Boat Cover Question

[Ward H]

I did a search on boat covers and found a few threads but they were in the Hunter Owners section. So I started this thread here in Ask All Sailors.

Last years freeze and thaw cycle damaged the cockpit drain letting water into the bilge and came close to flooding the cabin.

So, time to do a cover. Jim McGee posted a pic on another site of his cover, which didn't go all the way to the bow. It dropped down to the deck just forward of the mast.
That makes more sense to me than covering the whole boat because the cockpit, cabin entrance and cabin top teak are what I want to protect. And I expect it simplifies things a bit a well as reducing the cost some.

I'm looking at the Kover Klamp system for the frame and haven't decided on a tarp or cover. Going to talk to KK tomorrow about their cover material.

I attached a quick drawing of what I planned.

Appreciate any thoughts and suggestions.

 

[djplatt]

My personal opinion is that any boat with a balsa cored deck should be completely covered in during the freeze thaw cycle. Covers don't need to be expensive. I have used 1x3 and 6 mm plastic but I really hate the thought of snow and ice melting and freezing on that deck all winter.

Just my opinion.

cheers

david

 

[njlarry]

Hi Ward. I like your plan but agree it would be better to cover the entire deck. Would a part cover be that much less cost?
I'm debating shrink wrap vs custom cover. Right now shrink wrap is winning.

 

[alain croteau]

Greetings. I just finished a KK installation and I used their tarp. A couple of points to consider: Cover the entire boat. this will not increase the cost by a significant amount and if you make the ridge continuous/horizontal from bow to stern, may be easier to build and easier to cover than with sloping ridge. The tarp material they supply in conjunction with the KK clips is easy to install. I made the heigth of the rib legs high enough to enable me to move around the side decks somewhat easy as I need to work on re-sealing deck hardware etc. Bottom line, if you follow their comprehensive installation recommendations, its straightforward and cost effective. The KK folks are great to deal with.

 

[pogo2]

custom cover is best

best cover ever, plus put in a couple ceramic heaters and I can work inside and under the cover all winter

 

[LakeOntario270]

I use the Kover Klamps system and it works well. All you have to do is bend 3/4" conduit 60 degrees. I borrowed a pipe bender from work to do that and drew a 60 degree angle on a big piece of cardboard to measure the angle. You also need a pipe cutter. I also bought a heavy duty (silver) tarp from tarpsupply.com.

 

[Ward H]

Well, you guys convinced me the full cover is the way to go. Would much rather put the money into new sails but keeping the boat in the good condition I found it is also necessary. I understood it was shrink wrapped for winter storage all its life.

As David said, I look at an slush covered boat and hate the thought of water seeping into the deck and freezing. I'll sleep better know it is nice and dry.

Alain and LO270, would you happen to have any photos of the boat covered?

Alain and Pogo, those photos of the frame systems really help me to understand what needs to be done.

 

[LakeOntario270]

Here is a link to pictures of the frame on my boat.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Catalina270/photos/albums/48104580

 

[dscribner]

Ward,

You can do both! I made a PVC frame. Ladder sections tie to the toe rail and support ribs that bend over the mast (laid down). The rib ends are made from PVC tees with one side of the head of the tee cut away to form a clip of sorts. I tie these to the ladder sections. The cover is made from the compulsory blue tarp material but it isn't just a tarp. I measured the frame, cut a HUGE tarp to the correct shape and dimensions and whipped out the Admiral's Singer. The cover is held to the boat with bungees. It has supported 18" of snow with no problem. The photo shows the cover is little beat. Some of the grommets have problems so I backed them up the the handyman's secret weapon. The whole thing is about $100. Granted, I need to re-sew a cover every 4 or five years. Next time . . . Sunbrella. I can get 25 years for about $200.

