VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

We are moving and I have to decide how I want to store my gear - boards, sails, booms, masts, surfboards, kayak in the new garages. I don't want to just throw them in there, even though there is a lot of space.

The ceilings are really high in the garages and I am thinking of wall storage. Not sure whether to store upright; or stack.

I am sure there are some interesting setups out there and thought I would tap into the collective creativity of our forum.

I look forward to hearing your advice and seeing your own creative solutions.

Cheers

Stephen

Hey Tempy!

Upright storage is great if you have the height. Horizontal storage works but flat surfaces tend to collect stuff.

You can store boards, sails and masts this way and hang all your booms on a large shelf bracket screwed into a stud. You may want to hang your sails on some sort of peg rack as well so you don't crush the clew.

If you have a bunch of boards, you can separate them with some dividers. Dowels glued into 2x4 uprights work well. Shelf brackets with some pipe wrap would probably work too.

Here's a site with some good ideas...
http://www.hbsracks.com/CatalogWallRacks.html

Good luck!

Thanks Rob. Yeah, I figured upright might be the easiest - also allows everything to "drain" and dry more quickly. I guess I could stand boards and masts on some high density foam pads; hang sails and booms.

My ceiling is 11'6" in the garage. Even with a garage that big wall space is at a premium for us. (670sqft living area) I built myself a little mezzanine area over a portion of the 1060sqft garage. It has 3' over it and is about 7' x 12'. I store all kinds of stuff up there. Sup, boards, skis, sails, masts, booms all go up. Perfect for winter storage of gear too. Draw back is using a step ladder to retrieve things but without that space our garage would be disaster.

My active gear doesn't leave the truck....if I want to be ready and get out on a moment's notice, I just cannot afford the time to dick around....run home, load and unload, etc. .....period. Also I would say 90% of all damage to gear occurs off the water, on the beach or usually during loading and unloading

Appreciating tho some people have way too much gear (like me) or cannot donate a truck bed permanently to their wind addiction (perhaps they are not sufficiently addicted then, are they?) I have found storing boards on a 1/2" rope that is looped down from the garage joists is a safe and secure way to store boards, no padding required. Drill holes thru or use pipe/screw fasteners at ~20" intervals, two sets about 7 feet apart, adjust rope for board widths. Nose the board into the smaller front loop, then slip back loop over the tail or mid straps. U can fit about 5 boards above one car space using only about a foot of headroom. Some loops I have left large enough to slide one board on top of another even to suspend in pairs (see messy pic). Beneath that I have secured two old doors (one probably would suffice for most), butted up on edge, for a 7x7' space where I store 20+sails, booms and masts. Support one side with plywood attached to door top/bottom edge to the joist (door strength greater along its height). The other by a 2x4 against the wall, u could add 2x4's underneath but doors are pretty strong and can be picked up free from reno jobs or a door plant like Windsor Plywood. Screw attach (with a large washer) some swim noodles around the door edges you don't ram your noggin, car still fits easily underneath. On the outside of the garage I have attached two large hooks where you can either hang the wet sails or spread them out between hooks to wash sand, mud (and dog crap ) off.

not sure why photos are always so stretched beyond the screen

Wow! I'd love to see a video of you loading your gear Kus. The only time I damaged a board on my roof was in the 80s when I used those cheap bungy cords to tie it down and 1 broke.
Obviously those who use there gear the least know how to store it quite well.

Hey Kus...you should add these "gear pics" to your buy and sell ads although maybe not too appealing seeing them all jammed in together
Tempy - Kus' sail washing hooks are an awesome touch if you have a hose nearby. Make sure you let them dry well so you don't end with moldy joists

rvanderbyl wrote:Wow! I'd love to see a video of you loading your gear Kus. The only time I damaged a board on my roof was in the 80s when I used those cheap bungy cords to tie it down and 1 broke.
Obviously those who use there gear the least know how to store it quite well.

maybe, I am usually in a frenzy, my last one I recall I literally chucked a board at an unsuspecting BWD in a 30 knot windgust from the roof of my motorhome my expectation of an amazing touchdown catch by Jerry Rice was not realistic, I pissed off Dave AND had to get the 5 minute epoxy out....u trying to tell me taking your gear out of the house into the vehicle doesn't result in bangs and nicks? I can't remember how many sail bags I have ripped on some sharp metal edge on the canopy or had a mast section bounce off the pavement after it fell out of a mast bag....guess speed kills what about the cinch straps metal end when you lob them over the board and it strikes the deck or rail and chips it? Or leaves marks on the rail when cranked too tight? Broken batten end when ramming the sail into a too short a space? Ever close a tailgate on a mast or boom, tail of a board? Boom grips scuffed when cramming them into the back of the car space or skidding them on the roadway before loading? U gentlest of souls yes, I suppose a video would be entertaining

Sory! My gear is always loaded and ready. It's me who's not!

Thanks for the advice and humour. I think Kus should change his handle to Kluts!

I have been hauling gear out of my basement and up narrow stairs and can"t think of any real damage or dings. Having said that, my gear is older more ding resistant, I guess.

I gotta go with Kus on this one. Once the stoke sets in, it's hard to be patient and gentle when wielding long objects down stairs, through gates, between fences, across parking lots (right David?), or loading up. I've been lucky for the most and rigging in the front lawn helps but you gotta keep the pre-sail adrenalin in check.
S

I dropped my board off the roof last year. Too much stoke. If you keep your storage neat and tidy, like mine, accidents shouldn't happen. I bought this scaffolding ladder which folds up and is light. No room for a car with this but who puts cars in their garages?

Thanks Ralph - but that is exactly the situation I want to try avoid ! My trusty van starts way more reliably when it is dry! When I get something up I will post photos. I am surprised there are not more photos posted - it would make a fun gallery: "How I store my gear" ...

hey, trestle ladder, great idea Eastman. Bet the alu doesn't do so well with the saltwater tho, better check those rivets before the next job

tempy wrote:Thanks Ralph - but that is exactly the situation I want to try avoid ! My trusty van starts way more reliably when it is dry!
When I get something up I will post photos.
I am surprised there are not more photos posted

Tempy, tons of photos on the net of highly anal retentive van owning windsurfers ....they use their stuff about as often as you
or they wouldn't have five different latches, ropes, snaps and shelves, pouches and finely crafted and padded doomahickies
holding it all down so when they wind actually does blow they miss it trying desperately to get their gear out
http://boards.mpora.com/forums/van-fit-outs-t53904.html
http://peconicpuffin.typepad.com/the_pe ... index.html
http://www.steynfamily.com/ultimate_win ... van_02.htm
As for Klutsiness, I may ascribe that perhaps in part to my ADD, poor ability to maintain a mild and patient temperament, and mostly not caring
as much for my gear as some because I turn it over often, unlike the penny pinching misers out there who still sail on 1990's equipment
AND
I wanna be out there....NOW! and not 10 minutes from now when the waves have died down.

To each his own, eagerly awaiting your photos of storage solutions and a new van

eastside wrote:but who puts cars in their garages?

I've got all my gear hanging off the roof and walls, plus a dinghy, bathtub boat and 4 bikes and we still park both cars in our slightly oversized single car garage with nothing on the floor (of course one is a smart car ).