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How to Store a Boat Over Winter | Murray River Checklist

Echuca Storage — Fri, 13 Nov 2026 13:49:51 GMT

Home › Storage tips › Preparing a boat for winter storage

Echuca Storage · 13 November 2026

Preparing a boat for storage over winter on the Murray

When the river cools down and the days get short, most Echuca–Moama boats go away until spring. An hour of preparation at the end of the season saves a flat battery, a gummed-up carburettor or a mouldy interior when you pull the cover off. This checklist suits ski and wake boats, tinnies, half-cabins and jet skis. Always follow your engine manufacturer’s manual first; this is a general guide.

1. Run it, clean it, flush it

Give the boat a last run to warm the engine, then flush it with fresh water using muffs or the flushing port. River water leaves silt and debris in the cooling system.
Wash the hull, deck and trailer with fresh water. Remove weed, mud and the river “tide line” before it sets.
Clean the interior. Vacuum carpets and wipe vinyl with a marine cleaner. Mould starts in damp, dirty corners.

2. Look after the fuel system

Fuel left sitting for months can go stale, especially blended fuel.

Ask your mechanic or check your manual whether to fill the tank and add stabiliser, or run it low.
If you add stabiliser, run the engine for a few minutes so treated fuel reaches the engine.
Don’t store spare fuel cans with the boat. Petrol tins can’t be stored in a storage unit, and they are a fire risk in a garage too.

3. Protect the engine

Fogging oil for outboards and stern drives, if your manual recommends it, protects the cylinders over a long lay-up.
Check the gearbox oil. Milky oil means water has got in; have it looked at before the boat sits for months.
Grease the fittings: steering, tilt and trim points.
Jet skis: flush, blow out excess water and follow the manufacturer’s winterising steps.

Many owners book the annual service now, so the boat is ready when the weather warms up rather than waiting in the spring rush.

4. Battery and electrics

Disconnect the battery, or take it home and keep it on a smart charger.
Remove electronics you can take off easily: sounders, GPS units and portable radios.
Turn off all switches so nothing slowly drains.

5. Dry it out

Moisture is the main enemy of a stored boat.

Pull the bung (with the trailer level or nose-up), and leave it somewhere you will see it, such as tied to the steering wheel, so you remember it in spring.
Open hatches, lockers and the bilge to air out.
Take out life jackets, towels, ropes and wet gear and dry them at home.
Remove all food and bait. Crumbs attract mice.

6. Covers and upholstery

Use a breathable, well-fitted cover. Make sure it can’t pool water if the boat is stored outside, and that it doesn’t trap moisture.
Fold the bimini and store it dry.
Prop up cushions or take them home so they air out.

7. The trailer

Check tyres and pressures. Chock the wheels.
Check wheel bearings and grease them, especially after a season of dunking in the river.
Test the lights and brakes so the first tow in spring isn’t a surprise.
Check the winch strap and safety chain for wear.

8. Paperwork

Note the registration renewal date for the boat and trailer, so it isn’t due the week you want to launch.
Tell your insurer where the boat is stored.

Where to keep it

A boat stored outside spends winter in rain, frost and wind, and summer in the sun. Lock-up storage keeps the weather off and the boat behind a locked door. At Echuca Storage, 11 Murray Valley Highway, Echuca, doors in the boat and caravan area are 3,000 mm high, there is room to tow in and turn, and gates are open 8am–8pm, 7 days. Tall-door units start at 7.5m × 3.0m at $278 per 4 weeks; a jet ski on its trailer fits a 6.0m × 3.0m at $254.

Measure your boat on its trailer, to the highest point and from the drawbar to the motor, then call (03) 4410 8566. See boat storage for the full size guide.

Spring: before the first launch

Refit the bung and the battery.
Check fuel, oil and the impeller.
Pump the trailer tyres and test the lights.
Check flares and safety gear dates.

More guides: storage tips · Caravan and RV storage · Seasonal storage

FAQ

How do I prepare my boat for winter storage?
Flush the engine with fresh water, clean and dry the boat, manage the fuel as your manual recommends, disconnect the battery, pull the bung, remove wet gear and food, and check the trailer.

Should I leave fuel in my boat over winter?
Follow your engine manual or mechanic. Many owners add a fuel stabiliser and run the engine briefly. Don’t store spare fuel cans with the boat; petrol tins can’t be stored in a storage unit.

Should I take the battery out of my boat for winter?
Disconnect it, or take it home and keep it on a smart charger, so it isn’t flat in spring.

