AlaskaGuy,

I ran into this about a lifetime ago when I lived in Maine.

The damage that I saw was limited to some of the caulking being pushed
out (the yard just hammered back in with a setting iron).

I will list aswers in line (I hate this) as it seems like the best way
to keep things straight.

AlaskaGuy wrote:
Hi Everyone,
I was not able to get my boat (1934 Skipjack -
www.homerhostel.com/boat.htm) out of the water yet this autumn. I have
been told that removing it when it is below freezing ( I live in Homer
Alaska and now the highs are15-30F and lows are 5-25F) can cause
problems with the caulking and/or planking if they freeze before
drying. I do not have an area to store it either in the water for the
winter or in a garage. I will have to store it outside and with a tarp
built over it to shed snow. How can I best prepare it for this:

Should I heavily salt the inside.?
A saturated salt salution freezes at -14F - why bother

Should I try to heat the inside with a small heater for a few weeks
(how long necessary?)
This may do you the most good as the winter air is very low in absolute
humidity and warning it up makes it dry thing out fast.
How long? My SAG about a week maybe more if you can.

Should I try to tarp the waterline to the trailer
and heat the outside too?
Don't bother the water that will cause you trouble is the fresh water in
the bilge.

Will this very dry air dry it too fast and be a problem?
I could not see how. The seams and wood will only dry as fast as they
want to.

If I don't use heat and it freezes what will happen?
You will probably have to reset some caulking.

Do you have any other recommendations on what I should or shouldn't
do???
If you get hung up, pour as much RV antifreeze around in the bilge as
you can. That is non-toxic propylene glycol and it will not hurt the
wood at all.

I am a novice wooden boat owner. But since buying it 2 months ago have
become quite attached to it. It is a fine looking boat, seems to be
built solidly, is very tight with very little water coming into the
bilge. I have always admired the skills, knowledge, tradition, and art
that go into wooden boat construction. Now that I am responsible for
one I want to treat it right. Any help with these questions will be
much appreciated!

Thanks!!

Fair Wind and Smooth Sea.
Matt Colie Lifelong Waterman, Licensed Mariner,and Pathological Sailor