Houseboat Carports - any winter outdoor tents, carport, gazebo, or canopy for boat storage?

by Ian
(Eau Claire, WI)

There's houseboat carports, like outdoor tents, gazebo, or a winter canopy that could be useful for boat storage. I found a 20ft x 40ft plastic "party tents" w/ frames on eBay for quite cheap.

I am just wondering if these would be an easier/better looking option, than to shrink-wrapping a frame around the boat for harsh Wisconsin winter months? I think it would look nice and let the light in...?

Is there an inherent issue that I am overlooking?

Also, any recommendation for a place to buy agitators??

This is my first winter freezing in my 14W X 50L X 14H boat. Any input is greatly appreciated..

Ian from Eau Claire, WI




Reply - Answer
Well Ian (from Eau Claire), I want to welcome you to the houseboat forums, and on your tenacity for sticking to it out considering the cold weather.

I may be mistaken, but are you looking for an alternative to shrink wrapping for "on land" winter storage, or are you looking for some protection from the elements while you are living on the boat while it is still in the water?

If you're looking at keeping the water moving in order for it to not freeze, than the houseboat article on freezing lakes and water agitators will be of interest to you.

Now when it comes to protecting your boat from the elements during the winter months, than these outdoor houseboat storage carports will provide an alternative to the shrink warp solutions already out there.



Lastly, hopefully some of our readers will share and post comments about their outdoor houseboat storage/protection experiences. Feel free to use the "Click here to post comments." link found near the bottom of this page.


Thanks again for sharing, IAN - from www.all-about-houseboats.com

If you're still looking for information, you can try our search function, found at the bottom of the left Nav bar.

Free Bonus Offer To show our appreciation to all of our readers and visitors, here is the link to our free Houseboat Insider magazine. Go ahead and sign-up, it's free and filled with great articles, tips, and information. Don't worry, your email is safe with us.