Not much on the site pertaining to dinghies......purchased a used pvc dinghy. Boat is 5 hrs away from the house. The dinghy takes up most of the room of my Vibe but will manage for a pre-season trip(not to mention the motor that also needs to make a trip in the SAME Vibe). The question....post season, is it ok to leave my dinghy(packed in it's cute bag) stored in the boat during the cold-Michigan-winter months? It would be GREAT to not have to cart it back home when my car will already be packed with post season items, leaving no room for a return trip of the dinghy. Does anyone else leave their pvc dinghy in a cold shed, their boat, etc? I am assuming we will find a way to get the motor back home where it can be winterized or....figure a way that the marina will winterize it and trust that it will be safe.
dinghy storage
- Thread starter vmaks
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A Pontiac Vibe, sister car to a Toyota Matrix. I would invest in a sturdy roof rack for the vehicle and create the space to bring everything home in one trip. The important questions is; Do you have the space to keep the inflatable at home? If you do I would bring it home and store it. Sub-freezing temperatures for a prolongued period of time can harden the material and perhaps cause some cracks at the folds. It might be better if you left it partially inflated inside the boat. A nice roof rack could be used for other purposes and it will surely make your trip back in the spring a lot easier.
Storing it on the boat is ok but since it's vinyl I would recommend not handling it during the freezing temperatures. I made the mistake of moving my dodger last winter and the clear vinyl shattered like glass in my face. Vinyl will freeze solid and crack if handled when freezing temps occur.
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