NORTH LAKE STORAGE

Why choose North Lake Storage for indoor storage of your boat or vehicle? First, your boat is protected from the weather without the work and expense of erecting a canvas or plastic cover. You just drape your existing cover over your boat as a ‘dust cover’ of sorts; no additional material to buy. Second, boats stored inside generally need less clean up in the spring to restore that yacht-like appearance, whether your yacht is from 1978 or 2009. Third, our locked buildings offer great protection against vandals and raccoons. Have you ever seen what a raccoon can do to the inside of a boat? It’s not pretty. Maybe that’s why you don’t hear of many raccoon sailor stories. Fourth, since your boat isn’t in your garage, you can put your car inside. You can thank us after the first snowfall when we get twelve inches overnight. Fifth, it is a fact that boats left in the water blister. Boats hauled and stored allow the laminate to dry; thus releasing the moisture and preventing the moisture content of the hull from reaching the 20% range where blisters start forming. Pulling your boat every season and allowing it to dry will also stop the penetration and further deterioration of any current moisture or blistering problems.

Regarding drop-off or haul-out dates, it helps to schedule yours on a weekday, not a weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, the yard (14048 North Territorial Road, Chelsea Michigan) has a lot of skippers making demands to our four owners. Sometimes the help gets a little bit cranky. But, the pressure is off Monday through Friday, so we can be more flexible with our schedule during the week. Give us about a week’s notice for your boat’s put-in or extraction date to insure you get the date and time that works best for you.

A bag of fresh donuts is a great inducement for Richard to get your boat done quickly along with a few extras at no charge to you. Please make sure that you clear the engine spaces so we can easily winterize the power plant. It can make things a lot harder when we are forced to move a couple of sleeping bags, a teddy bear and three deck chairs to get at the engine.

If you like, we can arrange to pick up your boat from your dock and transport it to our storage facility where we will winterize the boat and tuck it away. But please, all that we ask is that you leave your dock in prior to us picking up the boat. We usually do not bring our swimsuits when we work, although we have gone swimming on occasion..unintentional as it was. In the spring, when the trees begin to bud and you have your dock in, we perform a Spring Prep and return your boat on the day of your choosing. While other yards are frantically removing acres of shrink wrap and trying to rush the spring prep work to meet customer deadlines, your boat is already on the water.

Whatever method of winter storage you plan to use, early September is the time to make your arrangements. Be the first on your block or canal to secure your storage space. This doesn’t mean you have to be the first one out of the water. We all know you want to see the leaves change. Prompt action simply gives you the opportunity to select the exact date you want your boat hauled and the peace of mind that you will get the storage location you want. Plus, because you are now a current customer, you qualify for our incentive program.  We offer all of our current customers a financial reward for finding us a new storage customer.  Or, you could wait another few days. Maybe your brother-in-law will get that pole barn completed by the first snow fall. Maybe.

Yet another season is approaching…boating season. Time to think of those annoying little idiosyncrasies your boat developed at the end of last season. We can help in getting those boating repairs done before the summer begins, so you don’t miss a day enjoying your boat on the water.