Winter Storage -Greater Boston, MA area

[DrB]

I know, I know..... why am I thinking about winter storage this time of the summer, but I need to start laying the ground work for the up coming winter slumber of our boat. I am almost 100% sure I will not be returning to the yard I was in last year for a variety of reasons, so I am looking at alternatives. I will need to start sending out email requests for inclusion on their lists in case there is a waiting list.

Here are my needs:

Boat is:

• !2,500 lb displacement
• 33' long
• 6' draft
• 11 foot beam
• Tall Rig (Air Draft 50')

I like to do my own work, so a full-service yard in not going to cut it. I live in the Boston area, so an hour drive from the center point of Boston isn't bad. I have drive as far as Newburyport (1 h 10 min), and that is a little far. Plymouth is about an hour away. I keep my boat in Marblehead/Salem, MA.

Anyone have any good recommendations on DIY yards that are reasonable priced and can handle a boat with the dimensions above?

Thanks.

DrB

[treilley]

"Reasonably priced". Does that mean cheap? I consider a yard reasonable if I get what I pay for.

Brewer's new yard in Salem. The manager, Noah, is a great guy from Maine. Grew up on boats and used to work at their S. Freeport yard where I used to keep my boat.

[eherlihy]

You don't say where in the Boston area that you are located... I kept my 35' boat with a 6' draft at a yard in RI. I paid about $1600 including shrink wrap last year.

[treilley]

Originally Posted by eherlihy

You don't say where in the Boston area that you are located... I kept my 35' boat with a 6' draft at a yard in RI. I paid about $1600 including shrink wrap last year.

Ed, you may want to re-read the OP. He sails out of Marblehead/Salem area. Wants to be within an hour of downtown Boston.

[eherlihy]

According to Google:

Boston, MA to Providence, RI
50.3 mi – about 1 hour 2 mins

I consider myself to be "in the Boston area," and it took me 45 min from my driveway to being parked in front of my boat. (Of course, that was without traffic. With heavy traffic, it could take an extra 1/2 hour.)

He also says that it takes him 1hr and 10 mins to get to Newburyport.

It all depends on where your starting point is....

[eherlihy]

I found my reciepts... It cost more last year than I thought.

Storage & Blocking & Stands were $1400
Shrinkwrap with a door was $620
TOTAL $2020

Sorry for my memory being so poor...

[rmeador]

Admiral's Hill marina in Chelsea can certainly accommodate your boat and their prices are quite reasonable for haul and launch (not sure about storage, but I bet they're not too bad either). They'll let you do your own work, but they charge you for storage while you do so ($1/ft/day, IIRC). If it's on the hard for the winter, you're probably paying a storage fee already, so that may not apply. I had a small bad experience when I had them arrange contractors to work on my boat, so if I wasn't doing the work myself, I'd definitely do the contracting myself. Other than that, they seem to do a good job.

[Kiltmadoc]

The willows
Winter Island (cheapest of all, but you need your own generator for winter work involving power tools)
Beverly Port Marina
Danversport Marina
Liberty Marina

[JKCatalina310]

We summer and winter at Hingham Ship Yard. OK prices.

[DrB]

I am familiar with the yards in the Salem/MH area. Winter Island could be ideal for us, but understanding is from visiting the yard is that getting a 6' draft boat in an out is problematic and tide dependent as is Hawthorne Cove-Brewer.

Also, Winter Island Yacht Yard itself is very small and has a long wait list. Maybe this year they acquired the rights to store boats also in the parking lot near the Winter Island public boat ramp. I drove over last winter, when the boats were on the hard, and didn't see any electrical or water facilities nor rest rooms.

MH Trading Company is a little pricey, but they have deep water and are very good with scheduling. The problem with them, in the past, has been availability. They often do have room, but don't know until late October, a little too risky for me. Last year I was putting on my cover on Dec 1, because my boat wasn't pulled until Tuesday before Thanksgiving, even though I was supposed to come out Nov. 10 (different yard). My wife wasn't too happy freezing her buns off in the 30 degree temps.

As far as where I will commute from, I live a little south of the MA Pike and RT 128/I-95 Interchange.