Looking for ideas on how to best cover our trailered 1986 222. The stepped mast is laying horizontally across the top of the boat, resting on the bow pulpit and a wooden "cradle" in the stern. I heard that damage may be caused by the weight of snow when simply laying a blue tarp over the mast. To prevent the stanchions from pushing through the tarp, I plan to use wooden blocks, but heard that the stanchions can damage or even push through the topsides from the weight. Can anyone walk me through their covering/tarp support methods? Thanks, Jim
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Ben Allen
Tarp Tent
Jim, This is one item that I have never had to do, here in the south and all, but one of the best tenting methods involving a tarp across the mast, was to take a very long line, tie it off at the bow pulpit, and start lacing it over the mast, around the opposite lifeline, and back over the mast. This gives the tarp some support in the pitch area where snow (I saw a picture of this stuff once) can accumulate. Maybe some of the northern or Canadian sailors have a better method. Ben Allen Montgomery, AL "Wahoo" O 26
Jim, This is one item that I have never had to do, here in the south and all, but one of the best tenting methods involving a tarp across the mast, was to take a very long line, tie it off at the bow pulpit, and start lacing it over the mast, around the opposite lifeline, and back over the mast. This gives the tarp some support in the pitch area where snow (I saw a picture of this stuff once) can accumulate. Maybe some of the northern or Canadian sailors have a better method. Ben Allen Montgomery, AL "Wahoo" O 26
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Paul Palmer
Winter cover
Jim When I cover my OD25 in the winter, if the mast is down running from bow pulpit to the stern rail, I always place a support under mast usually at the mast step. You should remove the spreaders because as the tarp sags under snow they will be carrying a lot of weight. I usually place carpet scraps on top of the stanchions. We do not get enough snow, at the lake where I keep my boat, to create much of a weight problem. If we had enough snow to cause damage to eighter the mast or the boat I would place the tarps directly on the deck and go around the stanchions as best as possible. If you raise your mast you can use the boom to carry the tarp over the cockpit and rig something to carry the tarp forward from the mast to the bow pulpit, maybe a spinnaker pole , 2X4 etc. This way your tent is much steeper and sheds the snow better. Tarping a boat with the stanchions in place is never easy. I saw one boat this fall that the owner had removed the stanchions before tarping. It was a neater job, but I'm not ready for that yet. Good luck, Paul Palmer
Jim When I cover my OD25 in the winter, if the mast is down running from bow pulpit to the stern rail, I always place a support under mast usually at the mast step. You should remove the spreaders because as the tarp sags under snow they will be carrying a lot of weight. I usually place carpet scraps on top of the stanchions. We do not get enough snow, at the lake where I keep my boat, to create much of a weight problem. If we had enough snow to cause damage to eighter the mast or the boat I would place the tarps directly on the deck and go around the stanchions as best as possible. If you raise your mast you can use the boom to carry the tarp over the cockpit and rig something to carry the tarp forward from the mast to the bow pulpit, maybe a spinnaker pole , 2X4 etc. This way your tent is much steeper and sheds the snow better. Tarping a boat with the stanchions in place is never easy. I saw one boat this fall that the owner had removed the stanchions before tarping. It was a neater job, but I'm not ready for that yet. Good luck, Paul Palmer
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Justin - O'day Owners' Web
Ben's method
In the past I have used exactly the method Ben describes. I lace line around the lifelines, over the mast and back. I have never seen a big problem with this, as long as the lacing is fairly tight to avoid the pockets that can form because of sag. Last winter, the boat I bought had a modification of the same idea. Boards just long enough to reach from the mast to the lifelines, joined with carpet to make a saddle over the mast, support the tarp. This winter I bit the bullet and had the yard shrink it and put a door in it. Definitely superior because I can get in and out more easily, but way expensive. I don't think its worth it for next year. Justin - O'day Owners' Web
In the past I have used exactly the method Ben describes. I lace line around the lifelines, over the mast and back. I have never seen a big problem with this, as long as the lacing is fairly tight to avoid the pockets that can form because of sag. Last winter, the boat I bought had a modification of the same idea. Boards just long enough to reach from the mast to the lifelines, joined with carpet to make a saddle over the mast, support the tarp. This winter I bit the bullet and had the yard shrink it and put a door in it. Definitely superior because I can get in and out more easily, but way expensive. I don't think its worth it for next year. Justin - O'day Owners' Web
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Ben Allen
Photo Of Tarp Method
Jim, Here is a photo of the line and tarp method: http://www.best.com/~c25c250/restricted/bearsad1.html Hope this helps a little. Ben Allen
Jim, Here is a photo of the line and tarp method: http://www.best.com/~c25c250/restricted/bearsad1.html Hope this helps a little. Ben Allen
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Don Evans
I Have Used the Laced Line Method But...