Where can I store my boat over winter in Echuca?
Echuca Storage at 11 Murray Valley Highway, Echuca, has lock-up units with 3,000 mm doors in the boat and caravan area. Tall-door units start at $278 per 4 weeks. Call (03) 4410 8566.

Should the bung be in or out when a boat is stored?
Out, with the trailer level or nose-up so water can drain. Leave the bung somewhere obvious so you remember it before you launch.

How to Pack a Storage Unit | 12 Tips That Save Space

Echuca Storage — Fri, 13 Nov 2026 13:49:50 GMT

Home › Storage tips › How to pack a storage unit

Echuca Storage · 13 November 2026

How to pack a storage unit: a practical guide

A well-packed unit is a smaller unit, and a smaller unit costs less every 4 weeks. It is also the difference between grabbing the camping gear in two minutes and unloading half the unit to reach it. Here is how we suggest packing, after more than 20 years of watching people move in at Echuca Storage.

Before moving day

1. Choose the size after you list your big items. Write down every piece of furniture and appliance, then estimate boxes. Our storage size guide shows what fits in each unit. If you are between two sizes, good packing usually gets you into the smaller one.

2. Use matching boxes. Two or three standard sizes stack square and stable. Mixed supermarket boxes collapse and waste space. Archive boxes are ideal for papers, books and kitchenware.

3. Keep heavy boxes small. Books, tools and crockery go in small boxes so you can lift them and so they don’t crush what is under them.

4. Fill every box. Half-empty boxes cave in when stacked. Fill gaps with towels, linen or packing paper.

5. Label two sides and the top. Write the room and the main contents. Number the boxes and keep a list on your phone. Mark “FRAGILE” and “THIS WAY UP” where it matters.

6. Take furniture apart. Remove bed frames, table legs and shelves. Put the bolts in a zip-lock bag and tape it to the piece it belongs to.

What you can’t store

Nothing hazardous, illegal, stolen, flammable, explosive, environmentally harmful or perishable. That includes petrol tins, paint thinner, full gas bottles and chlorine. Empty and clean fridges and freezers, and leave no food. If you are not sure, call (03) 4410 8566 before you pack it.

Loading the unit

7. Protect the floor layer. Put pallets, timber offcuts or plastic sheeting down first. Units are not climate-controlled, and keeping goods off the concrete is the simplest protection.

8. Big and heavy at the back. Load whitegoods, wardrobes, chests of drawers and boxed heavy items against the back wall first.

9. Build stable walls. Stack the heaviest boxes at the bottom and lighter ones on top, in columns, against the side walls. Stand mattresses, couches on end and table tops along the sides, wrapped.

10. Leave a walkway. A narrow aisle down the middle lets you reach the back without unloading. If you will visit often, it is worth a slightly bigger unit.

11. Put the things you need often at the front. Seasonal clothes, tools, sports gear and the box of paperwork go last, nearest the door.

12. Leave air gaps. Keep a small gap between goods and the walls, and don’t seal everything in tight plastic. Breathable covers and old sheets work better on timber and fabric.

Protecting particular items

Fridges and freezers: defrost, dry and prop the door open slightly.
Mirrors, glass and pictures: wrap and stand on edge, never flat with weight on top.
Mattresses: use a mattress bag and stand them on their side.
Electronics: pack in original boxes if you have them, with cables bagged and labelled.
Photos and important papers: keep them at home if you can. Heat and humidity are hard on paper.
Outdoor gear: clean and dry tents, bikes and garden tools before they go in.

Moving-day tips at Echuca Storage

Drive to the door. Every unit is drive-up, and trucks can drive in, so reverse the trailer or truck straight to the roller door.
Gate hours are 8am–8pm, 7 days. There is no 24-hour access, so leave time to finish a big load before 8pm.
Deliveries: if a retailer or removalist is bringing goods, staff accept deliveries for customers. Call first.
Bring your own lock or check with the office what to use when you reserve.

Use the size you need

Still deciding between two sizes? Call (03) 4410 8566 and tell us what you have. Rates for every size are on sizes and prices. New customers get the first 4 weeks for $1 (3-month minimum stay, direct debit only, ends 31 Dec 2026).

More guides: storage tips · New to storage? How it works · Household storage

FAQ

How do you pack a storage unit efficiently?
Use matching boxes, take furniture apart, load heavy items at the back, stack boxes in stable columns along the walls, leave a walkway, and put things you need often at the front.

What should I put on the floor of a storage unit?
Pallets, timber offcuts or plastic sheeting. Keeping goods off the concrete protects them, especially in a unit that is not climate-controlled.

