Johanna,

Ralph is right that those cracks can be easily repaired, but if you don't do it yourself, it can be somewhat costly to have the cracks glassed, sanded, and painted. I store my boat outside in Chicago over the winter. The first winter I owned the boat, I tried to protect it by putting a tarp over it, but that was blown off and shredded in a matter of weeks, just before the first big snowstorm. So, I got water in each of the stanchion wells, which led to cracks that I had repaired for about $360.

There are, obviously, other vulnerable parts of the deck in addition to the stanchion wells; fiberglass and ice just don't mix very well. I have had my boat completely shrink-wrapped by my boatyard each winter since then (about $350 each year) and have had no problems. The boat is also much easier to clean up in the Spring, and if you have a zippered access door put in, you get the added benefit of working on the boat over the winter. If you choose to store your boat outside, I would recommend shrink-wrapping if it's available in your area.

Doug Poland

#99 Surrender Dorothy