Since someone else brought up the 'W' word, I thought I ask a few questions. I have a 36CC which will be stored this winter on a cradle outside with the mast up (unless someone makes a compelling argument to do it another way) in Wisconsin. The question I have has to do with winter covers. What do you recommend? Nothing (as the guy at the boat yard said)? Blue tarps and water bottles (I heard horror stories about more bad being done than good)? Fitted canvas (or other material) that ties to the stanchions and used the boom and halyard for support (and runs about $1800 for my boat)? Or the fully fitted canvas (or other material) that uses an internal frame, goes to the water line, and runs between $2300 (out of Canada) to $3100 (US made)? Any advice/thoughts are welcomed! Let the opinions begin.
- Status
Fairclough
I have a Fairclough cover. They made it from an in-house pattern (for my C-36). It's the best, fits like a glove. About $2400 including the framework. I calculated that in addition to allowing me to work on the boat comfortably all winter, it breaks even with shrink wrap in about 6 years. The cover will last 15 or more with care and maintenance. see link jv
I have a Fairclough cover. They made it from an in-house pattern (for my C-36). It's the best, fits like a glove. About $2400 including the framework. I calculated that in addition to allowing me to work on the boat comfortably all winter, it breaks even with shrink wrap in about 6 years. The cover will last 15 or more with care and maintenance. see link jv
W
I have had my boat shrink wraped for the last three winters with good success at a reasonable cost. I have a zippered door and numerous vents. The solar hatch fan works under the white shrink wrap to help keep the boat dry. I built a simple frame with plastic electrical conduit that attaches to the stanchions with hose clamps. I wrap the boat with the mast up every other year.
I have had my boat shrink wraped for the last three winters with good success at a reasonable cost. I have a zippered door and numerous vents. The solar hatch fan works under the white shrink wrap to help keep the boat dry. I built a simple frame with plastic electrical conduit that attaches to the stanchions with hose clamps. I wrap the boat with the mast up every other year.
Love my Fairclough cover
I bought a Fairclough 5 years ago for my Hunter 40. Total cost $4k. Looks as good today as new. Takes 2 people to assemble the frame and put on the cover in two zippered pieces. More people is better! Going on is a 4-5 hour job, off is about 3 hours. Perfect for working inside over the winter. I store mast in and floating. It is a very expensive cover, but I think the lifespan and protection of the boat make it worth the investment.
I bought a Fairclough 5 years ago for my Hunter 40. Total cost $4k. Looks as good today as new. Takes 2 people to assemble the frame and put on the cover in two zippered pieces. More people is better! Going on is a 4-5 hour job, off is about 3 hours. Perfect for working inside over the winter. I store mast in and floating. It is a very expensive cover, but I think the lifespan and protection of the boat make it worth the investment.
How about Tyvek for a cover?
I have often wondered about using Tyvek for a winter cover. It seems to be very tough. West or BoatUS sells Tyvek covers for small boats. Any thoughts on this?
I have often wondered about using Tyvek for a winter cover. It seems to be very tough. West or BoatUS sells Tyvek covers for small boats. Any thoughts on this?
Tough call.
For some odd reason I found myself thinking about this very topic this A.M. I have always covered mine(four winters) but very UNprofessionally. I bought two of those heavy silver covers(black on the inside) and overlap them about four feet at the mast. I use 6-inch drain hose to create a ridge from the mast to the top of each pulpit both directions. They tie down over the toerail, not over the tops of the rail. This protects most of the boat but rain and snow melt can still run along the toerails. I'll probably only get one more winter from those covers(about $100. total). In my marina on Lake Erie about two-thirds have some type of cover. There are the IPs with their custom canvas, guys like me, quite a few shrinkwraps, and the blue cover over the boom with a few milk bottles. Then I think about all those boats South of the Mason-Dixon, many in saltwater, never covered in their whole life. One thing I learned last winter. The boat is a heck of a lot easier to cover with the rigging off. But more expensive and much harder to get back to sailing in the Spring.
