www.iFourWinns.com

I've located indoor but not heated storage. Concrete floors and a good structure overhead. The previous owner had new canvas done in 2010 and he left it up during last years winter, indoors. All of my last boats, I had to take the canvas down but stored it in my basement. In the spring, they all had shrunk and were a pig to put back on. I have a mooring cover too that was new with the canvas. I'm leaning on keeping the full canvas up to avoid the winter shrinkage and stress on the stitching and such. Of course I'll take all of the appropriate measures to keep the critters, if any, out. The wifey wants the mooring cover on and store the canvas in the basement. I could have almost written this post to Dear Abby instead.

What's everyone think?

John

_________________
07 Azure AZ200,
Previous boat,
95 278 Vista,
And a lot of others.

Ontario, Canada

John,
We clean our Sumbrella pieces and re-waterproof the top. We clean and treat the clear vinyl with Plexus. We store in a heated facility, so we keep the biminis in the boots. The other pieces are stores in a duffel bag in the boat. If I stored in a cold facility, I would keep everything in my basement. Just me, but I don't think it is good for the vinyl to be exposed to extreme cold. Dan

_________________

Current Boat: 1994 278 Four Winns Vista

We take our canvas down and put the cockpit cover on. Then throw a tarp over it just to keep the dust off and bird dropping if one happens to get inside!

You still in the water? Looks like a beauty for lake simcoe this weekend

_________________
2001 328 Vista "Nauta Dream 2"
AB Inflatable 10AL "Little Dreamer"
2000 248 Vista
1997 225 Sundowner


Mike

You betcha Mike,,,,I'll be in for a month or so. Thinkin of making an Orillia run,,,,still have the key, or maybe you don't know about that yet.

John

_________________
07 Azure AZ200,
Previous boat,
95 278 Vista,
And a lot of others.

Ontario, Canada

We give the exterior of our camper top and windows a good bath while they are on our boat a day or two before we are lifted out for the season. We let the camper dry throughly, remove it and put on our mooring cover for outside, shrink wrapped winter storage.

The shrink wrap guys remove our mooriing cover, shrink wrap boat and we take our complete camper top home where it winters in our basement under the ping pong table along with our Mercury inflatable boat. Never know what ya find under ping pong tables.

In the spring we wash the camper top according to Sunbrella web site (always scared the $hit out of me using some bleach in water and soap on our black camper top) and use Plexus or similar on the windows. We do then apply water proofing to the camper top and then install back on boat in the spring.

It does help if you install your camper top back on the boat on a reasonably warm day and let the sun hit the camper top/windows for a bit if you are finding some snaps/buttons a little snug.

Mike.

_________________

Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

The canvas is certainly going to be tighter when it's cold. Perhaps that's the problem you had when putting it back on. I know mine is a hassle to reinstall when it's colder outside. But this year I didn't drag up the canvas until late in May (it had been stowed below on the boat all winter) and it reinstalled just fine.

I need to replace mine anyway as five seasons in the sun have not been kind to the clear vinyl and stitching (but the canvas itself isn't too bad). I just need to remember to keep a sharp eye for the winter sales Great Lakes usually has...

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

I don't do much different than any one else a guess. I do boat in salt water, so all the canvas get washed in cold water, than hung out to dry. I do store the the whole top indoors in a 2nd fl. closet. My basement is a little damp and I do not want mold to get into it.

In the spring I spray it whit a UV protactor and re-mount everything on a warm day. I do a snap type lub to make it easyer to put back on, it helps.

Thanks everyone. Looks like I'll go with the mooring cover. Plexus for the windows and store it in my basement under the ping pong table.

John

_________________
07 Azure AZ200,
Previous boat,
95 278 Vista,
And a lot of others.

Ontario, Canada

What a weekend we just had, went out near Lefroy Sat and Sun. For the Canvas, I'll be bringing it home soon, and be putting the cockpit cover on. with the price of a new canvas, care is key. I got to get it done soon, since haul out is Oct31. See you on Simcoe

_________________
Vista 318 2007