Keeping the sib on a trailer in a open but covered barn

[astra]

Is this wise and does anyone else keep there boat in one,will it get chewed by rodents and other animals.it is on a trailer but have rumours that the little buggers eat pvc

[m chappelow]

Think that rodents will only have a go at eating it when its deflated or rolled up ,
i had a family of squirrils living in a rolled up sib over one winter at the bottom of my garden ,lucky they dident start knawing at the thing but just lived in the folds ,
dont think you will have any bother if its blown up and on a trailer .

[Mollers]

I kept my 6.5 Vipermax in a barn for two winters. I put an old tarp over the whole issue to keep the pigeon sh*t off. It came out in perfect nick each spring.

[kelson]

It does depend on where you are and how hungry the rodents are! It is also very important to keep any crumbs, fish guts or other attractants out of and off the boat while stored. If you see a dropping anywhere near your vessel it's rat bait time for sure.

What's winter like?

[willk]

Originally Posted by kelson

What's winter like?

Someone stop me! OMG, I have a Complusion

No, I can't resist it:

Every year in England they get a short period of wet cold windy unpredictable weather. After this they get Autumn (Fall) and then Winter.

Winter is very similar to Summer, but the days are shorter

[kelson]

Nasty Winter morning in January

[willk]

Rats and mice will knaw on anything chewy. Shelter and cover are very attractive to rodents, so don't wait for signs, bait the SIB before you cover it and place a few "indicator" baits around the barn. Check 'em weekly and replace baits as required. Check the SIB baits if the others are being taken. I'm a huge fan of traps and "Trap Man" make some excellent non-baited live traps, but to avoid animal cruelty, they need to be checked daily. The trouble with dead rodents (apart from the smell) is that they attract more rodents...

[thornbackflound]

Arh i have a question here,i leave my sib rolled up off the ground on a pallet ,pallet on paving slabs,5 floor sections on pallet then sib on top,covered up with tarpaulin,will it be safe from rodents? no room in the shed

[willk]

Hmmm. Rolled up stuff faces a larger risk. There is no such thing as a single mouse hole in a rolled up SIB - it would be Hypalon confetti as they work their way into the nice fishy bit in the middle. Many are the sad campers who forgot to remove those chocolate scraps from their uber-tent before storage for the winter.

If you want to chance it - a good pressure wash, bait between the slabs or the pallet and secure a few baits on the outer side of the rolled SIB - i.e. below the tarp. You don't want them burrowing into the SIb to get the baits.

[kelson]

Willk is correct. I have seen more damage to rolled up boats than those inflated on trailers. Boats that are active and used fairly regularly are less likely to get chewed on too. Vessels that sit offer great nesting areas and that is going to lead to trouble!

Here in Southern California I couldn't leave a rolled up inflatable outside or in an area that I can't physically exclude rodents from without having issues. Some kind of box, container or a shed would be necessary.

My buddy's Avon got chewed and the buggers did not restrict themselves to one spot. Ow.

[chewy]

Originally Posted by willk

Rats and mice will knaw on anything chewy.

[kelson]

I don't know if this is really a big deal for some of you overseas. I definitely have to practice exclusion to keep my boat safe. I was told that a rat can get in through a hole the size of a quarter. I had an infestation that came through a small break in a vent mesh barrier. Folds in a tarp are no match and might just be the dry and snug destination of choice. If you are going this route you might want to shake out the tarp and check the boat occasionally during the storage period.

The buggers in my garage would run behind my racks and freeze when I came into the garage. That was not an effective way to avoid Mr. Pellet Gun.