For some odd reason I found myself thinking about this very topic this A.M. I have always covered mine(four winters) but very UNprofessionally. I bought two of those heavy silver covers(black on the inside) and overlap them about four feet at the mast. I use 6-inch drain hose to create a ridge from the mast to the top of each pulpit both directions. They tie down over the toerail, not over the tops of the rail. This protects most of the boat but rain and snow melt can still run along the toerails. I'll probably only get one more winter from those covers(about $100. total). In my marina on Lake Erie about two-thirds have some type of cover. There are the IPs with their custom canvas, guys like me, quite a few shrinkwraps, and the blue cover over the boom with a few milk bottles. Then I think about all those boats South of the Mason-Dixon, many in saltwater, never covered in their whole life. One thing I learned last winter. The boat is a heck of a lot easier to cover with the rigging off. But more expensive and much harder to get back to sailing in the Spring.
I chose Fairclough
After trying the penny-wise (and as it turns out, pound-foolish) route last winter (purchased my H-34 last summer). The tarps from Walmart are no match for Wisconsin's winters. Period. I did a bunch of shopping around, querying and chose Fairclough. They offered me a significant discount for order with deposit prior to May 1. I'm told the cover is in the works and should arrive mid september. I'll post my appraisal after I recieve and install it. Good luck.
After trying the penny-wise (and as it turns out, pound-foolish) route last winter (purchased my H-34 last summer). The tarps from Walmart are no match for Wisconsin's winters. Period. I did a bunch of shopping around, querying and chose Fairclough. They offered me a significant discount for order with deposit prior to May 1. I'm told the cover is in the works and should arrive mid september. I'll post my appraisal after I recieve and install it. Good luck.
Shrink Wrap Yourself for $50
Wholesale shrink wrap is about $90 for a 20'x 89' roll. That's enough to do my h34 twice. Throw in a $10 propane refill and it costs $50/year. I could wrap my boat for 50-60 years for the price of a canvas cover. Yes, they are nice but way to expensive for my Hunter budget. O yeah, I already own the shrink wrap heat gun. There's one for sale on ebay now for $150. I can wrap my boat in less time than it take to install your cover. Barry
Wholesale shrink wrap is about $90 for a 20'x 89' roll. That's enough to do my h34 twice. Throw in a $10 propane refill and it costs $50/year. I could wrap my boat for 50-60 years for the price of a canvas cover. Yes, they are nice but way to expensive for my Hunter budget. O yeah, I already own the shrink wrap heat gun. There's one for sale on ebay now for $150. I can wrap my boat in less time than it take to install your cover. Barry
The contrarian answer, also from Wisconsin
Well, I leave mine uncovered (If you are in Racine it is GailForce right next to the Travelift at Racine Riverside) I take off the wheel and wrap the pedestal. I remove the few pieces of exterior teak and revarnish over the winter. I put on a good coat of Island Girl and come back in the spring, Mark plugs in the batteries occasionally. I certainly wouldn't turn down a cover if someone wanted to send one to me for Christmas (like my buddy Rich Stidger!!!), but it is low on my list. It's only snow, and it's too damn cold to work on the boat in Wisconsin anyway!!!
Well, I leave mine uncovered (If you are in Racine it is GailForce right next to the Travelift at Racine Riverside) I take off the wheel and wrap the pedestal. I remove the few pieces of exterior teak and revarnish over the winter. I put on a good coat of Island Girl and come back in the spring, Mark plugs in the batteries occasionally. I certainly wouldn't turn down a cover if someone wanted to send one to me for Christmas (like my buddy Rich Stidger!!!), but it is low on my list. It's only snow, and it's too damn cold to work on the boat in Wisconsin anyway!!!
Go Bare
Tarps have a nasty habit of getting loose and pounding the devil out of the gel coat. Shrink wrap locks in all that humidity that then coats the cabin of the boat. Gone bare for 6 years with heavy snow, heavy winds, and very cold weather. Works for me. And, the hull still looks like a much newer boat than its true age. My location: central South Dakota, and the winter is as bad here as anywhere unless you are in the snow belt next to Lake Superior.
