Nauticraft boat owners oftentimes ask what the best way is to store their boat during the off-season as well as suggestions as to how to dock their boat during seasonal months.

The ideal way to store a Nauticraft boat during the off-season (or seasonal) months is on one of our modified Karavan boat trailers (see prior blog posting) and preferably inside a building.  If storing the boat inside is not an option, we would highly recommend it be covered with a trailering cover or a tarp while stored outside in order to keep dirt and debris (as well as critters!) from getting inside of it.

If a trailer is not available, Nauticraft boats can be stored sitting on their keels. The Escapade with its single keel, will need to either lean on a wall in order to keep it upright – or sit on a Storage Cradle.   Nauticraft manufactures and sells Storage Cradles made specifically for the Escapade that securely hold the boat in an upright position.

A Launching Wheel Set is available for the Encore and can be used while the boat is sitting on its two keels (ideally on a hard surface) as well as launching it (see prior posting).  A Styrofoam block may also be placed under the bow of the Encore, thereby giving it additional support.

The Sprite Pedal Boat is a relatively flat-bottomed boat and will easily rest sitting on its keel once the swing up drive units are removed and the rudder is swept up.

Boat lifts can also be used to store a Nauticraft boat when not in use.  Bunk risers added to a Personal Watercraft lift (similar to a lift used for a jet ski) will be needed to help with fitting the deep keels on the boats.

For boats maintained in tidal waters, suggestions are “Tideminders”, a Tidewater Boat Lift or a floating dock, which allow for the rise and fall of waters.

For ease of docking a Nauticraft boat, hand holds have been molded in at the stern of the boat as well as a cross hole thru the bow, all of which allow the boat to be tied off.

Another option is to mount a manual or electric davit to a dock to facilitate taking a boat in/out of the water.  A jib (or gantry) crane and electric hoist would be needed. An Encore or Sprite can then sit on the dock, while a storage cradle for an Escapade would work best for that particular boat. The below pictures reflect an Encore boat hoisted at the factory and how the hand holds and bow hole are used for this purpose. (Note that the boat should not be stored on the hoist.)

The above are just a few of the ways to store/dock a Nauticraft boat.  Nauticraft boat owners have been very creative in what works best for them!

NOTES:

• Ideally a Nauticraft boat would be stored out of the water and not docked continuously for too many days at a time as the hull will become quite dirty, and barnacles – which are very difficult to remove – will attach to the hull if the boat is stored in salt/brackish water.
• When storing the boats for a longer period of time, heavier items should not be placed inside the boats as that could possibly affect the shape/components of the boat.