it still sagged due to snow weight and stretch in the line. Last year I hung lengths of PVC black water pipe over the horizontal mast using 45 or 60 degree elbows at the mast, bringinging them about a foot beyond the lifelines and tied them to the lifelines using smallstuff. I created about 12 rafters of this pipe along the length of the mast. I did not cement the pipes to the elbows so that I can knock it all down in the spring. It cost me about $100 in parts. I remove the spreaders because of the hip it produces in the roof line, a place snow can accumulate. We get about 20 feet of snow here, so I still have to knock off the accumulated snow once a week or so. The boat is close to the house so I can keep an eye on it. I also support the mast mid-length at the step with a piece of 4X4, besides at the pulpits. Don
it still sagged due to snow weight and stretch in the line. Last year I hung lengths of PVC black water pipe over the horizontal mast using 45 or 60 degree elbows at the mast, bringinging them about a foot beyond the lifelines and tied them to the lifelines using smallstuff. I created about 12 rafters of this pipe along the length of the mast. I did not cement the pipes to the elbows so that I can knock it all down in the spring. It cost me about $100 in parts. I remove the spreaders because of the hip it produces in the roof line, a place snow can accumulate. We get about 20 feet of snow here, so I still have to knock off the accumulated snow once a week or so. The boat is close to the house so I can keep an eye on it. I also support the mast mid-length at the step with a piece of 4X4, besides at the pulpits. Don
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Tom Ehmke
A little of this and a little of that.
Jim, For the past five seasons I've used the PVC method and spent a lot of time TRYING to prevent tears around the stanchions. I drilled holes through the PVC at the ends and tied the pipes together to allow for varying pitches from the mast (ridge) to the eaves (lifelines)...sorry, I'm a carpenter. Anyway, this year I noticed a couple of sailboats with tarps pulled down along the sheer and no stanchions visible. So I looked closer at my own stanchions and discovered (DUH!) that they were removeable. I loosened them, lifted them out of their bases, laid them down, and placed the tarp over the top. A decent fit w/o much opportunity for wind to sneak under or snow to weigh the tarp down. The bow pulpit and stern pushpit are kind of a problem, but I have wrapped them with lines to keep the wind out. Will it work? I'll let you know as soon as we have a major storm and I go to the boatyard to check her. Tom
Jim, For the past five seasons I've used the PVC method and spent a lot of time TRYING to prevent tears around the stanchions. I drilled holes through the PVC at the ends and tied the pipes together to allow for varying pitches from the mast (ridge) to the eaves (lifelines)...sorry, I'm a carpenter. Anyway, this year I noticed a couple of sailboats with tarps pulled down along the sheer and no stanchions visible. So I looked closer at my own stanchions and discovered (DUH!) that they were removeable. I loosened them, lifted them out of their bases, laid them down, and placed the tarp over the top. A decent fit w/o much opportunity for wind to sneak under or snow to weigh the tarp down. The bow pulpit and stern pushpit are kind of a problem, but I have wrapped them with lines to keep the wind out. Will it work? I'll let you know as soon as we have a major storm and I go to the boatyard to check her. Tom
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