning that wouldn't be in my way or get busted by wind, rain or snow.

P.

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Learning to paddle is like learning a language:
It's easy to learn the basics, but will you be understood in a strong wind?

Pat find an old Grumman and use it over the top good canoe.. It reflects sun well. Thats what a friend of mine did in South Carolina.. It may be obtainable for less than a reflective tarp

In winter be sure to not allow snow to build up on them.

Oh man I feel like a neglectful father...We've had an Old Town Discover 158 for a good 20+ years and it's sat out in our backyard every night. It's been covered in snow, mud, bugs etc. It's like a T1000 or something that can't be killed! Having said that I'm in the market for a new canoe and would certainly take better care of it. Good tips above!

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I left (um - "stored") a Kevlar Swift Shearwater with aluminum gunnels in the woods for 2 years sitting upside down on a couple scrap pieces of timber with no apparent ill effects other than some critter tried nibbling on the hardwood thwarts but apparently found something softer. I used to brush off the snow load occasionally but once it's 2-3 feet I don't think it could have built up much more anyway. Just find the shadiest spot available, support the boat about 3-4 feet from the ends, and treat the hull with 303 UV protectant and any wood with your favorite oil or varnish.

Excellent topic. Im building a wood shed this summer, and might add an extension on the back for the canoes.
I could suuuure use some pics from people that have one already!!

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Do crappy old blue tarps block uv? Or at least block enough for sitting in some summer son. (Wood has some nicer attributes but a bit more time money and effort. )