Just as with bikes, boats are like potato chips—it’s mighty hard to stop with one. Sometimes the home fleet expands to meet the needs of a growing family. At other times a lone enthusiast simply can’t resist acquiring a different boat for every type of water she paddles, in much the same way that golfers fill bulging bags with different clubs—yet never seem to have the right one for the lie they’re on. Most often, though, paddlers collect boats for the same reason that hunters collect guns and anglers collect rods: the best boats embody an elegant synthesis of form and function. Good boats look good, in other words, and we feel good whenever we look at them.

But that’s where the comparison breaks down. Boats aren’t golf clubs, rods, or guns, are they? Unless your fleet is limited to “boats in bags,” it’s not very likely you’ll be able to house your collection in a closet. That said, you can’t simply toss canoes and kayaks willy-nilly into the backyard. Boats need to be stored someplace that’s safe and secure whenever they’re out of the water. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, however. Modern materials will withstand most extremes of weather. A sheltered outside berth is just fine. For example, here’s our faithful whitewater workhorse, an Old Town Tripper, doing double duty as a cover for the kitchen woodpile:

 

 
Simple lashings hold the Tripper in place in the fiercest gales, while the shed roof’s overhang protects the boat’s hull from snow and sun. The locals like it, too. Birds, squirrels, and chipmunks all enjoy sitting under the hull. It’s a snug spot from which they can survey their world.

So far, so good. But suppose we had nine boats? What then? Well, one In the Same Boat reader, Dave Birren, doesn’t have to suppose. He’s got nine—yep, you heard that right, nine—canoes in his home fleet. And he’s found a place for every one.

Outside Up North readers have already seen some photos of Dave’s fresh air canoe shelter. But there’s more. Dave’s designed a clever way to store a lot of boats in a small space—in his garage. Read how…