Can I store a fridge in a storage unit?
Yes. Defrost it, clean and dry it, and leave the door slightly open so it doesn’t go mouldy.

What can’t you store in a storage unit?
Nothing hazardous, illegal, stolen, flammable, explosive, environmentally harmful or perishable, such as petrol tins, paint thinner, full gas bottles or chlorine.

Should I wrap furniture in plastic for storage?
Not tightly. Plastic wrapped tight can trap moisture. Use breathable covers or old sheets on timber and upholstery, and plastic only for short-term protection while moving.

Moving to Echuca–Moama: A Checklist for New Locals

Echuca Storage — Fri, 13 Nov 2026 13:49:49 GMT

Home › Storage tips › Moving to Echuca–Moama

Echuca Storage · 13 November 2026

Moving to Echuca–Moama: a checklist for new locals

Echuca and Moama sit either side of the Murray River, and most people treat them as one town. On paper they are not: Echuca is in Victoria and Moama is in New South Wales. That matters for a handful of things when you move. This checklist walks through them, from a few weeks out to your first month in town.

Six to eight weeks before you move

Work out which side of the river you are on. Echuca is in the Campaspe Shire (Victoria). Moama is in the Murray River Council area (New South Wales). Rates, bins, planning and pet registration go through your council.
Check schools and childcare on your side of the river. Victorian and NSW school systems have different enrolment processes and term dates, so check with the school directly.
Line up removalists early, especially for school holidays, Christmas and Easter, when Echuca–Moama is busy with visitors.
Plan for a settlement gap. If your sale and purchase don’t line up, book storage now so you aren’t looking on moving week. See moving house storage.
Declutter before you pack. Every box you don’t move saves money. Our renovation and decluttering storage page has a simple keep, sell, donate, store method.

Two to four weeks before

Book utilities at the new address: electricity, gas (if connected), water and internet. Water and sewerage are handled by different providers in Victoria and NSW, so check with the council or the agent.
Redirect your mail with Australia Post.
Update your address with your bank, employer, Medicare, the ATO, insurers and the electoral roll.
Measure the new place if you can, so you know what furniture fits and what needs storing.
Pack using a system. Label two sides of each box with the room. Our packing guide has 12 tips that work for moving boxes too.

Moving week

Keep an essentials box: kettle, phone chargers, medication, toiletries, a change of clothes, bedding and the kids’ favourite things.
Check access for the truck at both houses. Narrow streets and driveways can mean a smaller truck or a longer carry.
Read the meters and take photos on the day you leave and the day you arrive.

After you arrive

Crossing the border? If you are moving from Victoria to Moama, or from NSW to Echuca, check the rules for transferring your driver licence and vehicle registration with Service NSW or VicRoads. There are deadlines.
Register your boat and trailer in your new state if you are crossing the border, and check fishing licence requirements for where you fish.
Find a GP and a dentist; some practices have waiting lists for new patients.
Register pets with your new council.
Get to know the river. Swimming, boating and fishing spots, and river safety for kids.

Things that don’t fit the new place

It is common to arrive with more than the new home holds: the boat with no shed, the caravan the street won’t take, the furniture from the bigger house. Echuca Storage is at 11 Murray Valley Highway, Echuca, with 300 drive-up units, doors in the boat and caravan area 3,000 mm high, gate access 8am–8pm, 7 days, and prices from $115 per 4 weeks. Trucks can drive in, so a removalist can unload straight into a unit, and staff accept deliveries.

Moving to Moama? We are a short drive across the bridge; see storage near Moama. Boat or van? See boat storage and caravan and RV storage.

New customers get the first 4 weeks for $1 (3-month minimum stay, direct debit only, ends 31 Dec 2026). Call (03) 4410 8566 or send us your moving dates.

More guides: storage tips

FAQ

Is Echuca in Victoria or New South Wales?
Echuca is in Victoria, in the Campaspe Shire. Moama, across the Murray River, is in New South Wales, in the Murray River Council area.

Do I need to change my licence if I move from Echuca to Moama?
Moving across the border means you will usually need to transfer your driver licence and vehicle registration to the new state. Check the current rules and deadlines with Service NSW or VicRoads.

What should I do first when moving to Echuca–Moama?
Work out which side of the river and which council you will be in, check schools, book removalists early and plan storage if your settlement dates don’t line up.

Can a removalist unload straight into a storage unit in Echuca?
Yes. At Echuca Storage, trucks can drive in and every unit is drive-up, so a removalist can unload at the door during gate hours, 8am–8pm, 7 days.