Boat storage glossary

Terms

LOA

Length overall, from the farthest point forward to the farthest point aft. Most yards charge per foot of LOA.

Beam

The widest point of the hull. LOA × beam gives the area some marinas charge on.

Draft

How deep the boat sits below the waterline. Matters for shallow slips and lift wells.

Air draft

Height above the water to the top of the mast, arch or radar. Matters for bridges and building doors.

Haul-out

Lifting the boat out of the water for storage, by travel lift, crane or hydraulic trailer.

Launch

Putting the boat back in the water in spring. Also called a splash.

On the hard

Stored on land, on stands, blocks or a cradle.

Cradle

A frame shaped to the hull that holds a boat, most often a sailboat, upright on land.

Blocking

Wood or steel blocks under the keel and hull. Some yards charge for it.

Jack stands

Adjustable stands that hold a boat steady on land.

Travel lift

A wheeled gantry with slings that lifts boats out of a haul-out well.

Hydraulic trailer

A trailer with adjustable arms that can pick up a boat at a ramp and set it on stands.

Mast stepping

Putting the mast up. Unstepping is taking it down.

Shrink-wrap

Plastic film shrunk with heat over a frame to protect a boat outdoors in winter.

Winterizing

Getting a boat ready for freezing: draining or adding antifreeze to water systems, treating fuel, fogging engines.

Lay-up

The period a boat is out of commission for winter. Insurance policies use the term.

Commissioning

Spring work to get the boat ready: de-winterizing, batteries, checks, launch.

Bottom paint

Antifouling paint on the hull below the waterline.

Gelcoat

The glossy outer layer of a fibreglass hull. Sun and freeze-thaw wear it.

Shore power

Electricity from the dock. In Ontario often just called hydro.

30A / 50A

Shore power ratings. Larger boats need 50 amp service.

Pump-out

Emptying the holding tank at a dock station.

Bubbler

A system that pushes air up from below to keep ice away from boats stored in the water.

Slip

A space at a dock for one boat.

Seasonal slip

A slip rented for the boating season, usually May to October in Ontario.

Transient

Short stays for visiting boats, priced by the night.

Moorage

A dock space or mooring, the usual word on the BC coast.

Dockage

The fee for staying at a dock.

Dry stack

Boats stored on racks and put in the water by forklift on request.

Dry moorage

BC term for storing a boat ashore at a marina.

Cold storage

Indoor storage in an unheated building.

Heated storage

Indoor storage kept above freezing.

DIY yard

A yard that lets owners work on their own boats. Rules vary.

Waitlist

The queue for slips or moorage at busy marinas.

Clean, Drain, Dry

What provinces ask before you move a boat between lakes, to stop invasive species.

Hivernage

French: winterizing, or winter storage.

Remisage

French: storage, putting the boat away.

Mise à l’eau

French: launch.

Mise à terre

French: haul-out.

Entreposage intérieur / extérieur

French: indoor / outdoor storage.