Winter Storage

[WiannoSr69]

For the past month, my wooden powerboat has been sitting on jackstands inside a well-insulated, heated barn in Maine that has a concrete floor. The winter project has been expanded (as usual) and the boat will potentially be in the heated barn for a few more months. The boat was last in the water (salt) 14 months ago and, prior to being moved inside for work, was stored outside on jackstands over dirt. The seams are very tight right now but I am worrying about them drying out over the winter in this heated space.

I am writing asking for suggestions on effective steps I can take to keep the seams from drying out and opening up in the next few months. Thanks in advance.

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

My boat is out every fall in a very dry winter climate. While it opens up some by spring, it closes again. I assume your shop is not heated to 70 degrees, but maybe it is. You probably just have to leave in the slings a little while longer than you thought when you relaunch... provided your cotton and caulking are all in fairly good condition. In high heat and dry conditions, you can potentially crack a plank particularly in places like the garboard. You could soak the boat from inside with a hose, but I suspect that might be messy for you.