A boat in Delaware is laid up for about 3 months a year at Wilmington, and the median first 32°F night arrives November 1 at Wilmington (NOAA 1991-2020). 14 boat storage facilities are listed in Delaware, 13 with indoor or climate-controlled space.
| Month | Wilmington high / low | boat | Wilmington snow | Georgetown high / low | boat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41° / 26° | laid up | 6.1 in | 45° / 29° | laid up |
| Feb | 44° / 27° | laid up | 7.8 in | 48° / 30° | laid up |
| Mar | 53° / 34° | launch or haul-out | 3.1 in | 55° / 36° | launch or haul-out |
| Apr | 64° / 44° | launch or haul-out | 0.1 in | 66° / 45° | in the water |
| May | 74° / 53° | in the water | 0.0 in | 75° / 55° | in the water |
| Jun | 82° / 63° | in the water | 0.0 in | 83° / 64° | in the water |
| Jul | 87° / 68° | in the water | 0.0 in | 88° / 70° | in the water |
| Aug | 85° / 67° | in the water | 0.0 in | 86° / 68° | in the water |
| Sep | 79° / 59° | in the water | 0.0 in | 80° / 61° | in the water |
| Oct | 67° / 47° | in the water | 0.0 in | 69° / 49° | in the water |
| Nov | 56° / 37° | launch or haul-out | 0.2 in | 59° / 40° | launch or haul-out |
| Dec | 46° / 30° | laid up | 2.9 in | 50° / 33° | laid up |
Boat column rule: in the water at a 65°F high and 45°F low or warmer; launch or haul-out from a 52°F high; laid up below.
By that rule a boat at Wilmington has 6 months in the water (May to October), 3 of launch or haul-out and 3 laid up. By that rule a boat at Georgetown has 7 months in the water (April to October), 2 of launch or haul-out and 3 laid up.
Delaware freezes in short spells: Wilmington has about 91.6 freezing nights but only 13.6 days that stay below 32°F, and those overnight freezes are what crack a boat that was not drained.
14 live listings in 10 cities; by listed type: 13 indoor, 13 covered and 14 outdoor (types overlap). No Delaware boat storage listing publishes a rate on StowHelp.
| Facility | City | Listed storage | Listed amenities | Also listed for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE Storage - Milford | Milford | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Viking Self Storage | Milton | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Reybold Lifestyle Self Storage - Christiana | Christiana | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Delmarva RV Center - Seaford | Seaford | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Smyrna Self Storage | Smyrna | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Public Storage - Dover | Dover | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Public Storage - Wilmington | Wilmington | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| SmartStop Self Storage - Newark | Newark | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Delaware City Marina | Delaware City | outdoor |
| City | Boat Storage listings | Indoor | Climate-controlled | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Newark | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Rehoboth Beach | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Seaford | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Christiana | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Delaware City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Milford | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Milton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Smyrna | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Wilmington | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
NOAA's 1991-2020 median first 32°F night is November 1 at Wilmington and November 6 at Georgetown; winterize by October 18, two weeks ahead of the earlier date. By our boat rule Wilmington stays in the water through October and Georgetown through October, then 3 months of launch or haul-out follow at Wilmington. 13 Delaware listings offer indoor or climate-controlled space.
3 at Wilmington (November to April) and 3 at Georgetown (November to March), plus 3 and 2 months of launch or haul-out. Those laid up months hold 16.8 of the 20.2 inches of snow Wilmington averages a year (83%), which is the load on a cover or carport roof. At Wilmington a boat is in the water from May to October (6 months), against 7 at Georgetown.
Of 14 live Delaware listings, 13 list indoor space and 0 climate-controlled units, against 14 outdoor and 13 covered. By city: Dover (2 listed, 2 indoor), Newark (2 listed, 2 indoor), Rehoboth Beach (2 listed, 2 indoor) and Seaford (2 listed, 2 indoor). Most indoor listings: Dover (2), Newark (2) and Rehoboth Beach (2). Ask whether indoor means heated; listings span 10 cities in all.
At Wilmington, 3 months average a low at or below 32°F, all of them laid up months by our boat rule. Wilmington logs 91.6 nights at or below 32°F and 0.1 at or below 0°F a year; January, the coldest month, averages 25.6°F and is laid up for a boat.
After the last frost. The median last 32°F night is April 7 at Wilmington and April 4 at Georgetown; the last 28°F hard freeze comes around March 27 and March 23. Our rule makes May the first month in the water at Wilmington and April at Georgetown. That month Wilmington averages a 53.4°F low and a 73.5°F high. Reverse each winterization step first.
Delaware boat storage listings span 10 cities, led by Dover (2 listed), Newark (2 listed), Rehoboth Beach (2 listed), Seaford (2 listed) and Christiana (1 listed). For outdoor winter parking, Dover (2 outdoor) and Newark (2 outdoor) lead. Statewide, 14 list outdoor, 13 covered and 13 indoor or climate-controlled spaces. Compare the cities nearest you before November 1.
NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991-2020 (USW00013781, USW00013764); NOAA AOML hurricane impacts 1851-2025; StowHelp listings 2026-10-07 (methodology).