 

[alain croteau]

Ward. I installed the tarp last week but forgot to bring the camera with me. KK has videos on their site that show the installation of two different tarps that illustrate tarp installation. They also supply a dvd with thorough instructions. I thought of buying a less expensive tarp using the KK clips however, their tarp, at 25 cents/sq ft., is very reasonable for a decent quality tarp. I have used different types of clips in the past and the KK clip is by far the best.
Alain

 

[Ward H]

LA270. I couldn't get to the photos but thanks for trying.

Larry, how you doing down there on the Chessy? I had thought of shrink wrap but the price I got last year was around $350. The cost of a cover using the Kover Klamp system looks to be about $700 using their tarp and it should last many years.

dscribner, nice job and at a good cost. I thought about trying a wood/pvc type pipe frame but trying to build by scratch just did not give me a good feeling that I would get it right. When I saw the Kover Klamp system I thought that was the type of kit I could put together right and it would work well.

 

[bffatcat]

winter cover

I just finished covering my boat with the help of a friend/ got a wood strapping frame which was new last year. about $30 for materials. $60 for a heavy duty tarp at ocean state job lots, covers the entire boat, bought last year I noticed a couple of small tears. I patched them with duct tape don`t know how long the tarp will last If it deteriorates Ill buy a new one I expect the frame to last indefinetly

 

[joker460]

I also use the Klover Klamps and a Poly Tarp. It lasts about 3 seasons before you need to replace the tarp at about $136.00 for a 35 foot boat.

I didn't use as many cross pieces as Alain. One at each stanchion. The tarp is translucent and allows my solar cells to keep the batteries charged.

Attached is a pic showing the boat covered. I also use the Klover Klips which are the easiest tarp attachments around. They work even at -20 degrees.

Good Luck

 

[Ward H]

joker,

Thanks for posting those photos. I'm about half way through making my frame. Your and alain's photos helped to figure a few things out.

It seems no matter what I am covering a tarp only last a season and the grommets are never where I need them. For this cover I plan to use the Kover tarp material and already ordered the Kover Klips.

 

[Ward H]

Still working on the frame but measured for the tarp.
Having the tarp go down to the waterline or just a foot or so down from the rub rain, is that just a personal preference or are there pros and cons to either?

 

[joker460]

It's really up to you but keep this in mind. Snow and Rain is dirty and as it runs down the side of the hull it will leave streaks. These build up over time.
I like to do as little cleaning of the hull come spring.

 

[DougM]

I use a full canvas cover which was custom made for the boat. Its on its ninth and probably final season before replacement. The boat stores with the mast up and I use the boom as the ridge with a vertical support at the end. Forward, I use a 2x6 from the mast to the anchor roller, no need for the elaborate framework that others seem to prefer.The canvas was designed to go around the stanchion bases and over the toe rails and ties down to the cradle. It has a zippered opening at the stern to access the cockpit and cabin if necessary. The "roof" pitch is steep enough that snow load does not accumulate, and with even the 239 inch overall snowfall last winter it was not a problem. The overall cost of the canvas spread over nine seasons, including maintenance repairs is still considerably less than shrink wrap, environmentally more friendly, and seemingly less suseptable to wind damage.

 

[TENACITY CS36T]

 

[shemandr]

Having the tarp go down to the waterline or just a foot or so down from the rub rain, is that just a personal preference or are there pros and cons to either?

Either, but keep in mind that the movement of the tarp edge against the gel coat can damage it. Ditto for the grommets and lines used to tied it up. Most full covers go below the waterline so that rubbing occurs on the bottom paint and not the gelcoat. They also have flaps that cover the grommet and the line close to the grommet to protect the bottom paint. Also if you hull is painted, a tarp, cover or shrink wrap can hold moisture against the paint and cause the paint to fail.

 

[Indysailor]

I've tarped with the mast down and used 1" PVC pipe to create support. I put the PVC on the lifelines (ran the lifeline through the pipe) between the stanchions and then used T joints to create cross members that flex over the mast (supported!), connecting like a ladder the length of the boat. At the tops of the stanchions I cut up foam noodles to protect the tarps and I used foam on the tops of the cockpit rail.

The tarp had just enough of a pitch that most snow slid off.