A boat in Massachusetts is laid up for about 5 months a year at Boston, and the median first 32°F night arrives October 21 at Worcester (NOAA 1991-2020). 92 boat storage facilities are listed in Massachusetts, 49 with indoor or climate-controlled space.
| Month | Boston high / low | boat | Worcester snow | Worcester high / low | boat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37° / 23° | laid up | 18.2 in | 32° / 17° | laid up |
| Feb | 39° / 25° | laid up | 21.2 in | 35° / 19° | laid up |
| Mar | 46° / 31° | laid up | 13.7 in | 43° / 26° | laid up |
| Apr | 56° / 41° | launch or haul-out | 1.9 in | 56° / 37° | launch or haul-out |
| May | 67° / 50° | in the water | 0.0 in | 67° / 47° | in the water |
| Jun | 76° / 60° | in the water | 0.0 in | 75° / 56° | in the water |
| Jul | 82° / 66° | in the water | 0.0 in | 80° / 62° | in the water |
| Aug | 80° / 65° | in the water | 0.0 in | 78° / 61° | in the water |
| Sep | 73° / 58° | in the water | 0.0 in | 71° / 53° | in the water |
| Oct | 62° / 48° | launch or haul-out | 1.1 in | 59° / 42° | launch or haul-out |
| Nov | 52° / 38° | laid up | 1.9 in | 48° / 33° | laid up |
| Dec | 42° / 29° | laid up | 14.9 in | 38° / 23° | 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 Boston has 5 months in the water (May to September), 2 of launch or haul-out and 5 laid up. By that rule a boat at Worcester has 5 months in the water (May to September), 2 of launch or haul-out and 5 laid up.
Massachusetts is hard-freeze country: Worcester logs about 129.7 nights at or below 32°F and 45.4 days that never thaw, enough to freeze any water left in the engine block, raw-water passages, outdrive and plumbing.
92 live listings in 28 cities; by listed type: 48 indoor, 1 climate-controlled, 18 covered and 78 outdoor (types overlap). 1 publishes a monthly rate on StowHelp, from $27 to $27 (median $27).
| Facility | City | Listed storage | Listed amenities | Also listed for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington Self Storage | Arlington | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Stor-U-Self of Plymouth | Plymouth | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| 126 Self Storage | Ashland | indoor, outdoor, covered | security cameras, gated entry | Jet Ski |
| Bosun's Marine | Mashpee | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Cruiseport Boston | Boston | indoor, outdoor | Jet Ski | |
| Hyannis Marina | Hyannis | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Scalisi Marine | Weymouth | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Bang Corp | Boston | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Marina Bay On Boston Harbor | Quincy | indoor, outdoor | Jet Ski | |
| Bert's Boat Yard-Marina | Weymouth | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Classic Marine | North Weymouth | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Atlantic Boats | Wareham | indoor, outdoor, covered | security cameras, gated entry | Jet Ski |
| Dealer Dock | Allston | indoor, outdoor | Jet Ski | |
| Ship Shops Inc | South Yarmouth | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Commoncove | Chelsea | indoor, outdoor | Jet Ski | |
| Town River Marina | Quincy | indoor, outdoor | Jet Ski | |
| Marina Giuliani | Somerville | indoor, outdoor | Jet Ski | |
| Charles River Yacht Club | Cambridge | outdoor | ||
| Nantasket Kayaks | Hull | outdoor | ||
| Hilton’s Marina | Newburyport | outdoor |
| City | Boat Storage listings | Indoor | Climate-controlled | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 44 | 10 | 0 | 30 |
| Quincy | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Charlestown | 5 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Cambridge | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Winthrop | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Newburyport | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Mashpee | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Plymouth | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Wareham | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Weymouth | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
NOAA's 1991-2020 median first 32°F night is November 9 at Boston and October 21 at Worcester; winterize by October 7, two weeks ahead of the earlier date. By our boat rule Boston stays in the water through September and Worcester through September, then 2 months of launch or haul-out follow at Boston. 49 Massachusetts listings offer indoor or climate-controlled space.
5 at Boston (October to April) and 5 at Worcester (October to April), plus 2 and 2 months of launch or haul-out. Those laid up months hold 69.9 of the 72.9 inches of snow Worcester averages a year (96%), which is the load on a cover or carport roof. At Boston a boat is in the water from May to September (5 months), against 5 at Worcester.
Of 92 live Massachusetts listings, 48 list indoor space and 1 climate-controlled units, against 78 outdoor and 18 covered. By city: Boston (44 listed, 10 indoor), Quincy (6 listed, 6 indoor), Charlestown (5 listed, 4 indoor) and Cambridge (4 listed, 1 indoor). Most indoor listings: Boston (10), Quincy (6) and Charlestown (4). Ask whether indoor means heated; listings span 28 cities in all.
At Worcester, 4 months average a low at or below 32°F, all of them laid up months by our boat rule. Worcester logs 129.7 nights at or below 32°F and 3.8 at or below 0°F a year; January, the coldest month, averages 17.1°F and is laid up for a boat.
After the last frost. The median last 32°F night is April 4 at Boston and April 23 at Worcester; the last 28°F hard freeze comes around March 28 and April 11. Our rule makes May the first month in the water at Boston and May at Worcester. That month Boston averages a 50.3°F low and a 66.5°F high. Reverse each winterization step first.
Massachusetts boat storage listings span 28 cities, led by Boston (44 listed), Quincy (6 listed), Charlestown (5 listed), Cambridge (4 listed) and Winthrop (4 listed). For outdoor winter parking, Boston (30 outdoor) and Quincy (6 outdoor) lead. Statewide, 78 list outdoor, 18 covered and 49 indoor or climate-controlled spaces. Compare the cities nearest you before October 21.
NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991-2020 (USW00014739, USW00094746); NOAA AOML hurricane impacts 1851-2025; StowHelp listings 2026-10-07 (methodology).