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Winter Storage for Your Boat or Caravan
If you own a caravan or a boat, you are probably thinking about where to store your prized possession over the colder winter months.
Hamiltons Removals has a modern self storage facility in Aldeby Business Park, on the border between Suffolk and Norfolk. If you need somewhere to put your caravan or motorboat over the winter months, then it should meet all your requirements.
As industry specialists, we have compiled this checklist of factors to bear in mind before you put your vessel or vehicle into storage ready for next year.
Give it a Good Clean
Giving your boat or caravan a thorough wash-down just before you store it away is a good idea. Dirt and grime won’t disappear magically over winter, while boats also suffer from algae and barnacles. Doing it now could save yourself a job when you take it out of storage. It is also a good idea to give your vehicle or craft a thorough check over, to identify any repairs which need carrying out.
You should make sure the fridge is emptied and cleaned so you don’t get any nasty surprises later, in the form of unwanted mould or bacteria. Then disconnect it and leave the door open; most modern fridges will have a catch which means it won’t need to be propped ajar.
If you have a toilet on your boat or caravan, then make sure it has been emptied and sterilised. Adding antifreeze to the bowl will prevent it cracking or freezing.
Make Safety a Priority
You should Isolate the gas and electricity supplies. Remove any batteries, clean them, and if necessary fill them with electrolyte. All gas bottles should also be removed and stored separately.
In boats, drain all the water, either by disconnecting the pumps or emptying the tanks and pipes. Leaving the taps open, in caravans as well as marine craft, ensures that all water has been removed from the system, giving you another line of defence against the damage that can be caused by freezing temperatures.
Remove the Portable Items
Anything that can rust, freeze, corrode or suffer winter damage should not be left in your boat or caravan. This includes soft furnishings like cushions which can attract mould or mildew.
If any of your electrical items can be removed, then these should be taken out and stored separately too. In the case of boats, this can mean valuable marine radio and GPS equipment, and in caravans this particularly applies to radios and small TV sets.
Keep Checking It
It is worth monitoring the air circulation on boats and caravans, and checking up periodically to make sure small problems don’t become large ones. Specifically, caravan tyres should not rest on the same piece of tread for weeks or months at a time. The wheels should be turned every six to eight weeks and the tyre pressures raised if necessary, but don’t forget to reduce them when you take it out on the road.
Hamiltons’ Aldeby site is open from 7am-10pm every day, so it is easy to check that your vehicle is in good working order. You can drive your car right up to your container.
Peace of Mind
It might seem attractive to store your boat or caravan outside and close to your home, but this means you may also have the additional expense of fitting it out with a cover. You will also have to find space for it somewhere. Even if your garage is big enough, this could mean having to move your car, which might take much longer to start if it is left outside in winter. You may also run the risk of upsetting the neighbours if you leave your boat or caravan on the road outside.
If you use our dedicated self storage site at the Aldeby Business Park you will avoid both these problems. You will also benefit from a very high level of security. The site is monitored by around-the-clock CCTV, and has a secure keypad entry system. Our uniform padlocks allow for extra security checks.
Hamiltons Removals offers state of the art self storage containers for customers in Suffolk and Norfolk. Our location at Aldeby on the border of the two counties means we are ideally placed to serve residents of Diss, Harleston and Dickleburgh.
We can offer a range of differently-sized storage containers, up to 150sq ft in size. If you would like to know more about our self storage facilities at Aldeby, click on the link above.
New Year Traditions Across Europe
In most countries across Europe, people like to see in the New Year, usually by counting down the final seconds to a spectacular fireworks display. However, many more unusual traditions have survived in countries across the continent.
Hamiltons Removals has been organising international removals to the Netherlands, Belgium, and many other destinations across Europe, for more than two decades. Here we look at some of the more unusual New Year traditions which have survived across the continent.
The Netherlands
Towns and villages across the country see thousands of people go swimming on New Year’s Day, either in the sea or in lakes inland. This is known as the Polar Bear Plunge and originated in the resort of Scheveningen. In 2012 around 36,000 people took part.
Another Dutch tradition is to eat deep-fried food such as oil balls, and apple pies and waffles, starting on New Year’s Eve.
Belgium
Belgium is a country rich in New Year traditions. In the city of Liege they still hold the New Year sauerkraut, where the locals eat a meal of this delicacy based on cabbage. The important thing is to put a coin under your plate while eating, as this is meant to guarantee your financial security in the year ahead.
In the Walloon and Flemish areas of the country, farmers rise early on January 1 and say Happy New Year to their livestock. Children are involved in the festivities too; in and around the city of Antwerp they sing to their neighbours on New Year’s Day and receive money or sweets.
Luxembourg
People generally see in the New Year by eating simple meals of cold meat, pate and cheese to reflect the fact that Luxembourg was originally a nation of farmers. Dessert often takes the form of a butter cake in the form of a calendar, to be served with ice cream.
People give each other marzipan charms in the form of swine or chimney sweeps on New Year’s Eve, as this is believed to bring good luck for the year ahead.
France
Many of the French New Year traditions are also celebrated by the British as part of Christmas. For instance, whereas the Queen’s annual message is broadcast on Christmas Day, the French presidential address is typically delivered on New Year’s Eve.
Instead of sending cards in time for Christmas Day, the French tend to write their messages to friends and family on New Year’s Day and send them during January. And kissing under the mistletoe is generally done on New Year’s Eve rather than at any other point of the festive period.
Switzerland
The Swiss typically celebrate the New Year twice, once on December 31 and again on January 13. The reason for the different dates can be traced back to the change to the Gregorian calendar, which effectively moved New Year’s Eve back two weeks. Some people were unwilling to recognise the change and this tradition recognises the original date on the Julian calendar, also known as St Sylvester’s Day.
In the Appenzell region of the country, young people take part in the St Sylvester Mummers, which sees them go yodelling from village to village while wearing a big headdress and carrying giant cowbells. This is done both on New Year’s Eve and January 13.
Austria
Every year on New Year’s Day there is a performance by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the grand concert hall of the Musikverein in the Austrian capital. It always includes music originally composed by members of the Strauss family. Don’t worry if you can’t attend in person as the concert is usually televised live across Europe.
A more obscure tradition, common in Germany too, is to watch an old short comedy film called Dinner for One. It is actually a 14-minute British music hall sketch in which an elderly woman and her butler decide to celebrate the New Year, even though many of the lady’s friends have passed away. This gets everyone in the mood for toasting the New Year.
Hamiltons Removals offer international removals to the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Austria, Switzerland and a host of other European destinations. We run weekly trips to most countries on the continent.
Whatever sort of removals package you want, our friendly, professional staff will tailor one to fit your individual requirements. Follow the link above to find out more about our full range of European removals services.