Storage for the winter.

Hi,

I haven't seen much listed here other than trip logs, so I hope that I am not posting to the wrong forum.

We bought a Swift, Algonquin 16 this autumn and I am looking for advice on how to store it.

Thus far it has sat on the rack in the backyard but I am reluctant to leave it out over the winter. We had originally planned to build a shelf in the garage but there is not enough space for the shelf and the car. There is no way to get it into the basement short of removing a wall (not in the plans at the moment).

This essentially leaves us with 2 easy options: either get a couple of sawhorses and put the canoe in the living room, not my wife's first choice but still possible, or strap the canoe by the cross supports and yoke to the wall of the garage so that it hangs with the fiberglass bottom towards the centre of the garage and the wood frame against the wall. Would this method put too much stress at inappropriate places on the canoe? Are there other factors to consider? Do you have other ideas that do not require the use of a sledge hammer or contractors?

Thanks for your time,

Hanging your canoe by its cross supports will put too much stress on it. However, if you put the canoe in the same position on rounded brackets, it will work just fine. Being fiberglass you won't need many. Being a wife, I have to agree with yours that the living room and saw horse idea is not really acceptable.