Quick question on hanging storage for composite boat

[VTBoater]

I managed to wrangle a bit of indoor storage for my Shacho and am looking for advice on how best to hang it. The storage area is a small, unheated building used very occasionally as a sort of ecology lab on our campus. I can store the boat there over the winter, but I need to get it up and out of the way of the lab tables. I thought I could just rest it atop the beams, but the roof narrows where it descends and the boat doesn't quite fit up there.

So, I thought maybe I could hang it from hooks, or hooks and straps, since it's such a light boat. Can anyone tell me the best way to do this so I don't damage the boat? (Or should I not hang it at all?)

Thanks very much for any help!

[TonyB]

I'd store it upside down from straps, keep the varmints from nesting.

[bruce]

Be sure to take the bags out. Mice will nest (& chew) between the bags and hull even when upside down.

[sbroam]

Upside down won't keep the varmints out - I routinely evict bird nests from the upside down boats. Just sayin' - you can evict them, too.

make slings with slats (think trapeze), I think straps alone would tend to squeze the hull - might be an issue with that composite boat.

[craig]

I have hung my Hooter for years right side up from the painters on a pair of pulleys with no issues. Just make sure it is empty and check it once in a while for varmints

[Shep]

Not with a composite boat, but I have used 10-20 feet of flat webbing (not tubular, it doesn't need to be that strong to justify the cost) to tie loops in.

If you are concerned about squeezing the sides of the boat, you could drill holes in either end of two boards, and tie the webbing in a loop so the boards hang flat, and rest the boat gunwales on the board near the bow and stern.

Shep

[Pea Pod]

I've hung plastic boats from boards that hang from ropes. Make sure the ropes lengths are equal length, so the boat sits level, making the gunnels experience even pressure. Might be over the top, but ain't too hard to achieve.

[hazardharry]

i thought those kinda boats were stiff and strong. is it going to sag and increase the rocker? the lighter the boat the lighter the ****** i guess?

[VTBoater]

Thanks everyone for the great advice!

[clt_capt]

If you are concerned about squeezing the sides of the boat, you could drill holes in either end of two boards, and tie the webbing in a loop so the boards hang flat, and rest the boat gunwales on the board near the bow and stern.

I'll second this...

[sbroam]

If you are concerned about squeezing the sides of the boat, you could drill holes in either end of two boards, and tie the webbing in a loop so the boards hang flat, and rest the boat gunwales on the board near the bow and stern.

I'll second this...

Yep, that's what I meant but was not clear (lazy typing on the phone).

[mahyongg]

I did this with sticks I cut from hazelnut and some rope... hanging my spark upside down. Just a tiny bit wider than the boat, low and far apart enough so I could just slip the bow into the front stick and pull the stern stick over the stern alone. Simple!

[Mike W.]

Here's how I hang my Marathon. For each end, there's a pulley mounted to a hook in the ceiling. The 2nd pulley floats to give a theoretical 2 to 1 weight reduction. There's a 5th pulley where the rope turns to come down to a cleat on the wall to tie it off.