Tarps have a nasty habit of getting loose and pounding the devil out of the gel coat. Shrink wrap locks in all that humidity that then coats the cabin of the boat. Gone bare for 6 years with heavy snow, heavy winds, and very cold weather. Works for me. And, the hull still looks like a much newer boat than its true age. My location: central South Dakota, and the winter is as bad here as anywhere unless you are in the snow belt next to Lake Superior.
Do it yoursefl w cover
If your are willing to spent some time measuring and designing a cover, making it yourself is an option. We (wife and me) made the cover from TopGun canvas in three pieces joined with Velcro. A structure of adjustable length wood ribs are secured to the boom with Velcro and to longitudinal wood pieces secured to the stanchions with tie wraps. Sewing the cover was not easy with our home Singer, but it was worth the trouble. It l could be mounted and dismounted very easily by two people and survived well last winter. Total cost of materials less than $500 for our Beneteau 361
If your are willing to spent some time measuring and designing a cover, making it yourself is an option. We (wife and me) made the cover from TopGun canvas in three pieces joined with Velcro. A structure of adjustable length wood ribs are secured to the boom with Velcro and to longitudinal wood pieces secured to the stanchions with tie wraps. Sewing the cover was not easy with our home Singer, but it was worth the trouble. It l could be mounted and dismounted very easily by two people and survived well last winter. Total cost of materials less than $500 for our Beneteau 361
Griffolyn, mystery solved!
Crusing World's BB gave me the answer to my tarp search. It's called Griffolyn and its made my Reef Industries in Houston Texas. 1-800-231-6074 They have a website but no mention of boat covers, they do custom work and the cost is a more than the blue/silver/green type poly tarps but I've seen one that lasted four years winter and summer and was still going strong on the edge of Lake Erie. I'll be calling them tomorrow to get the skinny~ howie~
Crusing World's BB gave me the answer to my tarp search. It's called Griffolyn and its made my Reef Industries in Houston Texas. 1-800-231-6074 They have a website but no mention of boat covers, they do custom work and the cost is a more than the blue/silver/green type poly tarps but I've seen one that lasted four years winter and summer and was still going strong on the edge of Lake Erie. I'll be calling them tomorrow to get the skinny~ howie~
Tarp
HI Guys , I use 1" pvc water pipe bent in a bow from one side of the boat to the other. Then ducktaped to each stanshion I started with two diffrent pipes taped to each side 10' long and bent them in place and taped them together then ran some 5/4 wood down the center to hold the tarp bows up I used a30'by 40' blue tarp that lasts 2or 3 winters 7 months . the tarp gets pulled over and tied snug not tight so when the wind blows the snow gets blown off . The bows are big enough so I can stand under and work The sun in the winter warms the in side of the tarp and melts anty snow off by 12 noon . The day after the storm. Where I tape the rig I also rap string around for suport, and my soler vents even work throw the tarp.Cost for pipe and tarp is around $150 Ive never got adrop of water or snow inside. I take my mast down for winter. John Olson
HI Guys , I use 1" pvc water pipe bent in a bow from one side of the boat to the other. Then ducktaped to each stanshion I started with two diffrent pipes taped to each side 10' long and bent them in place and taped them together then ran some 5/4 wood down the center to hold the tarp bows up I used a30'by 40' blue tarp that lasts 2or 3 winters 7 months . the tarp gets pulled over and tied snug not tight so when the wind blows the snow gets blown off . The bows are big enough so I can stand under and work The sun in the winter warms the in side of the tarp and melts anty snow off by 12 noon . The day after the storm. Where I tape the rig I also rap string around for suport, and my soler vents even work throw the tarp.Cost for pipe and tarp is around $150 Ive never got adrop of water or snow inside. I take my mast down for winter. John Olson
- Status